Postcard Printing:  Learn the Language of Color


Postcards are one of the few items on earth that brings people closer. It bridges distances and crosses borders to bring ideas and messages from one person to another. Postcards or postcard printing, initially considered an alternative to written letters, is an established print material that is read and received warmly.

Postcards too seem to serve as a reminder of that existing bond long forgotten between people. It seeks out this bond and reunites people with a simple card.
 
It may coincidence to use the very same notion about color. Colors changes in hues, tone and values. As it does, each shade of color evokes certain feelings that memories, among others.

Colors effectively affect an individual’s preferences, moods, and emotions. It can also affect how we draw upon or make certain associations, images and impressions.

The power of colors that makes upon us is undeniable. Is it then really that surprising when color greatly affects how a person reacts to postcards? How he or she gives value to it?

Aesthetically, colors add vibrancy to the images used on the postcard. It helps enhance the message it wishes to convey. As said earlier, it can create moods that we can identify and perceive.

Like miniature works of art, post cards derive much of its appeal depending on how and how much color is applied to it. This is where postcard printing can weave its magic.

What many do not know is that careful attention and skill is required to produce high quality postcards. Through the expertise of printers, mages are captured in vivid colors using four color process printing. And they are printed on durable, high grade paper stock that is most ideal for ink the ink sits properly on smooth, premium quality paper.

Nevertheless, understanding the vocabulary or language of color just might help you understand better just how colors are important in your prints. Both to be aesthetically pleasing and captivating print.

Below are some tips and other bits and pieces for great-looking post cards:

•    Color Mode
Images should be in CMYK which stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black and not RGB which is only used for viewing images in monitors.

Postcards are produces using CMYK and images or designs should only come in CMYK format or mode.
 
•    Color Values
Refers to the Hue, Saturation, Value, Tint and Shade. Accurate measurement of specific colors can be better managed using these. Try being comfortable tinkering with these in order to arrive at the specific color your want, even a particular effect you wish to create.

•    Resolution
The higher the resolution, the better the image quality will be. Colors too will come out sharper. Colors will be purer or those which are not muddy looking, where blotches of unmixed colors may appear.

•    Paper Type or Stock
Choose only premium, quality paper such as 14 pt gloss with Aqueous or UV coating. Another good choice with be a 14pt. stock with Matte finish. Anything less may lead to dull color prints, less opacity and the like.

•    Use Full Color Printing
Full color printing provides accurate, detailed, brilliant reproduction of any type of original images. It does this by layering colors upon colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black to fully capture the photo or images.

It fully gives prints depth, highlights and contrasts that your prints need.

Postcards can be highly personalized, unique gifts among family and friends. It too, more notably nowadays, is used for commercial purposes such as promotions, advertising and direct-mail marketing.

Knowing how and what affects color will allow you to determine just how to play with colors and discover how you can make your postcards better. Following the tips given above should lead you towards obtaining near-perfect postcards worthy of praise.

Another main point to this is to trust your postcard printing only to professionals who knows how to bring out the color in your postcards. Do not let your efforts go to waste and do not let your own resources go down the toilet.  For all else, a botched printing job knows no repair, only a new one, a better one. And so, start printing with the right printing company and you’ll never go wrong.