You may think that your mailpiece is a “card,” because it is a single piece of paper. To qualify for mailing at First-Class Mail card rates, a card must be:
* Rectangular with straight edges
* At least 3-1?¬¢¬¨?Ö‚Äö?Ñ?ª2 inches high by 5 inches long and at least .007?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ¬¨?? thick
* No more than 4-1?¬¢¬¨?Ö‚Äö?Ñ?ª4 inches high by 6 inches long and less than .016?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ¬¨?? thick

If your postcard does not meet the dimensions above, then the Postal Service considers it to be a letter and charges letter rate postage. With Standard Mail, there is a little more flexibility as there is no separate postage rate for cards, so you don’t have to worry about your postcard being too big because you’re paying letter rates anyway. But make sure that your card is no larger than 6-1/8″ by 11-1/2″ and 1/4″ thick. If it?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ‚Äö?묢s larger than any of those dimensions you’ll have to pay the flat non-letter postage rates.

To make your cards more effective use variable data to personalize each and every card. Since the address has to be printed on the card anyway why not use the data to yell out ?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ??¨HEY FRED?¬¢‚Äö?ᬮ¬¨?? to the recipient and get his attention. Sometimes, if the card is well designed, the person receiving it will be reluctant to throw it away since it becomes personal and he or she may actually show the card to one or more associates. The Xeikon 5000 digital web press is especially adept and cost effective in producing variable data postcards since it images both sides at the same time with perfect front to back registration. The large sheet size allows for efficient imposition of different size postcards and he efficient production of short, medium and long runs of unique and effective advertising.