Want to create professional looking custom printed postcards?
As I mentioned earlier on my page about custom post card printing and design. you'll need three basic ingredients for that: the right software, the right printer and the right blanc paper cards.

Besides these you'll also need the right printing techniques. Take the proper precautions to get the best results in printing post cards.

Proper printers and cartridges
Inkjets are still the most widely used consumer printers, so I won't discuss the laser printers here. Inkjet printers come in two types: all-purpose and photo printers. The last provide the highest quality and most make borderless prints, which is an advantage.

When choosing an inkjet keep in mind that printers which use individual ink cartridges save money. With these you don't need to buy an entire multi-colour cartridge when a colour runs out. Only a tank for a specific colour. This often is the case with Canon and Epson printers.

Refilling cartridges to save money can be risky. Manufacturers claim that refilling can damage your printer and will shorten the lifetime of your prints. Best contact your manufacturer to make sure your warranty won't void.

For the right post card printing without risks use the cartridges your printer manufacturer suggests. Which of course most likely are of their own brand.


Proper paper
Brands like Ilford, Strathmore, Kodak, HP, Epson and Canon offer blank paper cards in different sizes. These single flat or folded cards are specially coated and have a high brightness. This results in sharp custom printed postcards that have a vivid colour and great detail.

Inkjet photo cards mostly come in three finishes.

• Glossy - High shine with the look and feel of traditional glossy photo lab paper.
• Pearl - Semi-gloss satin glare and a slight bumpy surface. Less shine than glossy.
• Matte - Dull surface with no glare or sheen.

Though it's a matter of personal taste I don't recommend the glossy finish. For custom printed postcards with that store-bought look best use matte or pearl.

With paper it's the same as with ink: use the paper that your printer manufacturer suggests. You're less likely to encounter paper jams and poor print quality.

• Paper type/size - Make the right setting for your chosen paper (glossy, pearl, matte). It's best to go with the printer manufacturer's recommended paper.
• Printing quality - Set this to the optimum quality for the type of paper you're using but never above 300 dpi. When your resolution is set too high it might be possible that you get weird artifacts and jagged edges in your prints.
• Borders - Some printers provide this option. Borderless is mostly the default setting (best check this).
• Number of prints - Best set this to one, first find out if the printing result is OK.

Final tip
Last tip on custom post card printing: when just printed out let your cards dry thoroughly. Remove prints from the printer's output tray before they stick together. Let them dry for at least one hour. Some manufacturers suggest letting them dry for a full 24 hours to be perfectly safe. After that you may release your cards to the world, at last!


Click here for printing post cards online. Design, print and send your own custom post cards at Cool-Custom-Cards.com.

Click here to find font examples and cool designs for your custom printed postcards.

Click here for free text examples for your greeting cards and invitations. Besides tips on custom post card printing find great writing tips here.


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