Author : Adir LeA postcard is a card on which a message may be written or printed for mailing without an envelope; it often includes a picture, comic or other scene on one side It has been proven that full color postcards are more appealing to the masses than black and white ones This is why most printing companies have invested in full color technology and high quality printers that use CMYK (Cyan, magenta, yellow and black) process printing
CMYK, or four color process printing, gives postcards a more lively and dynamic look Colors essentially become a second skin to the paper, thus creating high resolution prints Expert postcard designers often use these vibrant, textured colors to stunning effect in their designs Commercial printing companies have also learned how to put the four color printing process to good use
Nowadays, postcards are steadily gaining in popularity and are now more in-demand than ever Recently, postcards have been increasingly useful as promotional materials This adds up to a greater demand for eye-catching, full color postcards
Effective use of color is the best way to get the customer’s attention However, there is still the problem of accurately capturing colors Even with four color printing, it can still be challenging to achieve the right shade of blue that the artist is intending to create
Apart from four color printing, spot coloring is also used to print colored postcards With spot coloring, it is easier to achieve those ideal colors Thus, a company can create a signature color for their brand or logo Through the Pantone Matching system, pre-blended inks can be purchased to make the necessary colors These pre-blended inks are categorized by numbers that correspond to a particular shade or color
It is important to remember that the postcard prints or designs are in CMYK mode and not in RGB The colors chosen should complement each other well Also keep in mind that there are certain colors that are said to produce certain effects Use this knowledge to your advantage! For example, orange tones tend to excite the appetite, red can invoke warmth and activity, and green may create a soothing effect
It also helps to be cautious in this culturally diverse environment, since certain colors have cultural meanings attached to them Remember that, in order to make sure the resultant postcard will be free of errors, one must examine a hard copy proof of the design
Choose only professional printers for your postcard printing project The resultant prints are sure to be rich and intense, making other postcards pale in comparison Pro printing companies do their best to maintain the integrity of your colors through four color process printing, and to match the colors on your prints as closely as possible through spot coloring
Printing color postcards for promotional needs certainly has its own set of pros and cons Nevertheless, a full colored postcard is a fantastic marketing tool It catches the attention of the viewer and ensures that the interest of your potential customers is focused on your cards Experiment with layout and design, and discover what a splash of color can do for your postcards Adir Le writes for Printrunner on topics relevant to small businesses. Most recently he has written articles on postcard printing and hang tag printing.
Read full story
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.