01
Printed by people, not machines
Direct mail postcards fail at the post office more often than at the design stage, and by then you have already paid for the print run. A dedicated Print Concierge checks the things that cause that: whether the address side leaves the required clear area, whether a dark background will interfere with automated sorting, and whether the stock you picked meets the thickness requirement for postcard rates. Most printers hand you the file back exactly as you sent it. We tell you first.
02
Why postcards still work
A postcard has one structural advantage over every other piece of mail: there is nothing to open. The message is visible the moment it is picked up, which means it gets read even by people who bin everything else unopened. That makes postcards the most reliable format for a short, specific offer with a deadline. They are not the right choice for anything that needs explaining, and they are not private, so nothing confidential goes on one. But for "we are opening", "here is 20% off until the end of the month", or "your service is due", nothing else in print performs as consistently.
03
Choosing thickness and finish
Both decisions are free, so make them on function rather than cost.
- Standard thickness: fine for high-volume mailing where the card is read once and discarded.
- Premium thickness: stiffer, survives the postal system without corner damage, and feels like something worth keeping. Use it for anything a customer might pin up or hold onto.
- Matte: easier to read, and you can write on it. The right choice if the recipient will fill anything in.
- Gloss: makes photography and colour pop. Best for anything image-led.
04
Laying out the address side
The half of the card carrying the address has rules, and this is where most first-time direct mail runs into trouble. Keep the right half clear for the address block and postage. Leave the bottom strip clear entirely, because postal automation reads it. Anything you want on that side, a short message, a return address, a small logo, goes on the left. Send a print-ready PDF at 300 DPI in CMYK with 0.125 inch bleed on every edge and text kept 0.25 inch inside the trim. If you are mailing rather than handing these out, tell us and the Concierge will check the layout specifically for that.
05
Need a postcard designed?
Choose Design it for me and our professional design team will build your postcard for $75, laid out correctly for mailing, and hand back a print-ready file you own outright. Postcards are often run alongside flyers for the same campaign, one for mail and one for hand distribution.
06
Printing and delivery
Our press runs seven days a week and we ship nationwide from Florida. Order by 3PM ET and production starts the same day, with the arrival estimate at the top of this page updating live as you configure. Postcards ship flat and boxed. Shipping is free over $120 and a flat $15 below that.
