Color Post Card Printing and
Design
There are three standard sizes of postcards: 4x6, 5x7, and
5-1/2x8-1/2. The card stock used is usually 100#. Graphics can be
printed in color on both the front and back of your postcards. It
stands to reason that a full color postcard will capture more
attention than one that is printed in black and white.
Postcards can be printed in setup or layout designs. Setup designs
are those in which you only require text, logos or graphics because
the setup is already laid out. The full custom designed postcards
are those that require a design that is created from scratch.
People can supply their own artwork to create postcards or they can
be designed by professionals with your input. If you have a
particular image in mind, you can tell the postcard designer and he
can submit a draft to you.
Postcard printing should have a resolution of 300 dots per inch
(dpi) for the image to print properly.
A symmetrical appearance is very important for postcard printing.
Proper cutting is essential to the overall appearance of postcards.
If you are using borders, they should be 1/4 (0.25) inch wide on
each side of the artwork, and your artwork should also contain a 1/8
(0.125) inch bleed on each side. This will ensure proper cutting as
well as a symmetrical appearance.
Postcard printing includes postcards that are printed on matte
finish or gloss finish. Both gloss and matte postcards are normally
aqueous-coated on both sides to make them durable. Although glossy
postcards are bright and shiny, matte finished postcards have one
advantage in that they are not susceptible to glare or fingerprints.
General guidelines for postcard printing include the following: a
resolution of 300 dpi or more; CMYK 8-bit color; gradients of 10% or
higher; bleeds of 0.125" each side; borders of 0.25" each side;
outlined fonts; text of 0.25" inside cut lines on each side; and
layers flat.
The most common type of card stock for postcard printing is the #100
lb cover, c2s (coated two sides). Also quite common is the #100 lb
c1s (coated one side), which is great for mailing; and the #12 Point
c2s (coated two sides), which is a deluxe high grade sheet that has
a luminous finish.
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