Direct mail postcards are one of the most inexpensive and effective ways to promote your business. Postcards cost less than $1 to print and mail, and may be even cheaper the more postcards you buy. But your postcards have to look good. That's why you need to seek out multiple printing companies to find out which ones specialize in postcard printing.



The easiest way to find a commercial printer that specializes in postcard printing is to do a Google search. You'll get thousands of results back and you don't want to choose the wrong one. You'll need to pick out a few to evaluate to make sure they're worthy of your marketing budget.

Here are some key areas you should evaluate:

Knowledge and Experience

When looking through their Web site or calling to ask about services, you should find knowledgeable answers. Knowledgeable answers come from good customer service reps and good management. Here are a few specifics to look for:

• What areas do they specialize in?

• Who created the company and what is their background?

• How much info can they give you about direct mail marketing?

• How much do they educate you about your printing choices?

Designing Options

You'll want to choose someone who has at least one graphic designer on staff to evaluate your postcard design before printing it. Even professional graphic designers should get someone else's opinion on their design. If the printer doesn't have a designer on staff, you should look elsewhere. You will most likely need some kind of design help.

You might want to also go with a printer that offers design options as well, like

• Stock photos for customer use

• Design templates that you can customize

• Web-based design tools to make it easier for you

• An online proofing service, if that's what you prefer

• An easy way to upload your own mailing list so they can print addresses right on the postcard (there's no reason to waste time or money printing labels for the postcards when many printers will print your addresses for you)

The more tasks you can use your postcard printer for, the more in sync all of your marketing materials will feel. You'll also be likely to negotiate a discount rate on your printing if you print all of your direct mail pieces through one printer.

Mailing Options

Don't forget to ask about mailing options – some printers only print and won't do the actual mailing for you. You want a full-service printer that can handle all that, unless you are doing a smaller mailing in which you want to use real stamps and hand-address the postcards. In that case, ask if all the postcards can be printed and mailed to you; some printers actually don't do this – they'll only mail straight to the end-consumer.

Pricing Considerations

You would think there would be a set cost for printing a postcard, but unfortunately there's not. Some printers have a base price which only includes printing on one side. You have to pay extra for two-sided printing or for fancy graphics. Other printers include everything for one price – full color, postage, handling costs, etc. Many will also give you a discount if you order a larger number of postcards.