How to Make a Postcard That’s Visually Delightful

The first postcard in existence was sent in the 1870s. For something we think of as such a classic, that’s not that old!

Before that, mail wasn’t as fun or colorful as it can be today. If you’re looking for a lower-cost way to send out announcements or invitations, postcards don’t need envelopes, reducing the cost.

Interested? Learn how to make a postcard that will thrill your friends and family below.

Use The Rule of Thirds

In photography and graphic design, the rule of third rules formatting. The idea is that any image, whether it’s a photograph or digital art piece, exists in three parts or three thirds.

These thirds can be up and down (vertical, taller than they are wide) or horizontal (wider than they are tall). Some cameras will allow you to put a 9-square grid over your photos as an overlay: that’s both horizontal and vertical thirds combined.

The idea is that images look and are observed best when the subject is in one-third of the picture, leaving two-thirds of “empty” space. We use quotations with empty because the “empty” space can be background, grass, or anything else that isn’t the image’s focal point.

You should either put your subject into one of the thirds or along the “thirds” lines.

Making a postcard counts as digital art. Most of the time, you’re going to be putting an image, text, or both on the front of the card. Try to align the image or main text along one of the thirds on this side by side picture app.

If you have to add a picture and text, put the focus of the image in one of the thirds and the text across the bottom.

Use a High-Quality Image

Many photo sites have an “upload from Instagram” or “connect to Facebook” feature. These are tempting because it’s where we all store our favorite photos. However, these platforms reduce the size and quality of the photo files to fit their storage needs.

That means if you upload the picture from one of these sites, it will be of lower quality than the original. If you don’t want to keep the originals on your phone for space reasons, the majority of photo sites will let you store multiple gigabytes of photos for free.

That way, they’re ready to go when you want to create a postcard.

Pre-Fill Your Return Address

If you’re mailing your postcards without any envelopes or other accessories, pre-fill your return address when you design a postcard.

This will save you time and hand cramping when it’s time to address the tens of cards you’re sending out.

How to Make a Postcard That’s Picture Perfect

With these tips, you should be able to create the perfect personalized postcard to send to friends and family. Whether you choose to make a postcard as a save the date, a birth announcement, or another life event, your friends and family will value the unique item forever.

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