3 Basics in Creating Postcards Brainstorm Everything starts with an idea. Before you look for further inspiration, you need to ask why you had the idea in the first place. Why do want to create a postcard? Clarify your objective first so you can make better and confident decisions later. With your goal firmly set, you have to decide what your postcard should look like and what your message is. Study other postcards. Look at photographs. Go online and search postcard samples. This will help you come up with ideas of your own. Your message of course should be aligned with your business goal for this project. Whether you’re advertising a product or hosting a show, your message should captivate your target audience. You can also add some incentive to your customer. Offer a discount, a free gift or a rebate on your postcard. Design There are different ways to go about designing your postcard. If you don’t have a graphic designer, you can create your own design using one of many design software available like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. There are also many web sites offering downloadable or customizable templates. If you know the look you want but you’re not that confident on your design skills, have a professional graphic designer create your artwork. Some printing companies have Design Services available. You can try this option to ensure your artwork is 100% print-ready. Setting up your files for press is crucial. If you created your own design make sure that you follow your printer’s file preparation guide. This will help avoid delays. You can also choose a printer that will review your file and help prepare it for printing and make sure it passes postcard mailing regulations. Printing When it’s time to print your postcard, it’s often best to send your design to a printing company. This will save you time and energy. There are many printing companies online. Do some research and compare pricing. Ask around for recommendations. There are online printers who offer very affordable pricing. You can request for sample kits to see the quality of their printing service. Average turnaround time takes about 5 to 7 business days. You can use that time to prepare your mailing list. Some printers offer mailing services so you can take advantage of this, too. |