Hand Made Postcards
Hand Made Postcard Exchange.
Please no commercial postcards.
Categories / media - drawing, painting, watercolor, print making, mixed media, original photograph.
Mailed postcards have an advantage being postmarked they record the time and place where created.
Note: pastel, collage and embellishments do not travel well and may cause postal machinery damage/breakage.
My address is on the last comment page.
Paper type and thickness for handmade postcards
Does anyone have recommendations for paper types/thickness they use for handmade postcards? I've tried sending some in the mail, but suspect they need to be thicker (I'm using Strathmore printmaking 400 series 200 g/m2). The thicker ones tend to have more texture, so they are sometimes harder to print on. I like the idea of sending open postcards also so the mail folks can also enjoy mail art.
Gwendolynium
Hi TanushreeV! I see you're in California, and the US post office has some thickness specs:
Minimum .007" thickness for standard postcards, and maximum .016". Oversized postcards can be .009" to .25".
I use a micrometer to measure (useful for letterpress printing) but if you aren't so obsessive, you can also estimate thickness by stacking a certain number of sheets, like a ream or a pad, measure with a ruler, and divide by the number of sheets. Strathmore 100 lb. (260 gsm) Bristol is about .013" thick, so good for either size card. Your 200 gsm paper is probably kind of on the borderline of being too thin, but you might duplex it to something else. And you can always put on extra postage (for non-machinable) and hope for the best!
Want to exchange some mail?
Dec 10, 2021
S. Ky
Clairefontaine Paint On Mixed Media pads
This paper seems to work really well (and I have to buy more)
You can buy single sheets in different colours at your art supply store, too.
Sep 22, 2023
Guido Bondioli
Political and "message" postcards seem good to me.
Oct 21, 2023