Postcard Sizes Ultimate Guide: What Are The Standard Dimensions

As compared to letters and other direct mail items, postcards are small and compact-spaced. They are the perfect option for appealingly conveying quick and short messages. Moreover, a lot of people stick postcards to their refrigerators or boards. Hence, postcards get more attention and exposure than other mail items. There are a lot of postcard sizes for businesses to select from – according to their budget and marketing objectives. Your prospects don’t even need to tear open an envelope for looking at the postcard because postcards are typically sent as self-mailers. They are cost-effective and can be sent in large quantities, even if you are on a tight budget.

When it comes to postcards, size matters the most. The USPS approves only the standard postcard dimensions stated by them. All the other sizes are either considered as letters or flats. There are a lot of things to be kept in mind before selecting a size. Select a postcard size that gives you maximum visibility and is appropriate for your design and message.

To learn about the postcard dimensions approved by the USPS, you should first know the answer to “what is a postcard?” You can send a postcard of any size you want, but not all sizes fit under the USPS postcard guidelines for standard dimensions. There are some requirements for your mailpiece to be considered as a postcard:

• Your mail item should be rectangular and have square corners. Circular corners or square-shaped postcards are not considered postcards.
• Your mailpieces should be at least 3.5″ in height and 5″ in length. The minimum thickness should be 0.007″.
• The standard postcard dimensions should not be more than 4.25″ in height and 6″ in length. Moreover, it should not be thicker than 0.016″.
• If these postcard mailing sizes are exceeded, your postcards are treated as letters – which means the USPS will be charging you more for sending letters.

 Also Read: 5 Steps to Send Direct Mail Postcards

You can use an index card to check the thickness of your postcards. Larger postcards are considered as letters and flats — if your postcards exceed the letter dimensions as well. Find below the USPS dimensions for sending postcards that exceed the standard sizes.

• Postcards sent as letters also need to be rectangular and follow the same thickness restrictions as the standard ones.
• The minimum size also remains the same, but the maximum postcard size for sending in the “letters” category is 6.125″ x 11.5″. Any mailpiece that exceeds this size will be treated as flats.
• For sending these postcards through first-class mail, they should not exceed 3.5 pounds in weight. Some foldable postcards are folded to bring to these sizes, but the overall size should not be more than what is mentioned by the USPS.
• Flats is a term used to describe large-sized envelopes, magazines, newsletters, and other documents that exceed all the above-mentioned postcard dimensions – direct mail size.
• A postcard will be treated as a flat only when its minimum height is 6.125″ and the minimum length is 11.5″. The thickness should be at least 0.25″.
• However, the maximum postcard size for flats is 12″ x 15″, and the thickness should be no more than 0.75″.

Keeping the USPS postcard dimensions into consideration, there are some most commonly used sizes like the 4″ x 6″ postcards. The most common sizes for sending postcards are:

• 3.5″ x 5″
• 4″ x 6″
• 4.25″ x 6″
• 4″ x 9″
• 5″ x 7″
• 5″ x 8.5″
• 6″ x 9″
• 6″ x 11″
• 8.5″ x 11″
• 9″ x 12″

The 3.5″ x 5″ postcards can be referred to as small-sized postcards because the standard and the most commonly used size starts at 4″ x 6″. Please note that only the first three USA postcard sizes from above are considered postcards by the USPS.

All the remaining postcard sizes will be charged more and sent through marketing mail. The USPS also accepts folded postcards as long as they fit within the US postcard sizes’ restrictions.

Half-fold postcard sizes include:

• 8.5” x 6” (folded to 4.25” x 6”)
• 10” x 7” (folded to 5” x 7”)
• 11” x 8.5” (folded to 5.5” x 8.5”)
• 12″ x 9″ (folded to 6” x 9”)
• 12″ x 11″ (folded to 6” x 11”)

Similarly, tri-fold postcard dimensions – direct mail size include:

• 12.75″ x 6″ (folded to 4.25” x 6”)
• 15″ x 7″ (folded to 5” x 7”)
• 16.5″ x 8.5″ (folded to 5.5” x 8.5”)

Different Postcard Sizes

1. Small-sized

The postcards whose dimensions are 3.5″ x 5″, 4″ x 6″, or 4.25″ x 6″ are all considered small-sized. They are small and have a compact space for your message. The designs are mostly simple and straightforward, without a lot of images and graphics. As opposed to a big postcard, small-sized postcards are very cheap to send. The designing, printing, and mail costs are low for conducting a postcard marketing campaign using these small sizes.

Moreover, these sizes are well-approved by the USPS to be sent as first-class postcards. So, you get all the first-class mail benefits like mail forwarding or return, priority processing, and low rates. However, small-sized postcards are likely to not stand out from the other mail items that your recipient receives. But, to stay under budget – companies use this size widely.

You can use bright colors and eye-catching designs to make your small postcards stand out. This step makes your postcards impactful while also keeping costs under control.

2. Medium or standard-sized

Businesses select some standard sizes like 5″ x 7″ and 6″ x 9″ to give their postcards more exposure. These postcards outsize envelopes and hence have more chances to be noticed by your audience. The medium or standard-sized postcards do not come under the USPS postcard dimensions, which is why you will have to send them using marketing mail. You may have to pay more for these postcards and wait longer for them to get delivered, but it is worth it.

Postcards that come under these specifications are more creative, versatile, and noteworthy. The design could be portrait or landscape, depending on your message. Some marketers use poster-like designs for a portrait layout.

However, please remember that the back of the postcard is always landscaped according to the USPS address and mailing guidelines. It doesn’t matter if your postcard layout is horizontal or vertical. Standard-sized postcards have enough room to accommodate any design neatly.

3. Jumbo-sized

Jumbo-sized postcards outsize the standard size but are still a step away from being called “oversized.” Usually, postcard dimensions – direct mail size of 6″ x 11″ come under this category. Jumbo postcard sizes offer the same scope for versatility and creativity as the standard ones, but the proportions are relatively larger.

A jumbo-sized postcard is more attention-seeking and is great for designs that need a large space to fit in. If your company wants to advertise using postcards with big images or many words, you can select this size. Marketers can even go for gloss coating to make their postcards even more appealing.

4. Oversized

9″ x 11″ postcards are considered extra-large. Oversized or extra-large postcards are selected by companies that do not want to compromise on their visibility. The USPS will send these postcards at flat-rate pricing. So the overall costs are really high. In fact, it is the most expensive option that marketers can select. Everything from its design and printing to mailing will cost you a lot. But, oversized postcards are capable of attracting more responses and engagement than all the other sizes.

Hence, by proper planning, you can distribute costs smartly and get an increased ROI. If your budget can accommodate the costs of conducting a campaign with oversized postcards, you should definitely consider going for it.

Before talking about the legal postcard sizes under the EDDM option, let us discuss a little about what exactly is EDDM? It stands for Every Door Direct Mail. As the name goes, it means sending direct mail items to every household in a particular locality or ZIP code area. This program is introduced by the USPS so that companies can conduct direct mail campaigns without having a mailing list. You can select the locality or ZIP code of your choice, and the USPS will deliver your postcards to every house in that area.

The EDDM option works great for businesses that have a limited budget. Furthermore, it is also a good option for geographic targeting.

 Also Read: Business Postcard Ideas for Better Marketing

EDDM does not fall under the first class or marketing mail categories. It is a separate service, and the USPS offers discounted rates for this program. Just like the other mail options, there are specific postcard mailing sizes under EDDM also. Your postcards should be at least 6.125″ in height or 10.5″ in length on one side.

The standard postcard dimensions for EDDM should not exceed 12″ x 15″. If your postcard sizes don’t fit within these USPS dimensions, you cannot send your postcards using the EDDM option. The thickness should be between 0.0007″ and 0.75″. The weight should not be more than 3.03 pounds. The most popular postcard sizes for EDDM are 4.25 x 11″, 6.25″ x 9″, 6.25″ x 11″, 6″ x 12″, 8.5″ x 7″, 8.5″ x 11″ and the oversized 12″ x 15″. You can select from these sizes as per your requirements and budget.

Although the USPS rates for sending any EDDM postcards are the same for all sizes, printing and paper cost differs. Companies can contact the USPS-affiliated printers to get the printing done, other local printers, or a print and mail automation platform like PostGrid.

Other than saving your money, time, and effort, there are a lot of other advantages to making the right choice for your postcard size.

1. Helps in Creating the Perfect Design

By selecting the perfect postcard size for your direct mail campaign, you are helping your designer create the right design for your postcards. This design should justify your message, CTA, and offers. Everything should look distant from one another, and the design should not be messy. If your message is long and you select a small US postcard size, the message will have to be fitted on your postcard in a congested manner. Conducting a direct mail campaign and sending out such messy-looking postcards is an absolute waste of your time and money. Marketers should know what a postcard is and how it is supposed to deliver messages compactly.

2. Ensures On-time Deliverability

Making a smart choice for your postcard size can help ensure on-time delivery that justifies your campaign’s objectives. Different direct mail campaigns are designed and conducted for various reasons like promoting a product launch event, introducing new services, informing audiences about discounts, offers, contests, etc. Some of the postcard marketing campaigns are held for general brand awareness and increasing visibility. However, some of them are meant to drive conversions quicker by using special coupon codes and offers valid for a very short time. The “Urgency creation” is a marketing strategy used by many companies to receive faster responses. Hence, if your company is sending out postcards with this motive, selecting the right postcard size can help send it faster through first class.

 Also Read: Getting Started with Automated Postcards Mailing

3. Creates a Personal Connection

Choosing the perfect postcard size can help make your postcards attractive and attention-seeking. Sending such postcards in the mail to your target customers can induce a special and emotional bond between them and your brand. An appealing mailpiece works better than mailpieces that aren’t designed well. Your postcards can get your message across with more clarity and meaning by using the right postcard dimensions – direct mail size. Postcards should be thoughtful, impactful, and prompting, and these things are not possible without making a smart size choice.

4. Boosts Responses

If you want to get the desired number of engagements and responses, it is recommended that you select the right color combination, offer, CTA, message, template, and size. All of these things matter. You can send out a small number of postcards with different variations to test all the combinations’ performance. The right postcard size used for the right type of layout and message can definitely attract more responses and boost engagement levels.