Postcard Printing in the US: What to Specify

A postcard looks like the simplest print job there is: one card, two sides, a quantity. That is exactly why briefs for it arrive half-written. "5,000 postcards" does not say how thick the card is, whether the back has to take a pen or a printer's address, or whether the cards are going into the mail at all — and each of those changes the stock, the coating and the price.

US producers work in inches, points and pounds rather than millimetres and grams, and many of them offer addressing and mailing alongside printing. A specification written for that world gets comparable offers; one written in A6 and gsm gets each producer's own translation of it, and the offers stop lining up.

What to put in the specification

An RfQ carries one specification field, and this is what belongs in it for postcards. Anything left out is something each producer assumes differently — which is why offers stop being comparable.

Finished size in inches

Width by height, plus bleed. If the artwork was drawn to an A-size, convert it and say which edge may move — an A6 card does not map exactly onto a US size, and a producer will otherwise pick the nearest one for you.

Card thickness

US card is usually named in points (thousandths of an inch) as well as in pounds. Give one of them and say which; "heavy card" is a different sheet at every shop.

Coated or uncoated, and on which side

Gloss, matt or uncoated, front and back separately. A fully coated back can refuse ballpoint ink and some inkjet addressing; if the back is to be written on or addressed, say so.

Colours per side

Four-colour both sides, or four over one. A back printed in one colour is a common saving, and it only shows up in the quote if you ask for it.

Finishing

Lamination, spot UV, foil, rounded corners, perforated reply cards. Each is an extra pass; name the ones you want and leave out the rest.

Variable data

Personal names, unique codes or QR codes per card. That turns a litho job into a digital or hybrid one, so state it up front with the data format you will send.

Mailing or delivery

Will the producer address and mail the cards, or deliver them boxed to you? These are different services with different prices; ask for each as its own line.

Quantity and run-on price

Ask for two or three quantities in the same RfQ and the cost of the next thousand. Postcards are cheap per unit, which hides how much the set-up costs on a small run.

Proofing

A PDF proof checks layout; a printed proof on the actual card checks colour and how the coating looks. Say which you need before you compare prices.

Packing

Banded in stacks, shrink-wrapped, or boxed by version. If the cards are split between several addresses or versions, say how many of each.

Sourcing in United States

Inches, points and pounds

Write the size in inches and the card in points or pounds, as US producers quote them. If you think in millimetres and gsm, give both and say which is the requirement, so nobody rounds the wrong way.

Mailing is a separate question

Many producers also address and mail. If the cards will be posted, ask the producer which size, thickness and address-side layout fit the mailing you have in mind before the artwork is final, and whether postage is included in the price or billed on top.

Distance is part of the price

The country is large and freight is not trivial on a heavy job. Give the delivery city and ZIP code in the RfQ, and compare offers delivered to that address rather than ex works.

Four ways this goes wrong

Coating the side that has to take ink

Say whether the back will be written on or addressed. Ask for an uncoated or ink-receptive back if it will.

Giving the size in millimetres only

State it in inches with bleed, or give both and mark which one rules.

Leaving the mailing decision for later

Decide whether the producer mails the cards before you finish the artwork; the address side depends on it.

Asking for one quantity

Ask for two or three and the run-on price. On postcards the set-up cost is most of a small order.

Frequently asked questions

How thick should a postcard be?

Thick enough to survive the journey and feel deliberate in the hand. Give the thickness in points or the weight in pounds and ask producers to quote that sheet, rather than describing it as heavy or premium.

Can the back of the postcard be coated?

It can, but a coated back may not take a pen or some addressing printers. If the back is going to be written on or addressed, ask for an uncoated or ink-receptive back.

Can the printer also mail the postcards?

Many US producers offer addressing and mailing. Ask for it as a separate line in the same RfQ, and ask whether postage is included or billed on top.

Can each postcard carry a different name or code?

Yes, with variable-data printing. Say so in the specification and send the data format with the RfQ, because it decides whether the job is printed digitally.

Postcard printing in the United States