How to Choose a Postcard Printing Service

Whether investing money in a mailing campaign or reaching out to family and friends, your postcards should reflect your sentiments with high quality printing that makes a lasting impression. Postcards continue to be in favour despite today’s digital innovations. People are more trusting of something they receive in the mail. Unlike emails that can be deleted with the click of a mouse, or land in the spam folder and never be seen at all, postcards are held in your customers’ hands and they are read out of habit. The mail sorting process within the home ensures that people to read your piece before a decision is made. Because postcards offer a tactile, physical piece of mail that can be kept, they are also often stored away for future use. And unlike a lot of “spam”, people actually like receiving mail.

Postcards are also the perfect way to keep in touch whether it is with your customers or your circle of friends and family. If you do have the opportunity to reach out directly and make an impact with postcards, choosing the right printing service will make a world of difference in showing people how much quality means to you. This is especially important for businesses as it reflects who you are and shows customers that quality is always top of mind. Finding the right postcard printing service can be easier with these simple tips.

Varied Printing Services

When searching for a postcard printing service, it is always a good idea to first find a company that offers a wide range of services. This shows you that they have the equipment and staff that understand the printing industry, so you can depend on them not only for quality, but also recommendations for the best stock, processing and delivery. Our team is highly experienced in all areas of print and direct mailing and can provide the support you need to ensure your postcards are perfect.

Varied Stock Selection

There are many different options for postcard stocks, but not all printers will offer all options. You will want to discuss stock options with the printer and ensure they can meet your specific needs. Stock has a huge impact on the quality and impact of your postcards as they not only affect the look of the final product, but also the feel. The thickness of the stock and the finish work together to create an overall impression when it is held in the recipient’s hand. We will find the right stock for your needs and the one best suited to your budget.

Some of the stock selections can include:

• Premium matte (16-pt)
• Premium glossy (16-pt)
• Premium soft touch (16-pt)
• Premium plus glossy front & back (18-pt)
• Standard recycled (14-pt)
• Standard matte (14-pt)
• Standard glossy (14-pt)

Offset Printing

We know that offset printing is the best printing method for postcards as it is cost effective without sacrificing quality. If you are printing in bulk, this is a very important consideration as laser printing fees alone can be very costly. Offset printing is a consistent printing method that provides accurate colours which is especially important for businesses that want to make sure their logo and brand stand out. However, when sending postcards to friends and family, you still want to have those beautiful, rich colours to show the thoughtfulness and effort that was put into communicating with them.

One Stop Shop

With so many steps and elements involved in postcard printing and mailing, finding a one stop print and mail shop is a must. This ensures quality control for all aspects of your project, from bringing together your print files to ensuring they arrive safely in the hands of your customers. Having all services under one roof also ensures you are offered options and solutions designed to keep prices down and quality high. You will have service that is more efficient, and ensure your campaign is mailed out on time. You will also have a dedicated team to assist through all areas of the process, as well as experienced print and mailing experts, who will ensure every aspect of your postcard meets the standards set by Canada Post. Our team is well-versed in all aspects of postcard printing and mailing.

Targeting Options

For direct mail pieces, you might want to target both your own customers and reach out to other specific areas or audiences. Working with a printing company that offers Postal Code Targeting (PCT) to reach similar consumers and customer profiles allows you to reach a whole new audience. We can provide targeting to address a broad range of filters, including:

• Family characteristics
• Building/dwelling type
• Household income
• Age of resident(s)
• Education, and more

For B2B mailings you can also target based on industry, company sales or the number of employees.

Customized Printing Services

As with stock choices, you will also want to have custom printing services available. This can include different standard postcard sizes and folds and two-sided options. A printer that understands the limitations of postcard customization is also important to avoid challenges in addressing and applying postage prior to mail-out. Our business offerings include standard or oversized, allowing you to go large for eye-popping images, or to cover more complex campaigns. Your choices should only be limited by your budget.

Top Performers

Going with the best means doing a little research to discover who the top performers are in the print and mailing industry. The most awarded companies clearly separate themselves from the rest. We are Canada Post’s most-awarded Smartmail Marketing Expert Partner. We are one of only 35 Expert Partners across Canada. This means we have access to exclusive postal reps and can use our relationship to leverage the best postal rates and services. This distinct accreditation ensures every campaign we send has frontline direct mail support, making it easy for us to resolve concerns and answer your questions with a simple phone call.

Using these tips will help you find the best possible postcard printing services to meet your needs.

For more information on our postcard printing services, call our print experts at 1-866-486-0423 or contact us here.