Any Reason to Celebrate: It’s National Postcard Week!

Jennifer
May 2, 2010

It seems there’s a holiday for everything. Ball Point Pen Day is coming up on June 10, Talk Like a Pirate Day seems to be every month, and I just learned this is National Postcard Week – yes, postcards are so awesome that they get more than a day! National Postcard Week has an interesting history – according to Demaris’ Site, it began in 1911, the idea being to send postcards as advertisements for cities.

It evolved in 1984 when the International Federation of Postcard Dealers and various clubs made a postcard to celebrate and promote their hobby.

“To celebrate the week, postcard collectors either design and make their own postcards or purchase them to mail to friends and family. Always being sure the words National Postcard Week and the date are on the Postcard. This year the dates are May 2-8, 2010.”

I love postcards. I like that they’re simple to design with easy templates and that they’re economical to print and send since you don’t need to purchase envelopes and the postage is cheaper. Then there’s the environmental aspect: Postcards can be printed on 100 percent recycled paper with soy-based inks, and because you omit the envelope, you use less paper! I’ve come across some unique uses for postcards lately. Marketing for your small business is always a good one; you can cost-effectively print a huge number of postcards advertising a sale or event and hand them out to every Tom, Dick and Harry. But aside from business use, how about these clever ideas? Wedding invitations – My co-worker spent less than 50 bucks printing postcards for her nuptials. They’re simple and elegant, with a sepia-tone photo of her, her fiancé and their dog on one side and the wedding details on the other. Guests were encouraged to RSVP via their website. Holiday cards – A few years ago I received a Christmas card from some friends that was a postcard rather than the usual folded card and envelope. They preprinted their return address and a message on one side and designed a festive image on the other involving their family and Rudolph – or something. So it had a personal touch and stood out among the generic box cards! Announcement cards – Graduations are quickly coming up, and postcards are a great way to alert family and friends of the event and any job possibilities (or pleas for leads). Thank-you cards – PsPrint blogger Brian came up with a great way to personalize thank-you cards; for example, if you go on a honeymoon, include a photo from your trip on the thank-you card for a personal touch. That idea can also extend to vacation postcards – rather than buy from a souvenir shop, make cards from your photos so your friends can see you in action!

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About Jennifer Moline

Jennifer Moline writes for the PsPrint Blog as well as maintains its Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus and Pinterest presences. She also guest-blogs for such notable graphic design blogs as Fuel Your Creativity and Inspiredology. She’s previously written about technology and small business for news websites, magazines and newspapers. In her off-hours, Jennifer can be found roughing it in the mountains or tucked away in a movie theater.

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What is the PsPrint Blog??

The PsPrint Blog is a resource for graphic designers, freelancers, small business owners and fans of print marketing. You'll find helpful techniques on printing everything there is to print, including business cards, postcards, brochures, stickers, invitations, greeting cards, door hangers, magnets and more. The PsPrint Blog shares creative ways to improve your design and layout skills, and useful tips for marketing your business in any medium. We also like to have a little fun, sharing design inspiration and spotlighting some our favorite customers' printed pieces in our "Hot Off the Press" series.