Creating postcards as an artist
If you’re organising your own show (in an alternative space, rental gallery, student gallery, etc.), then you’ll probably be on your own to design and print your postcards. They are great for advertising shows, but also to put into your promotional material that you send to galleries. To create an effective postcard, start with a great photograph of your work.
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Pick the best piece from your show and get a great shot of it. An intriguing detail shot can be interesting and mysterious. If you don’t have a good camera or you lack photography skills, hire a professional photographer to shoot it for you. It’s important to start with a good quality, high-resolution photograph (slide or digital). If you attempt to print from a 72 dpi jpg, you’ll get jagged, fuzzy, ugly results. It’s also a good idea to put your name on the front.?For the back, consider including as much of the following as possible. ?* Your name (preferably on both sides)?* Title of the show?* Location?* Date (including the year)?* Gallery hours?* Reception date, if there is one
* Information about the work you featured on the front of the card (title, medium, size and date)?* Return address (the post office will return any with bad addresses – important to be able to keep your mailing list current)?* Your website address
Try to limit yourself to 2 or 3 point sizes and no more than 2 different fonts. Don’t use any sizes below 8 point.?For the back, to save money, use black ink only. Be sure to abide by all postal guidelines, which will determine the parts of the card that must contain certain information, or be blank.?For slick, colourful, glossy, professional results, get your cards printed by a commercial printer. If you know and trust a local print shop, then use them.??Many artists use a company called www.modernpostcard.com or www.48hourprint.com. They’re great quality, very fast, and very inexpensive. In Australia, I use Worldwide Online Printing: www.worldwide.com.au, or Snap printers: www.snap.com.au. When possible, I use my local Byron Bay printer Graphic Expressions. I’m also a supporter of the buy local think global concept.??Many online companies have templates in different programs that you can download. They also offer design advice and will show you examples of good and bad postcards. If you intend to design your postcards yourself, be sure to follow their guidelines (file formats, software programs, dpi, cmyk, bleeds, etc).??You can extend the life of a card by leaving the back blank. You can print your specific show information on a sticker and adhere it to the back before you send it.
As long as the image on the front is not too specific and will represent your work for a couple of years, this is also a good strategy.
