Standard Postcard Sizes: How to Choose the Right One
by PrintPlace - Published on August 1, 2017 - Updated on September 18, 2025
Postcards remain effective promoting brands, events, products, and services even as digital channels dominate the landscape. Instead of bombarding readers with messages, these cards' simple and compact design only conveys a single impactful message.
Postcards are available in various standard sizes, each with its own ideal uses and distribution methods. Using the right one can lower the postage fee, ensure adherence to USPS mailing requirements, and allow for the use of standard envelopes.
There are different ways to distribute postcards, including direct mail marketing, event and in-store handouts, and packaging inserts. The distribution method is a crucial factor when deciding on the size of your postcards.
Targeted Mailing Lists
This direct mail marketing strategy requires having a list of specific addresses or contact information based on demographic data (income, age, interest, gender, etc.). You need to address your postcards correctly to avoid mail delivery failure and late delivery.
This distribution method offers many benefits, including a strong potential for high response rates and high ROI. It's suitable for building customer relationships and promoting niche products and services.
If you don't have a mailing list yet, use your business data to create one, or rent a list from a good source that provides "clean" addresses, not bad, undeliverable ones. Choose a service provider that regularly updates its lists to ensure your postcards reach the target audience.
Ideal postcard sizes: Choose rectangular postcards with sizes between 3.5" x 5" and 4.25" x 6" if you plan on using First-Class Mail, a USPS service intended for time-sensitive campaigns (1-3 days delivery). However, Standard Letter or First-Class Letter is a more cost-effective option if your campaigns are not time-sensitive. To qualify for this service, use postcards that are at least 4.5" x 6" but not bigger than 6" x 11.5".
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)
This USPS service allows you to send postcards or any other promotional materials to every household or business on specific postal routes without having your own mailing list. Just choose a carrier route, and USPS will deliver your postcards to every address within it.
Sending EDDM postcards is ideal for brand awareness campaigns, coupons and sales promotions, and business announcements. This method is suitable for small local businesses, such as restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, laundromats, and gyms.
Ideal postcard sizes: To qualify for EDDM, the postcard size should be at least 6.125" x 10.5" and up to a maximum of 12" x 15", while the weight should be less than 3.03 ounces.
In-Store Handouts
Hand out custom postcards to customers when they make a purchase or leave these promotional materials at your checkout counter to announce upcoming sales, new products, in-store events, or coupons.
Postcards work well with omnichannel marketing strategies, complementing your online marketing efforts like social media contests and email campaigns.
Ideal postcard sizes: Popular sizes for this distribution method include 4" x 6", 4.25" x 6", and 4" x 9". You can also go smaller if your postcard has a simple design and minimal copy.
Event Handouts
Many businesses use brochures and flyers as event handouts, without realizing that custom postcards can also serve as effective promotional materials.
Postcards suit designs with striking photos and unique typography, making them ideal for certain industries like tourism and hospitality, arts and crafts, and photography.
Handing out postcards at events is an effective strategy for lead generation and direct follow-up. Just make sure you include calls-to-action, website links, or social media handles to guide potential customers toward the next step.
Ideal postcard sizes: Mid-sized postcards like 5" x 7" and 5.5" x 8.5" are usually suitable for this distribution method. However, feel free to go bigger or smaller, depending on your design and budget.
Packaging Inserts
Using packaging inserts like personalized "thank you cards" can help strengthen your brand by creating an emotional connection and enhancing customer experience. They are perfect for mailers, boxes, and shopping bags. You can also use postcards to send out special gift codes, announce a new product or a seasonal sale, and encourage customers to follow your social media channels.
Ideal postcard sizes: Smaller standard postcard sizes, such as 4.25" x 5.5" and 4" x 6", are often used as packaging inserts.
Instead of picking just one distribution method, why not use multiple channels? This approach is a great way to increase visibility and brand recognition.
When printing postcards, choosing the right size is crucial, especially with certain distribution methods that require strict adherence to USPS requirements.
Whether you need postcards for direct mail marketing and branded packaging or promotional materials to hand out at events, PrintPlace offers a wide range of customization options and free design templates with bleed and margins. Bleed and margins are visual guidelines that ensure your final prints won't have unintended white borders or text and images that look cut off.
We also offer free digital PDF proofs, allowing you to review your postcard designs before printing. You must approve them before we start production.
Postcards are available in various standard sizes, each with its own ideal uses and distribution methods. Using the right one can lower the postage fee, ensure adherence to USPS mailing requirements, and allow for the use of standard envelopes.
What Are the Standard Postcard Sizes?
| Size | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 4.25" x 5.5" | As the smallest standard size, this is ideal for minimalist designs (e.g., one striking image and a call-to-action). |
|
| 4" x 6" | It's the popular size in the US and fits most envelopes and mailboxes. |
|
| 4.25" x 6" | It's slightly longer than the classic postcard size, which means more room for text and images. |
|
| 4" x 9" | With more horizontal space, it's suitable for designs in landscape format. |
|
| 5" x 7" | As a mid-sized postcard, there's more room for text and images. |
|
| 5.5" x 8.5" | It's as big as a letter-sized page folded in half. |
|
| 6" x 8" | Having bigger dimensions makes it ideal for designs with visually striking images. |
|
| 6" x 9" | It has ample space for large images and detailed copy, while still being easy to handle and mail. |
|
| 6" x 11" | It's the largest standard postcard size eligible for First-Class Mail. |
|
Ideal Distribution Methods for Standard Postcard Sizes
There are different ways to distribute postcards, including direct mail marketing, event and in-store handouts, and packaging inserts. The distribution method is a crucial factor when deciding on the size of your postcards.
Targeted Mailing Lists
This direct mail marketing strategy requires having a list of specific addresses or contact information based on demographic data (income, age, interest, gender, etc.). You need to address your postcards correctly to avoid mail delivery failure and late delivery.
This distribution method offers many benefits, including a strong potential for high response rates and high ROI. It's suitable for building customer relationships and promoting niche products and services.
If you don't have a mailing list yet, use your business data to create one, or rent a list from a good source that provides "clean" addresses, not bad, undeliverable ones. Choose a service provider that regularly updates its lists to ensure your postcards reach the target audience.
Ideal postcard sizes: Choose rectangular postcards with sizes between 3.5" x 5" and 4.25" x 6" if you plan on using First-Class Mail, a USPS service intended for time-sensitive campaigns (1-3 days delivery). However, Standard Letter or First-Class Letter is a more cost-effective option if your campaigns are not time-sensitive. To qualify for this service, use postcards that are at least 4.5" x 6" but not bigger than 6" x 11.5".
Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM)
This USPS service allows you to send postcards or any other promotional materials to every household or business on specific postal routes without having your own mailing list. Just choose a carrier route, and USPS will deliver your postcards to every address within it.
Sending EDDM postcards is ideal for brand awareness campaigns, coupons and sales promotions, and business announcements. This method is suitable for small local businesses, such as restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, laundromats, and gyms.
Ideal postcard sizes: To qualify for EDDM, the postcard size should be at least 6.125" x 10.5" and up to a maximum of 12" x 15", while the weight should be less than 3.03 ounces.
In-Store Handouts
Hand out custom postcards to customers when they make a purchase or leave these promotional materials at your checkout counter to announce upcoming sales, new products, in-store events, or coupons.
Postcards work well with omnichannel marketing strategies, complementing your online marketing efforts like social media contests and email campaigns.
Ideal postcard sizes: Popular sizes for this distribution method include 4" x 6", 4.25" x 6", and 4" x 9". You can also go smaller if your postcard has a simple design and minimal copy.
Event Handouts
Many businesses use brochures and flyers as event handouts, without realizing that custom postcards can also serve as effective promotional materials.
Postcards suit designs with striking photos and unique typography, making them ideal for certain industries like tourism and hospitality, arts and crafts, and photography.
Handing out postcards at events is an effective strategy for lead generation and direct follow-up. Just make sure you include calls-to-action, website links, or social media handles to guide potential customers toward the next step.
Ideal postcard sizes: Mid-sized postcards like 5" x 7" and 5.5" x 8.5" are usually suitable for this distribution method. However, feel free to go bigger or smaller, depending on your design and budget.
Packaging Inserts
Using packaging inserts like personalized "thank you cards" can help strengthen your brand by creating an emotional connection and enhancing customer experience. They are perfect for mailers, boxes, and shopping bags. You can also use postcards to send out special gift codes, announce a new product or a seasonal sale, and encourage customers to follow your social media channels.
Ideal postcard sizes: Smaller standard postcard sizes, such as 4.25" x 5.5" and 4" x 6", are often used as packaging inserts.
Instead of picking just one distribution method, why not use multiple channels? This approach is a great way to increase visibility and brand recognition.
When printing postcards, choosing the right size is crucial, especially with certain distribution methods that require strict adherence to USPS requirements.
Whether you need postcards for direct mail marketing and branded packaging or promotional materials to hand out at events, PrintPlace offers a wide range of customization options and free design templates with bleed and margins. Bleed and margins are visual guidelines that ensure your final prints won't have unintended white borders or text and images that look cut off.
We also offer free digital PDF proofs, allowing you to review your postcard designs before printing. You must approve them before we start production.
