For Profit Postcard Tips
Postage Rate:
Your lowest postage rate will be the First Class Presort Postcard Rate. Please click here to see the current rates. You will need a minimum of 500 pieces to mail at this rate.
Size:
To receive the First Class Presort rate, you will need a postcard that follows the size guidelines below:
Postcard Size
| Minimum | Maximum | |
|---|---|---|
| Length (Width) | 5 inches |
6 inches |
| Height | 3.5 inches |
4.25 inches |
| Thickness | .007 inches |
.016 inches |
Some people choose to send out an oversized postcard. While this is considered a postcard by you, the post office considers it a letter sized piece if it exceeds the 6 inches in height or 4.25 inches in width of a traditional postcard. If you choose to mail an oversized postcard, you will pay the standard letter rates. There is also only a 200 piece minimum for the letter sized pieces, so you may need to utilize this rate if you have a smaller mailing.
Letter Sizes:
| Minimum | Maximum | |
|---|---|---|
| Length (Width) | 5 inches |
11.5 inches |
| Height | 3.5 inches |
6 inches |
| Aspect Ratio (lenght divided by height) | 1.3 inches |
2.5 inches |
| Weight | 3.3 oz per piece |
|
| Thickness | .007 inches |
.25 inches |
Printing:
**Note: If you are having Rescigno's Mailing Solutions print your postcard, you can skip the next section. If you are having an outside vendor print, please note:
- Return Address: You should have your return address on the postcard. This will allow the post office to return bad addresses to you (with First Class Presort) and your customers to find you. Rescigno's can print this for you when we address the card, but it is cheaper to have your printer print it with the rest of the card.
- Indicia: We recommend using the indicia for your postcard. Again, by having your printer include this with the job, you will save money.
- In order to save you the most in postage and processing fees, we recommend you use Rescigno's indicia, even if you have your own permit. Utilizing this permit allows us to take the mail to the South Suburban post office, which is a Sectional Center Facility, and thus gets you more postage discounts. This indicia will differ based on how you are sending out the card:
- First Class Presort, Postcard Rate: If you have at least 500 pieces and your postcard meets the size requirements of a postcard, you should use:
- Standard Letter Rate: If you have betwee 200 and 499 pieces OR if you are sending an oversized postcard, you should use this indicia:
- The indicia should be in an 8 to 10 pt font.
- Count: We recommend ordering 10% over the count on your list. This will ensure that you have enough even if there is some spoilage during printint or during the processing at Rescigno's.
- Address Block: Regardless of the size of your postcard (traditional or oversized), the post office requires a clear area of 4 inches wide by 2.625 inches tall from the bottom right hand corner of the postcard for the address block. This area should be white or a very light pastel to meet the requirements for the lowest postage rate.
Click HERE for an example of a traditional postcard
Click HERE for an example of an oversized postcard.
