A Guide to Standard Postcard Sizes for Mailing

Choosing the right size for your postcards is essential to communicating and delivering your message. You need enough space to highlight your business' big announcement or greet your customers for the season. The size should also follow the USPS requirements for affordable and convenient mailing to your target market. With the number of sizes available for postcard printing, it's easy for you to get overwhelmed and confused. This guide helps you sift through the details and find the best postcard size for your direct mail marketing.

The Different Postcard Mailing Sizes Based on Rates & Space

Most postcards come out flat so that recipients immediately read digest what you're promoting. Here are some of the standard small and large sizes that qualify for specific mailing rates:

What is the Standard Postcard Size?

4" x 6" postcard is a standard handy-size postcard that qualifies for USPS First-Class mail. 4" x 6" postcard mailing is an inexpensive way to spread your message. In a customizable 4" x 6" mailing service, you can indicate the following in your delivery:

• The number of pieces to be mailed
• The type of postage
• Duplicate removal and recipient moving options
• Mailing date

Small and Compact Sizes

These sizes are perfect for readers with shorter attention spans, quick thank you notes for VIP customers and exclusive promos like discounts or coupons.

Size	Description
4.25" x 5.5"	The smallest size available but provides enough space for one large image plus a call to action.
4" x 6"	It offers a little extra space for more visuals and is eligible to mail at the USPS' First-Class Postcard Rate.
4.25" x 6"	It provides a little more width and length to fit more details about your announcement.

Standard Letter or First-Class Letter Rate Qualified

First-Class Mail is an inexpensive way to reach your customers in their homes. The sizes below let you enjoy the lowest postcard price possible:

Size	Description
5" x 7"	It is a medium size slightly larger than the smaller dimensions.
4" x 9"	It offers a vast horizontal space to balance texts, images, and graphics on your postcard. You could also print a large photo along with lengthier text that wouldn't fit a smaller standard postcard.
6" x 8" or 6" x 9"	It lets you stand out against all the other postcards your customer may receive in the mail. They're more likely to hold and look at your message with a bigger size.
5.5" x 8.5"	It is perfect for those who need to detail their products or services, with these dimensions measuring at half a letter page.
6" x 11"	It takes up almost as much space as a letter-sized page, with your message-oriented horizontally.

USPS-approved EDDM® Sizes

If you need to extend your reach and target a specific community, you can deliver EDDM® postcards based on a list filtered according to income, age, or household size. You're likely communicating with these individuals for the first time, so you'll need enough space to provide specific details. Consider these extra-large sizes:

• 8.5” x 7”
• 6.25” x 9”
• 4.25” x 11”
• 6.25” x 11”
• 8.5” x 11”
• 6” x 12”

Check out the video below to know more about EDDM® and how you can utilize the service for your marketing campaign:

If you're unsure which size to start with, try ordering small and large dimensions to see which ones impact your customers. A short test run ensures you invest the bigger budget on what resonates the most with your chosen target market.

Get the Right Dimensions and Design for Your Postcard

To qualify for the First-Class mail postcard rate, the size should meet the following criteria:

• At least 3.5” height x 5” length x 0.007” thick
• Maximum of 4.25” height x 6” length x 0.016” thick
• Rectangular shape

Design your postcard according to the following sections. These areas maintain the accuracy of your design from the submitted file until we send it to production:

• The safe zone includes all the essential elements of your postcard design. Do not leave out anything integral outside this area.
• The trim Line indicates the sides we'll cut to achieve your chosen postcard size.
• Bleed is the area where you'll extend the postcard's background color or image. It goes beyond the trim line so that them final print does not show any white edges.

If you want a file that shows where the above areas start and stop, download any of the templates below and open it in your preferred software application.