Postcard Design From the Ground up

One of the most interesting steps of creating your postcard is choosing the right background image. Once you find that image with the prefect look and feel what to do so it is printable and easily read? I am going to share a secret that I have been using for years to quickly make any high resolution photograph ready to get professionally printed in 5 minutes from start to finish.

For demonstration purposes I we’ll use one of our most valuable products that is included free in our printing, Aqueous coating. The idea is, we want to let our clients and prospects know that every printing order is covered with a protective coating that is 100% environmentally friendly.

In three easy steps here we go…

Select your image- Go to any of your image of clip art collection that allow for you to print in their license agreement. Clear your mind of any graphic effects that are going to be applied and make your image selection based on what is most suitable. This is my image of choice.

Prepare your layout to print- There are 2 basic elements that matter to me now, the background and the graphic element such as text, logos or any other graphic objects used to deliver my message. This is going to be used for the backside of my postcard and I want to my artwork on it tastefully. Here is my layout for the back side of my postcard.

Unite The graphics to the Photograph- Now I am going to simply lay the graphic elements over the background of choice with absolutely no modifications.

As you can see the effect is not a desired one

Adjust the background transparency- In Adobe Illustrator change the background transparency to suit.


The result

In 4 easy steps we have completed a professionally postcard design that will be easily understood. Use cmyk and the Pantone Matching System when extra colors are required. For example if you want to print a postcard with the 4 process colors plus a special color all you need to do is set up an additional spot color in your software program. To do this you must use publishing programs that allow you to properly execute it. Some of the more popular programs includeAdobe Illustrator, Quark Express, In Design and PhotoShop. Simply set your file up in CMYK mode and use it to get your own digital file professionally printed. Employ it colors, do not use Pantone colours unless we are printing a special colour. Employ it files when printing. Use cmyk to print colors like warm skin tones. Employ it for going to a commercial printing press.

What Else I Like to Use Adobe Illustrator For

We like above illustrator due to its easy in making print ready sheets. In our business, the faster and more accurately we can put it together the happier our clients are. We strive to actually deliver your product early, to do this we need to count on our people and software we use. Illustrator has many Customizable templates for brochures, newsletters and stationery that help you get off on the right foot and allows you to adapt you them quickly and accurately, day in and day out. You can use Photoshop when I you an optimized web version or just export a vector file right from Illustrator.

We use this program for a composition made of many non-objective shapes. Many of our projects are 2 fold, for the web and print. By using the web export filter as shown above you can also make flash files (swf) by choosing the option and your files are flawlessly output in flash format. To optimize the result make sure your file is 100% vector based as flash is also vector based and will understand this language completely. You can use Illustrator when you want to deal with color for your designs properly for your website and print media. Don’t be afraid to use this great program for working with other programs such as Corel Draw together by using the various export filters.

A Couple Effects included

    Typographical attributes such as center, flush rightSelection ToolOverlapping transparenciesRadial BlurChanging The Color Balance

    Reversals

    3D animations

What are Process Colors

Four color process is a common method used today in many print shops . But you can take it a step further by using Six-color process printing> it is often used by artists when printing numbered prints of their works. By adding the extra colors they are main used as primary an secondary tint plates that further highlight and enhance the printed image. This process is usually carried on acid free paper to avoid “yellowing” over time. CMYK is also referred to as four-color process printing by many printers, but it is important to clarify if it’s digital or litho CMYK. The printed result is much different between the 2. Four-colour print is a cost efficient, high quality print and litho method that can turn your boring single color leaflet into an elegant eye-grabbing, memorable printed piece. When you make your own files for print, color quality and color resolution are everything. You are the author of your own destiny, so make sure you get it right!

Top it up with Aqueous Coating

This is a covering that is 100% environmentally friendly since it is cured with light and not heat and no solvents enter the atmosphere. This protective print coating is a low-pollution coating made under environmental-protective standards. AQ seems to be an attractive option to any other coating because of its low cost, quick drying times and environmental friendliness. It is a coating that is much more effective than varnish and can tolerate books shifting around or water damage without scuffing. The coating makes it possible for printers to produce finish jobs faster, which generally results in your order being produced much quicker with ANY sacrifice in quality.

Postcard Affiliated Templates

Tags: printable postcard, offset printing, paper, graphic design advertising