A fellow artist has a question for you…
I am thinking ahead to the 2013 holiday season and would like to create some postcard sets for gifts. Does anyone have any good references as to sizes? I’d love to create squares. Do you have any advice about photographing images for printing? Where to purchase the blank cards? Best type of printing? Where to have them printed? I am planning a small run of boxed or bagged sets, maybe only 50-100 sets to start. Thank you.
Do you create your own stationery? What have you learned through your experiences of making your own cards? Share your experiences below.
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ArtPlantae Today 
Try Snapfish (http://www.snapfish.com). They have a variety of card stock and sizes, quality service, good prices, fast delivery. Just upload your image and select card. Images can be cropped, enhanced, etc. on line. Good luck and have fun.
First you should check the USPS regulations, which give a minimum and maximum size for first class letters. Note that they must be rectangular, not square.
http://pe.usps.com/businessmail101/mailcharacteristics/letters.htm
I’ve been doing my Christmas cards for years and have settled on the following for envelope size: 4 3/8″ x 5 3/4″. You could also go to 5″ x 7″ if you want something a little larger.
Bonnie,
Yes, I also noticed that square cards/envelopes the USPS charges extra for, so don’t think I’ll go that route. Do you also have suggestions for printers of the cards?
Happy Drawing,
Lori V.
Lori,
I live in Northern Virginia and use a local printer (Balmar Printing & Graphics) with whom I’ve worked for many years. I print some cards on my own printer but am not equipped for a large volume.
Good luck with your cards.
Bonnie
Nobody ever said you can’t put a square card in a rectangular envelope! A lot of the card shops have gone this route to save people postage!
Anyone else out there tried Snapfish? Pro’s, Con’s, Quality?
Good comments about postal regulations! If you are making postcards, the size must fit within the regulation size as determined by the post office. If you choose to make a square postcard, you would have to put a minimum of 53 cents on it, and perhaps more. The address side of the card must be light colored, and not glossy, so that ink will not smear and postage can be applied, and stay on the card. The address side must have enough room to put the address of the addressee on the right half of the card, about half way down, or slightly lower. You can mail a postcard, weighing under one ounce, for 33 cents. The side of the postcard with the design can be glossy. The stock for the card needs to have some substance, otherwise it will be crumpled by the machinery.
Hope that helps…I work at a little village post office. Answers about mailing issues and postage is available on USPS.com. Scroll to the bottom of the home page, look through the list at the bottom, click on Postal Explorer. When you get to the Postal Explorer page, look for the Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), then check through the index for first class mail regulations, or put “post card” in the search area. That should get you more information than you ever wanted!
Thank you everyone for your helpful comments. We are all learning a lot.
Frank ye,
Thanks for the great info on the USPS. I have decided on not using square cards due to extra postage required. Though I would have prefered them :|
Lori V.
Hello, Fellow Artist! For photography, 300 dpi is the rule of thumb for clear printing. Set your camera to high resolution or “L” depending on the camera (refer to the manual). After you take pictures, there’s a great and economical system where you can upload your images for custom cards. I use the system and love every minute of it. I never considered myself creative. However, this system has helped to nurture the creativity within me. Please contact me if you’re interested in learning about the system.
Jane,
Please don’t keep us in suspense. Please share with all the system you are speaking of.
To Lori and All: Thank you for asking! I prefer to have a conversation by phone and share information that way to discuss the user-friendly system and the many possibilities it offers for connecting with others. For those who are interested in learning more, please contact me at janesaunders@sbcglobal.net or 714-660-2863. I look forward to hearing from you.