# Postcard design: print size, layout and mailers [Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/postcard-design) A postcard has two jobs: a picture side that stops someone at the doormat and an address side that the post office can read. This guide covers both, plus the mailers people actually keep. ## The short version - The standard postcard is 6 × 4 inches, which is 1800 × 1200 pixels at 300 dpi. - A postcard has a picture side, which should carry one message, and an address side, which must leave clear space for the address, stamp and postal markings. - Larger mailers such as 5 × 7 and 6 × 9 inches give more room but may cost more to post, so check your postal service's size rules first. - A marketing postcard works best with one offer, one reason to act now and one way to respond. - Before printing, extend the picture side into the bleed and keep every word inside a safe margin. For **postcard design**, start with the classic 6 × 4 inch card, which is 1800 × 1200 pixels at 300 dpi. Give the picture side one image or colour field and a single short line, and keep the address side plain: your message on the left, the address and stamp on the right, and a clear strip along the bottom for postal markings. Whether it is a holiday card, a thank you for customers or a direct mail offer, that split is what makes a postcard work. ## Postcard sizes in inches and pixels | Size | Inches | Pixels at 300 dpi | Typical use | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Standard | 6 × 4 | 1800 × 1200 | Greetings, thank you cards, mailers | | A6 | 5.8 × 4.1 (148 × 105 mm) | 1748 × 1240 | The UK and European postcard | | Large | 7 × 5 | 2100 × 1500 | Invitations, announcements | | Jumbo mailer | 9 × 6 | 2700 × 1800 | Direct mail with more to say | Trim sizes in landscape. Add bleed on every side before exporting. In the US, the postcard rate only covers cards up to 6 × 4.25 inches and larger cards pay more, so check your postal service's current rules. - 6 × 4 in: 1800 × 1200 - A6: 1748 × 1240 - 7 × 5 in: 2100 × 1500 - 9 × 6 in: 2700 × 1800 Four postcards to scale. The 6 × 4 and 9 × 6 share a 3:2 shape, so a design for one scales to the other cleanly. ## Designing the picture side The picture side is seen first and for the shortest time, usually on the way from the doormat to the kitchen. Treat it like a poster in miniature: one image or colour field, one line of type, and nothing that needs reading closely. Landscape is traditional, but a portrait picture side stands out in a pile precisely because most cards aren't. A landscape postcard reading Thank you for a lovely year on a soft full bleed gradient Landscape, one warm line, colour to every edge. A thank you card for customers. A portrait postcard announcing We've moved with the new address in small type below Portrait, for a moving announcement. The headline is readable from across the hallway. Colour does a lot of the work at this size. A deep, rich ground reads as quality in the hand; pale washes can look unfinished once printed. If you use a gradient, our guide to [printing gradients](https://gradiently.design/guide/print-gradients) explains how to keep it smooth on paper. ## Laying out the address side The address side belongs partly to the post office. Their machines need to find the address and stamp without help, so keep the right half quiet and the background white or very pale. Postal rules vary by country, so check yours; the layout below suits most of them. | Area | Where | What goes there | | --- | --- | --- | | Message | Left half | Your note, offer details, logo, QR code | | Stamp or postage | Top right corner | Stamp, permit or postage indicia | | Address | Right half, middle | Recipient's name and address, left aligned | | Clear strip | Along the bottom | Nothing: postal services print barcodes here | A dividing line down the middle is optional but helps people writing by hand. ## Postcard mailers that people keep A marketing postcard competes with bills and takeaway menus. The ones that get pinned to the fridge do three things: they make one offer, they give a reason to act soon, and they make responding easy. Here are ideas that suit different businesses: - **A local café:** "Your first flat white is on us" with a QR code and a date the offer ends. - **An estate agent:** "Just sold on your street" with the address and a line inviting a free valuation. - **A salon:** a seasonal colour menu on the back and "Book before 30 April" on the front. - **A shop reopening:** a portrait card with "Doors open Saturday" and a small map. - **An event:** the date in large type on the picture side and the full details on the back. Every one of those ideas leads with the reader's benefit, not the business name. The logo can sit small on the address side; people will turn the card over if the front gives them a reason. Agents sending cards and leaflets to a whole street will find more examples in [real estate flyer design](https://gradiently.design/guide/real-estate-flyer-design). ### Avoid - Three offers and no deadline - Small type over a busy photo - Your logo larger than the headline - A web address with no reason to visit ### Do - One offer with a clear end date - Short words on a calm background - A headline the size of the card allows - "Scan to book" beside a large QR code Personal details lift a mailer, and they are where a design tool earns its keep. Gradiently's bulk create (Pro) takes one postcard page plus a CSV of names, streets or offer codes, connects each column to the text, and lets you review every version before creating the pages. The spreadsheet stays in your browser. For sending out the same offer by email too, see [email header design](https://gradiently.design/guide/email-header-design). ## Getting the print file right 1. **Design both sides at the trim size** 1800 × 1200 pixels for a 6 × 4 card. Keep the two sides in one file as two pages. 2. **Add bleed to the picture side** Extend colour 0.125 in or 3 mm past each edge. [Print bleed and safe margins](https://gradiently.design/guide/bleed-and-margins) shows how. 3. **Keep text well inside the edge** Keep words at least 3 to 5 mm, roughly 0.125 to 0.2 in, inside the trim, and more for anything important. 4. **Check every image at 300 ppi** A photo needs to be at least 1800 pixels wide to fill a 6 inch card sharply. See [resolution for printing](https://gradiently.design/guide/image-resolution-for-print). 5. **Export a print PDF** Gradiently Pro exports a print PDF with bleed and crop marks, which is what most printers ask for. ## FAQ ### What size is a postcard in pixels? A standard 6 × 4 inch postcard is 1800 × 1200 pixels at 300 dpi. A 7 × 5 inch card is 2100 × 1500. ### What is the standard postcard size in the UK? A6, which is 148 × 105 mm, or about 1748 × 1240 pixels at 300 dpi. ### What goes on the back of a postcard? A message on the left, the address on the right, the stamp in the top right corner and a clear strip along the bottom for postal barcodes. ### How do I make a postcard mailer effective? Make one offer, give it a deadline and make responding easy, for example with a large QR code labelled with what it does. ### Does a postcard need bleed? Yes, if colour runs to the edge. Add 0.125 inch or 3 mm on every side, or whatever your printer specifies.