Successful Design And Communication Techniques To Consider When Postcard Printing

Postcard printing offers an inexpensive form of communication that serves many purposes. No doubt, this is why the cards continue to thrive in the digital age. These cards are commonly used as invitations, marketing pieces, and greeting cards. When considering postcard printing, planning ahead will help immensely.

How the card "looks" is a major factor in planning a design. Many printers will help customers understand what they need to know for proper layout and design, and may charge a fee if the customer wants to contract for this part of the project. Digital services are likely to provide a template that will walk the buyer through the design process. Contracting the work out insures that basic mistakes, like forgetting to leave trim space, are avoided.

Choosing a size for card is a part of firming up the design. If the card is to be mailed, be sure to check that it meets postal guidelines. While small cards may have lower postage, larger cards may not, and an oversize price may even need an envelope. There are also other postal restrictions. For example, the US Postal Service does not accept rounded corners.

Aesthetics are also a consideration when choosing colors, the font, and any pictures to spice up the design. An image that looks fine on the web is likely to have too low a resolution to translate well into print. A light color font may appear clear on a white background on the computer and totally wash out when printed. Also look for a readable font.

Staying away from digital colors is as important as using good images for your postcard printing. Printers generally use CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) programs. RGB (red, green, blue), while fine on the computer, does not print as accurately. There are exceptions, so it is good to ask about color specifications during the consultation. Realizing that the coloration does not even remotely match what is desired is a disappointment that is avoidable.

Choosing offset or digital printing impacts both the look and cost of the product. If high image quality is important, perhaps for an invitation to an art exhibition, an offset press is likely to provide a truer color match and a broader choice of printing surfaces (paper stock, cloth, metal and so forth). However, the setup costs are high. For a short run, particularly if it is a rush job, digital is probably a preferable choice.

Don't just ask black and white or color, also think about whether one side is enough or if the value of the print job is increased with a two-sided approach. Working back to back adds long term flexibility. An invitation for an art exhibition, for example, can include the dates and the map on one side, with an image from the show on the other. With a larger print run, leaving the show specific details off some of the cards gives them a life after the show is over.

Other details for the printing checklist include choosing a printing surface. Is a matte or glossy stock more suitable? How large a run is needed? Generally it is more cost effective to do a large run than to need to re-print, particularly if offset printing is used.

Today, postcard printing continues to thrive because these small cards are versatile and can do so many things. Universities and businesses sometimes use them to acknowledge applications. Galleries and artists find they are wonderful for both marketing and invitations. Postcards are used as political statements as well. Whatever the goal, creating a dynamic product is helped immensely by thinking through the design and goals your presentation folder will serve.