Picture postcards have been in existence since the 1800s, but the overall appearance of postcards has hardly changed.
A traditional photo postcard comprises of a century-old postcard template of a photo on the front and a message and address on the back.
Once made of thin wood, these envelope-free messages are now made from thick, sturdy card. They are still a novel form of communication, and are often kept as souvenirs.
Weird fact: The study and collection of postcards is termed deltiology.
What size is a postcard?
The standard size of a postcard is 6 x 4. This is the sized postcards typically found at holiday resorts and sent home to friends and family. However there is a growing trend to send personalised postcards using the sender’s own photos. (I know I would prefer to send my own photos of the Golden Gate Bridge, rather than a boring stock photo.) It’s a grand example of old traditions being improved and updated to match today’s tech-savvy culture.
App-based personalised photo postcard services are an increasingly popular way to send personalised postcards home while travelling. Postsnap offers standard-sized A6 postcards and larger postcards, which are 210 x 148mm or 8 x 6 inches. These A5 sized postcards are gloss laminated to protect them in the post, and the photos are so vivid that they are often displayed in frames by recipients.
These postcard dimensions are equivalent to an A6 piece of paper, which is approximately one quarter of an A4 sheet of paper.
Mixing the old with the new, postcards are a medium that are particularly adaptable to modern culture, and will surely remain a special way to communicate with family and friends in years to come.
Whether they’re near or far, postcards are the perfect ‘thinking of you’ gesture.