There are many ways to increase awareness of your company or brand, including brochures, merchandise with your company logo printed on them, using customized return address stamps on your correspondence, and custom printed envelopes complete with a logo and web address. These are all great techniques, but when you need to raise awareness of an event or a new product, there are many simple things you can do by mail using a custom-designed postcard.

Bands and artists have used postcard printing for decades; any group or individual who cultivates a mailing list can print up a run of postcards, buy some stamps, and get quick publicity for their latest work with a visit to the mailbox. The key to an effective postcard mailing campaign is having a current mailing list made up of people who have opted in to that list. Those who sign up for mailings are clearly interested in you and your company; those are the people you want to reach with your postcards.

Postcard printing is a bit different than brochure printing in that you have the opportunity to place a large, colorful graphic on the front of the car, and display the most relevant information on either the front or back. Some choose to place only graphics on the front of the postcard and leave the details to the back; this is especially helpful if you need to market a product or service that demands good visual representation. A t-shirt or poster company should put the best example of their work front and center on a postcard along with e-mail and other contact information. In this case, don’t let the contact data interfere with the main graphic on the front of the card, keep the text small and rely on the postcard’s reverse side to convey the vital details.

Postcard printing is subject to the usual rules about color accuracy and printing variations. Try to choose an image that can hold up under slight variances in color or tone, and always check with your printer for tips on the required photo size and quality before submitting artwork. You may need to calibrate computer monitors when adjusting your graphics to get the most accurate representation of colors. If your postcard printing job requires specific color accuracy, consult with the printer first and see what you can do to insure the smallest amount of color shift possible.