Do you need a creative yet cost-effective way to promote something without having to devote a lot of time learning the ropes of print media marketing? If yes, perhaps the use of postcards will appeal to you.
Postcards are single page marketing and/or informational documents sent through the mail or through a courier. When developed right, they can serve as unique tools in attracting new and old customers alike. In this article, we will teach you how to create compelling postcard designs that can be used for personal or commercial purposes.
Creating compelling postcards requires graphic artists and entrepreneurs alike to be aware of what makes a design tick in the first place. To help you with that, we have listed these top design elements below. Read on and find out what they are…
1. Postal Mail Markings: If there is a compulsory element that should be included in any postcard design, it should be the postal mail markings. This refers to the stamp marks, blank address lines, post office symbols, and other markings. These are necessary inclusions since the post office may not accept the cards for mailing. If you are creating business postcards that will be distributed through a courier service, including the post-office-mandated markings may not be necessary.
2. Card Design Theme: Effective postcards are often those that follow a unique design theme. This ties up all the text and visual elements in a design and, thereby, effectively tells a story or imparts a message. For example, if you are promoting your store’s holiday sale, it is best to create Christmas postcards that use colorful design elements and evoke holiday cheer.
3. Paper Size and Quality: Another element that helps ensure you are creating compelling postcard designs is the use of high-quality paper or cardstock. This is an important thing to consider since first impressions matter. Create impact right from the get-go when a person receives the postcard and he or she sees how the postcard is made. Also, the postcard size works hand in hand with the paper quality. Choose a convenient postcard printing size so that it can easily be mailed out and retrieved by a potential customer.
4. Typography and Layout: Next, do not forget that postcards still act as reading materials. Therefore, the pieces of information presented in the card need to be readable and organized. Choose a clean and easy to read fonts styles along with a clean layout. All these things help increase readability and helps influence a person’s impression about the product, service, location, individual, or event being promoted on the card itself.
5. Branding Elements: Another design element that is needed when creating postcards is the inclusion of personal or business branding elements. Including simple brand logo designs or even a business letterhead design can go a long way in terms of introducing or reminding people to who you are and what you do as a company or establishment.
The best postcards are those that embody the essential design elements discussed above. Endeavor to incorporate or look for these elements in any postcard you are making. Experiment along the way until you come up with a postcard design that appeals to you and to your intended audience.
As promised, featured below are fully editable postcard templates in Publisher file format. This means that you need to have Microsoft Publisher installed on your computer before you can edit these free and premium templates. Other file download formats like Adobe Photoshop (PSD), Microsoft Word (DOC), Adobe InDesign (INDD), Adobe Illustrator (AI), and Apple Pages (Pages) are also available through each template’s download link.
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