Post Cards Mistakes
A common mistake that people who are designing post cards make is putting a vertical line between the addressing area and their copy. I guess the line is a throw back from the days when you bought post cards when you went on vacation and sent them back to your friends and family saying, “wish you were here”. The line was used to allow enough room on the post card for the address to be written. However, since things at the USPS have become so automated it is a mistake to use the vertical line. The USPS is moving to total automation in order to save money and move the mail through their system in a more efficient manner. The addresses are read by OCR (Optical Character Readers) and the scanner is looking for bar-codes. When the scanner comes across the vertical line it confuses the line for a bar-code. You may pay higher postage if the line is used because it will not qualify for the lower bar-coded rates. There is a lot of area for copy that can be used on the addressing side of the post card. I provide my customers with templates so that they know what area can and cannot be used.
Another common mistake is putting a screened background in the addressing area. This will disqualify the post card for barcoded rates unless a label is used, and that really defeats the purpose of putting the background on the card altogether. If you want to use varnish or aquaeous coating on the post card, it is better to leave it off of the addressing area. It may make inkjet addressing difficult as smearing can be a problem. Barcodes that are smeared or not in correct alignment do not get discounted barcode postage rates.
It is really just following a few simple rules and you have a post card that looks good, delivers your message and qualifies for postage discounts.
