Postcards

Postcards with many uses

A postcard is a simple format, but it can be used in many ways. One time it is a classic card sent by post, another an elegant addition to an order, material handed out at a trade fair or a keepsake from a particular place.

Whatever the use, the shared feature is double-sided printing. One side can focus above all on the look, the other on information and practical use.

You configure the postcard yourself in the online calculator. You set the format, paper, finish and run size, and you see the price straight away, before you place the order.

Where postcards work

Postcards suit anywhere you want to hand over, give out, send or add something attractive to an order. You can use them as:

• company postcards - a thank-you to a customer, a mini leaflet, a card with an offer or part of a mailing campaign,
• advertising and promotional materials - with a slogan, a product, a discount coupon or information for an event or trade fair,
• tourist and souvenir postcards - with views, illustrations, maps or symbols of a town or region, for hotels, museums, galleries, information points and souvenir shops,
• occasional cards - festive cards, invitations, thank-yous and keepsakes from a conference or anniversary,
• cards for parcels and online shops - with a thank-you, a discount code, a request for a review, information about returns or a link to social media.

The same format can therefore be sent by post, handed out at a stand, sold as a souvenir or slipped into orders. In online sales, even a simple card with a short "thank you" can be a pleasant touch and an extra place for the brand to speak.

Two formats to choose from

The calculator offers two formats:

• A6 105×148 mm - the classic, instantly recognisable postcard format. It is handy, convenient to send and easy to display. It works for tourist, festive and company cards, thank-yous, cards slipped into parcels and postcards with a photograph or illustration.
• DL 99×210 mm - slimmer and less standard. It gives more room vertically or horizontally and allows a more distinctive layout. It suits invitations, cards with an offer, hotel and restaurant materials and more elegant designs.

When choosing the format, it is best to start from the use. A traditional card for posting is designed differently from a tourist souvenir, a promotional card or an addition slipped into an order.

Paper - stiff and comfortable to use

We print postcards on two stiff stocks, which make the finished card sit well in the hand and less prone to bending by accident:

• Coated 350 gsm - a smooth, stiff paper that shows colours, photographs and artwork well. It suits photographic postcards, illustrations, vivid advertising designs and tourist cards especially.
• Arktika GC1 board 300 gsm - an attractive, stiff board with a more restrained, professional character. It works on company, hotel and souvenir postcards, cards for parcels and invitations.

If photographs, strong colours and large graphic areas dominate the design, coated 350 gsm is a good choice. For a calmer company identity or a more information-led design, you can reach for Arktika GC1 300 gsm.

Double-sided printing - use both sides

Postcards are always printed on both sides. That is not an extra option but a permanent feature of the product.

You can use the two sides in different ways:

• the front - for a photograph, an illustration, advertising artwork, a slogan, a view of a place, a product presentation or an occasional motif,
• the back - for a message, address details, a logo, a QR code, contact details, social media, a discount coupon or information about the company.

On advertising postcards both sides can work for sales. The front shows the product or the main artwork, and the back carries the description, the offer, a discount code and your contact details.

If the postcard is to be sent by post, allow room for the address, the stamp and a short message. On a card slipped into a parcel, the back can be used for a thank-you, a QR code or an invitation to buy again.

Finishing - an extra touch

A postcard can be left without film or given an extra finish. Your choices are:

• no finishing - the practical version for traditional cards for posting, larger runs and simple designs,
• gloss lamination - strengthens colours and contrast, so it goes well with photographs and tourist and product artwork,
• matte lamination - gives a calmer, elegant look, suited to company, hotel and minimalist postcards,
• soft-touch lamination - gives a soft surface that is pleasant to the touch. It suits more elegant company postcards, invitations and cards for premium parcels.

Lamination can be applied to one side or both.

Remember, though, that film makes writing by hand harder and lengthens the drying time of ink. If greetings, an address or another message are to be written on the postcard by hand, it is best to leave the relevant side unlaminated or to leave off the lamination altogether.

What to put on a postcard

Two sides give plenty of room to combine artwork with information. A postcard can carry a photograph, an illustration, a logo, the name of a brand or place, a tourist view, an advertising line, a thank-you, a discount code, a QR code, a website address, social media, contact details, room for a message, an address and a stamp, an invitation, the date of an event or a festive motif.

It is worth matching the content to what the postcard is for:

• tourist and souvenir - here a good photograph or an attractive illustration usually plays the main part,
• company - consistency with the identity, a clearly visible logo and legible contact details matter,
• for parcels - a short thank-you, a discount code and a QR code work well.

How to prepare the file, and the check

A PDF that follows our specification is best. We also accept good quality JPG and PNG files. Photographs and artwork should be at 300 dpi at 1:1 scale, and the design prepared in CMYK.

If a background or artwork runs to the edge, prepare bleed. Move the logo, text, QR code, the space for the address and stamp and other important elements away from the edge.

With double-sided printing the matching orientation of front and back and an identical format on both sides matter especially. A QR code should be a suitable size, high in contrast and a safe distance from the edge. Before sending the design, check that it scans properly.

When you place the order you choose one of three file preparation options:

• No file check - for agencies, designers and anyone confident their design is technically correct. The file goes into production without further control.
• File check by a designer - we check the technical preparation of the design, including the format, bleed, safe distances, image quality, colours and how the file was saved. On postcards we also look at the layout of the front and back, the orientation of the sides, legibility and the space set aside for the address and stamp. The check is worth choosing especially if the design was made in Canva, an online generator, an office program or an AI tool, since such files may need the format, bleed, CMYK or resolution adjusted.
• Simple graphic design - if you have no file ready, send us your logo, the text, photographs, contact details, a QR code and your basic guidelines. We will prepare a simple design matched to the format, paper, double-sided printing and the finish you chose.

The technical check does not cover the content. We do not check typos, prices, discount codes, dates, contact details, whether links and QR codes are correct, image rights or whether the material complies with the regulations. The customer is responsible for the accuracy of all of that.

Once you have chosen the format, paper and finish, set the parameters in the online calculator to see the price for your run straight away.