Postcard Design

Postcards have been around for a long time, and in many ways they haven't changed a bit. The majority of postcards still show nothing more than a photograph of a particular place with a title on the front and a short description on the back. These days, however, postcards have begun to take on some new designs--and functions--that make them more interesting than ever.

Creative Uses for Postcards

On one of my first trips to Europe, I was surprised to find racks of free postcards in many shops and restaurants. Not used to getting anything for free, I wondered what the catch was. It turned out there was one: most of these postcards were actually advertisements. This explained why they were free.

At the same time, a lot of these ad post cards were actually really funny and great looking, and I wasn't embarrassed to send them to friends and family. Ad post cards have begun to catch on in the United States in recent years, and they're actually a great way to advertise your product or event. People always love freebies, and printing up postcards will pretty much ensure your product gets noticed.

The key to designing an ad postcard is to make it more than just an ad. Nobody wants to mail (or keep) a postcard that is nothing more than a promotional tool for ketchup. By making your ad funny--or artistic and nice to look at--you give people incentive to take one and send it, or even put it up on their wall. The same goes for postcards that are mailed by a company for advertising purposes: it's important to utilize some form of creativity to grab people's attention.