Postcards are enticing for both you and your customer- they are easy and short for the customers to read and an affordable direct mail option for your business! In fact, postcards have the highest response rate of all the direct mail types. Postcards are enticing for both you and your customer- they are easy and short for the customers to read and an affordable direct mail option for your business! Here are some tips for choosing affordable postcards.

Postcards

The Ideal Affordable Postcard

Postcards measure 3-1/2" x 5" up to max size 4-1/4" x 6" and must be a minimum of .007” thick, also called 7pt. These postcards can be mailed at First Class Mail postcard rates or at Standard Mail letter rates.

* Postcards printed on 7pt paper stock are the least costly entry into direct mail.

* Depending on the quantity of postcards, it may be more cost effective to digital print the cards.

Postcard Production

Production typically includes conventional press printing sheets of your chosen paper stock with several cards per sheet, cutting the sheets down to individual cards, followed by addressing and mailing.

Colors

Since 7pt hi-bulk paper is inexpensive and available in various colors, it is perfect for printing in black ink only on both sides of a bright colored paper.

If you are printing a postcard in color, consider using a satin or gloss coated paper stock. The coating helps prevent ink absorption into the paper fibers, resulting in a higher quality piece.

Oversized Postcards

Oversize Postcards have one of the highest response rates of all direct mail types, so choosing to use oversized postcards is a great option (especially since they can be affordable too)!

The Ideal Affordable Oversized Postcard

These cards are categorized as letters by the USPS and are larger than 4-1/4" x 6" and up to a maximum size of 6-1/8” x 11-1/2”. The USPS requires letter size cards to be a minimum 9pt (.009”) thick.

Colors

Printing in 2-colors instead of 4-color process will save you some money, but the drawback is the challenge in creating a card design with visual impact. Printing in 4-color process allows accurate reproduction of photos and enables designers much more creativity.

Oversized Postcards Recommendations

The USPS letter processing equipment tends to cause scuffs and scratches so adding a protective aqueous, varnish, or UV coating is recommended. In addition to protecting your card, coatings add luster and shine.

The John Roberts Company is a full-service marketing execution company, providing a variety of services including: commercial printing and packaging, mailing and digital marketing services, and more. To learn more about our company and how we can help you succeed, get in touch today.