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Postcard Sizes
If you look at postcards, all of them have a rectangular shape, but they come in different sizes and dimensions. So without further ado, let’s talk about postcard sizes.
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Postcard Sizes Standard
These are the following standard sizes you should take note of before you start creating your custom DIY postcard:
4 × 6 Inches
Postcards of 4 × 6 inches are the most common, and you can find quite many of them in stores. Many of them are travel postcards, beach postcards, and campaign postcards. In millimeters, their size is 101.6 mm × 152.4, and in centimeters, 10.16 cm × 15.24 cm.
4.25 × 5.5 Inches
Printable postcards of 4.25 × 5.5 inches are also quite popular. Like most postcards, they have quality designs perfect for business postcards, real estate postcards, and more. Their size in millimeters and centimeters are 107.95 mm × 139.7 mm and 10.795 mm × 13.97 mm, respectively.
4.25 × 6 Inches
As the number indicates, postcards of 4.25 × 6 inches are roughly the same size as those of 4.25 × 5.5 inches. In millimeters, they measure 107.95 mm × 152.4 mm and 10.795 cm × 15.24 cm in centimeters.
5 × 7 Inches
5 × 7-inch postcards are slightly larger than the first three we’ve discussed. If you encase them, you’ll need wider photo frames or envelopes for mail for the perfect fit. These postcards also measure 127 mm × 177.8 mm or 12.7 cm × 17.78 cm.
5.5 × 8.5 Inches
As you can see from the measurements, postcards of 5.5 × 8.5 inches are only a hair larger than postcards of 5 × 7 inches. Such postcards can also be sent via direct mail at an affordable rate. They also measure 139.7 mm × 215.9 mm or 12.7 cm × 17.78 cm.
6 × 9 Inches
Postcards of 6 × 9 inches are considered oversized postcards. Since they’re quite larger than most postcards, their pictures are more crisp and beautiful. In millimeters, their length is 152.4 mm × 228.6 mm or 15.24 cm × 22.86 cm in centimeters.
6 × 11 Inches
6 × 11-inch postcards also belong to the oversize postcard category. They’re only two inches wider than 6 × 9-inch postcards. They measure 152.4 mm × 279.4 mm or 15.24 cm × 27.94 cm.
Postcard Sizes for Digital – Social Media
Postcards aren’t only for printing and mailing. They can also be uploaded and shared digitally on social media platforms. So if you wish to do that, be mindful of the best image pixel sizes for social media.
On Facebook, most horizontal and landscape images have a maximum size of 1,200 × 630 pixels. That said, make sure that your postcard has that exact same measurement or at least close to that. Your postcard’s inserted pictures must look crisp and clear.
On Twitter, the best size for digital postcards is 1,200 × 675 pixels. If set your postcard to that size, it’ll certainly look amazing on Twitter, both on the desktop and mobile versions of the app.
On Instagram, the best size for your postcard is 1,080 × 566 pixels since that’s the ideal image size for horizontal images on the platform. Your postcard should have a high quality if posted on Instagram. This particular platform is all about sharing photos.
LinkedIn is full of professional people. So if you want to share your business postcard on that platform, it should look presentable with a size of 1,104 × 736 pixels as a requirement.
Postcard Sizes for Print
Printing postcards is fairly easy. The challenge is identifying the right size before you click “Print.” So for you to be in the know, let’s discuss the various postcard sizes for print.
Small Postcards
Small postcards measure 4.13 × 5.83 inches. Any type of postcard can be printed as small postcards as long as the quality is good. And also, small postcards are less costly to print since they’re smaller.
Standard Postcards
Standard postcards are very cost-effective and typically measure 4 × 6 inches. They’re the most common postcards and they’re great choices for invitation postcards, thank you postcards, and personalized postcards.
Square Postcards
Square postcards are usually 4.72 × 4.72 inches. Their width and height measurements should match because if otherwise, they won’t be a perfect square. Square postcards can be used as wedding postcards and birthday postcards.
Medium Postcards
Medium postcards are slightly bigger than standard postcards measuring 5 × 7 inches. They can fit in photo frames of a proportional size if you want to frame them after printing. And because they’re bigger than standard postcards, you can fit in more graphic design elements and larger pictures.
Half-Page Postcards
Half-page postcards measure 5.5 × 8.5 inches. They have plenty of room for additional designs and visual elements. So if your postcard has plenty of visuals, you should consider printing it as a half-page postcard.
Large Postcards
Large postcards usually measure 6 × 9 inches or 6 × 11 inches. They’re the best option for restaurant postcards, company postcards, and other postcards that advertise a product, service, or business.
Postcard Sizes for Email
The best size for images that’ll be inserted in emails is between 600 to 650 pixels. That applies to postcards as well since they’ll be attached to emails as image files. So before you insert your postcard into an email, make sure to adjust its digital size to at least 600 pixels and up.
Postcard Sizes for Business
The most ideal sizes of postcards for business are 4 × 6 inches and 5 × 7 inches. Postcards of such sizes can accommodate every essential content like the business’s general information, products, services, and relevant photos. They’re great for marketing and advertising; and also, they’re less expensive to print.
Postcard Sizes for Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Photoshop is a versatile editing app. With that in mind, you can pretty much craft postcards of any size such as 4 × 6 inches, 5 × 7 inches, 6 × 9 inches, and more. On top of that, you can also adjust their pixels with great detail to look good on emails and other digital platforms.
Postcard Sizes for Adobe Illustrator
Much like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator is also very versatile and offers countless ways to format your postcard. The postcard sizes you can opt for in this graphic design application are 4 × 6 inches, 4.25 × 6 inches, 5 × 7 inches, and 6 × 9 inches. You can also customize your postcard down to every vector to make it as good-looking as possible.
FAQs
What are the standard postcard sizes available?
The available standard postcard sizes are 4 × 6 inches, 4.25 × 5.5 inches, 4.25 × 6 inches, 5 × 7 inches, 5.5 × 8.5 inches, 6 × 9 inches, and 6 × 11 inches.
Do the standard postcard sizes have to be in a landscape orientation?
Though typically in landscape orientation, postcards can also be in a vertical or portrait orientation.
What’s the general turnaround time for postcards?
Postcards delivered through the mail typically arrive within 3 to 5 days nationally.
In which format/size is my postcard going to be printed?
Your postcard will most likely be printed in 4 × 6 inches since it’s the classic postcard size.
Which resolution and size should my pictures have?
It depends since the ideal size and resolution of your pictures should be proportionate to the size of your postcard.
What is the reason for expanding the size of a postcard?
There are many reasons to expand your postcard’s size and among them is to accommodate the amount of content you’ll include such as the photos.
Who may use larger-size postcards?
Anyone can use larger-size postcards, but their users are most likely companies and large organizations.
How to reduce postcard size?
It depends on what type of application you’re using, but in general, all you need to do is reduce the width and height measurements of your postcard.
What are the dimensions of a postcard size photo?
Postcard size photos are usually 3.5 × 5 inches long and 0.007 inches thick.
Can postcards be any size?
Postcards can be of any size you want but it’s best to stick with the standard sizes such as 4 × 6 inches and 5 × 7 inches.
Why do you need the right postcard sizes?
You need the right postcard size to ensure that your postcard proportionately accommodates the content you’ll be injecting into it.
What size should address labels be on postcards?
The most common sizes of address labels are 2 × 2 inches and 2 × 3.5 inches.
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