Postcard Printing Techniques

When you send direct-mail postcards, you're not just selling a product or service - you're making a promise to deliver something of value in exchange for a response. After everything else is complete, your postcard printing technique is crucial to building trust with your customers. A high-quality postcard lends credibility to your company and your offer, so it's in your best interest to ensure that your postcards are top of the line. Fortunately, you can print high-quality postcards on any budget when you incorporate the following postcard printing techniques:

Your postcard paper says a lot about the type of offer you're promoting and lends insight into your company. Thick, hearty postcard paper also builds trust by telling your audience that your company is stable. For bright designs that pop off the postcard, choose a super-thick 16-point gloss cover stock that has a glossy sheen on both sides. For elegance deep, rich colors, opt for a 13-point  recycled eco-friendly matte cover stock.

Postcards are available in several sizes, from 4 inches by 6 inches to 6 inches by 11 inches - and it's no secret that the bigger the postcard, the more likely it is to seize audience attention. In fact, printing oversize postcards is one of the quickest and easiest ways to increase your response rate, so print the biggest postcard your budget allows for maximum impact.

Certain postcard printing techniques can boost response exponentially. Perforations allow you to turn your postcards into coupons, fact (pin-up) sheets, membership cards, event tickets and response cards. Foil stamping adds a bright, elegant touch that can't be missed.

You should always order a hardcopy proof so you can manually inspect your postcard for correct color, layout placement and typos. Electronic proofs are fast and convenient, and allow you to check for placement and typos, but only hardcopy proofs allow you to see the true final colors. Consider a hardcopy proof to be an insurance policy. This is the last thing you need to approve before your high-return on investment postcard campaign hits the mailboxes.

One of the best ways to increase your return on investment is to order as many postcards as you'll be sending at once. This is because state-of-the-art offset printing presses have a per-run setup fee that is distributed evenly in your price per postcard. Thus, the more postcards you order, the lower your price per postcard and the greater the return potential. Postcard printing is one of the most affordable and easiest ways to boost business nearly overnight, especially when you take advantage of these easy and influential postcard printing techniques. With a bit of careful planning, your postcard campaign is bound to be a winner!