About 4" x 6" Postcards - Graphic Design, Printing and Mailing Services
4" x 6" postcards are one of the most popular and economical postcard sizes for small businesses looking for an affordable way to advertise their products and services. This standard postcard size meets the size requirements for USPS standard postcard rates and provides enough space for an eye-catching design, promotional offer, contact information and a strong call to action. Postcards can be printed in black or full color on one or both sides. Discount Printing Service provides professional postcard graphic design, AI-assisted graphic design, high-quality digital printing, preflight file checks and postcard mailing services to help small businesses create effective marketing campaigns while keeping costs under control.
Small businesses in a wide variety of industries can use 4" x 6" postcards to promote their services and reach customers in their local market. They can be an effective advertising tool for accountants, tax preparation services, insurance agencies, financial advisors, chiropractors, physical therapists, veterinarians, pet groomers, daycare centers, tutoring services, music schools, photographers, wedding and event services, and funeral homes. Postcards can also help service-based businesses such as pool maintenance companies, tree services, septic services, irrigation companies, chimney services, moving companies, storage facilities, and mobile RV techs introduce their business to potential customers.
A 4" x 6" postcard can also be used for specific marketing campaigns throughout the year. Promote tax preparation before tax season, insurance enrollment periods, new client specials, pet-care services, childcare enrollment, tutoring programs, photography sessions, seasonal pool services, tree care, septic maintenance, moving and storage specials, mobile RV repair services, or community events. By targeting specific neighborhoods, customer demographics or geographic areas, small businesses can put their message directly in front of potential customers who are more likely to need their products or services.
Key Benefits
- Meets the size requirements for USPS standard postcard rates
- Economical and effective direct-mail advertising for small businesses
- Popular postcard size with enough space for graphics, offers and contact information
- Available with black or full-color printing on one or both sides
- Professional postcard graphic design and AI-assisted graphic design available
- Preflight file checks for customer-supplied artwork
- Postcard mailing services available
- Mailing list services available to help target your ideal customers
Postcard Marketing vs. Email Marketing
For small businesses, postcards can provide a useful alternative or complement to email marketing. Unlike an email that competes with hundreds of other messages in a customer's inbox, a postcard is a physical piece of advertising delivered directly to the recipient's home or business.
USPS household research provides an indication of how much attention advertising mail receives. In the FY2025 Household Mail Survey, 51% of advertising mail was read by a household member and another 10% was set aside for reading later, meaning 61% was either read or retained for later attention.
Industry direct-mail benchmarks also show a significant difference between direct-mail response and email response. Recent industry reports citing the ANA Response Rate Report place average direct-mail response at approximately 4.4% compared with 0.12% for email. These figures are benchmarks rather than guaranteed results, and actual response depends on the quality of the mailing list, offer, design, targeting, personalization and call to action.
The goal is not necessarily to replace email marketing with postcards. For many small businesses, using both can provide multiple opportunities to reach the same customer. A postcard can promote a special offer, appointment, service or event and direct the recipient to a website, landing page, phone number or QR code for the next step.
Product Specifications
- File Type: PDF (contact us for assistance with other file types)
- Design File Page Size: 6" wide x 4" tall
- Orientation: Landscape
- Margin: 1/4" recommended (1/8" minimum)
- Bleed: 1/8" minimum recommended
- Crop Marks: Recommended
- Ink(s): Black or Full Color (CMYK)
- Color Space: Grayscale, RGB or CMYK (recommended)
- File Resolution: 300 dpi (dots per inch) recommended for optimum quality, 1200 dpi for vector artwork is recommended
- Paper: 14 point C2S cover standard; contact us for different paper options
- Free File Check: All artwork files are pre-flighted for technical issues before printing.
- Free PDF Proofs: Sent by email for approval prior to printing
- Graphic Design Services: Available for an additional fee, including AI-assisted graphic design
- Mailing Included In Price: No. The printing prices on our website DO NOT include mailing lists, mailing services or postage. All mailing services and postage must be quoted separately. Please contact us for a mailing quote for your postcards.
- Mailing Lists: You can supply your in-house address file or contact us for custom mailing lists. Mailing-list services are priced separately and must be quoted.
- Postage Options: USPS Marketing Mail (Standard Mail) or 1st Class Mail postage. USPS Marketing Mail requires a minimum of 200 pieces or 50 pounds of mail. First-Class Mail may be available for smaller quantities, depending on the mailing requirements. Postage is not included in the postcard printing price and must be quoted separately.
- Fulfillment: Mailing fulfillment is priced separately from postcard printing and must be quoted. Services can include mailing-list preparation (deduplication, NCOA, CASS certification), addressing, postal sort/tray preparation, and delivery to USPS.
Designing Your 4" x 6" Postcard
We recommend submitting a flattened PDF prepared specifically for commercial printing. When artwork or a background extends to the edge of the postcard, a minimum 1/8" bleed is recommended. Keep important text, logos and other essential information inside the recommended margin to prevent them from being too close to the finished edges.
All customer-supplied artwork files are pre-flighted for common technical issues before printing. If you need help creating your postcard, our graphic design services are available for an additional fee, including AI-assisted graphic design. When Discount Printing Service provides the design or makes design changes, a free PDF proof is sent by email for your approval before printing.
Free Downloadable Layout Templates
Free downloadable 4" x 6" postcard layout templates coming soon!
Postcard Mailing
Discount Printing Service can ship your printed postcards anywhere in the United States or coordinate the mailing of your postcard campaign. You can provide your own customer or prospect mailing list, or we can help provide a custom mailing list based on your ideal customer or target audience.
Mailing lists can be targeted by geographic area and, where available and appropriate, demographic characteristics to help your postcards reach potential customers who fit your desired market. Mailing-list preparation can include address deduplication, NCOA processing and CASS certification.
Our mailing fulfillment services can include direct addressing, indicia use, postal sorting and tray preparation, and delivery to the USPS Commercial Mail Center. Mailing services, mailing lists and postage are priced separately from postcard printing.
Standard Postcard Size and Postage
The 4" x 6" postcard is a standard postcard size designed to meet USPS requirements for the standard postcard mailing rate when the mailing meets applicable USPS requirements. Choosing a standard postcard size can be an important consideration for small businesses looking to keep the total cost of a direct-mail campaign under control.
Discount Printing Service also offers larger oversized postcards, including 5" x 7", 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and 6" x 11". These larger formats provide more space but do not qualify for the standard postcard-size postage rate and may be subject to higher USPS postage rates depending on exact dimensions, weight and mailing classification. Contact us for a quote.
Postcard Uses and Marketing Ideas
4" x 6" postcards can be used for a wide variety of small-business marketing campaigns, including:
- New customer introductions
- Special discounts and promotional offers
- Seasonal promotions
- Customer appreciation campaigns
- New service announcements
- Grand openings
- Community events
- Appointment reminders
- Service reminders
- Local business advertising
- Neighborhood marketing campaigns
- Real estate marketing
- Restaurant and retail promotions
- Salon and personal-care promotions
- Auto service and dealership advertising
- Fitness and wellness promotions
- Church and nonprofit events
- Fundraising campaigns
- QR-code promotions that direct customers to a website or landing page
Bulk Postcard Mailing Options
Our bulk postcard mailing service has a 200-piece minimum for USPS Marketing Mail (Standard Mail). First-Class Mail may be available for postcard mailings of fewer than 200 pieces, depending on the mailing requirements and postage option selected. We can help determine the appropriate USPS mailing service for your postcard project.
We offer both USPS Marketing Mail (Standard Mail) and 1st Class Mail postage options. Depending on the mailing size, destination, weight and other requirements, bulk mailing can be more economical than applying individual stamps or using postage-metered mail and can help reduce postage costs.
All mailing services, mailing lists and postage are quoted separately and are not included in the postcard printing prices shown on our website.
4" x 6" Postcard Turnaround, Shipping and Production
Our typical production turnaround for 4" x 6" postcards is 24–48 business hours, excluding weekends and holidays. Actual turnaround can vary depending on quantity, paper selection, printing options and other project requirements. When Discount Printing Service provides graphic design or changes to your artwork, production begins after you approve the free PDF proof. If you provide a press-ready PDF and no proof is required, production can begin after the completed purchase.
Printed postcards can be shipped using UPS Ground, Second Day Air or Next Day Air. Shipping time is in addition to the printing production time.
Our postcards are produced using high-quality paper substrates selected by experienced printing professionals for the intended use of the product and applicable industry standards. Printing is performed on a professional digital printing press with a minimum resolution of 1200 dpi and production speeds of more than 5,000 impressions per hour. This combination allows us to provide fast, economical, high-quality postcard printing at a discount price.
Other Popular Postcard Sizes
Discount Printing Service also offers postcards in the following popular sizes: