Send Premium Postcards with USPS



How to Send Premium Postcards with USPS

Objective: to use the website of the United States Postal Service to create and send custom postcards. Single postcards can be created and sent or a bulk mailing can be prepared..

❑ STEP 1: Go to the United States Postal Service

❑ STEP 2: Find the Tool for Creating Postcards

o Click on Create Your Own Cards

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o Below Premium Postcard, click Get Started

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o Click NOW

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o Select a custom format to use or select a design from one of the galleries.

❑ Example: Let’s create a 5.5” x 8.5” postcard. Click Make It Now below the postcard.

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o Choose where you want the address printed: on the side, at the bottom, or in the lower right-hand corner. Note: If you choose the corner address, a return address is not automatically printed.

❑ Continuing with our example, click the arrow to the right of Side Address.

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❑ STEP 3: Create a Postcard

o USPS provides step-by-step instructions for creating a postcard.

❑ The only steps that are required are those marked *: Select Recipients, Select Return Address, Select Mail Date, and Choose Your Delivery Method.

❑ When you click on a box for each step, the red shading in the layout guide at the top will change to show your location on the postcard.

• Side Address and Bottom Address layouts both allow you to write text over images. If you click on Enter Front Text or Enter Back Text, you will notice the solid red shading changes to red horizontal lines. The patterned shading represents text and the solid shading represents an image.

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❑ STEP 4: Upload Your Own Photos

o Click on Choose Front Image or Choose Back Image.

❑ An image is not required. If you want an image, you do not have to include both a front and back. You can choose one or the other.

o Click Browse to Upload an Image of Your Own

o Select a JPEG file of 10 Mb or less.

o Click Open

o Click Go

❑ USPS alerts you to potential problems that may occur printing the photo you selected with the image size of the postcard.

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❑ STEP 5: Choose Image from Gallery

o Click on Choose Front Image or Choose Back Image.

o Click Go next to Search the Gallery or enter the type of image you want to find.

❑ For example, let’s say you want something sports related. Enter sports in the search text box and click Go.

o Click on an image category. Subcategories are listed below the main category.

o Click on an image you want to use.

❑ USPS alerts you to potential problems that may occur printing the image you selected with the image size of the postcard.

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❑ STEP 6: Enter Text

o Click on Enter Front Text or Enter Back Text.

o Enter text in the text box. You can preview how your message will look on the postcard in the preview window.

❑ Text is entered in text blocks; therefore, when you format text, all text within the text block will be formatted.

❑ To apply formatting to specific text, you must add text blocks.

• Click the down arrow next to Choose a Text Block.

• Click Add New Text Block and begin typing.

• Click the down arrow next to Choose a Text Block and select the block of text you want to format. Only text that is within the text block you selected is formatted.

o Each block of text must be aligned differently.

o Click the down arrow next to Choose a Text Block to select the block of text.

o Click the down arrow next to Alignment and select an alignment to use for the block of text.

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❑ STEP 7: Addressing Postcard

o Click Select Recipients.

❑ If you do not have an account with the USPS, follow the instructions for creating an account.

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o Click Go under Add a New Address.

❑ You could click Go under Import Addresses and import addresses from an Excel spreadsheet or an address book.

• Click Browse to find the XLS or CSV (comma separated values) file you want to import.

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o Enter the name and address of the person you want to add as a recipient.

❑ * Denotes a required field.

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o Click Select Return Address.

❑ When you created your USPS account, your mailing address was automatically chosen as the default return address.

❑ You can add additional addresses to use as a return address.

• When you select an address to use as a return address, the address you select then becomes the new default return address for future mailings.

❑ Whatever you do to the current mailing (i.e., delete, modify, or add a return address) will not be affect mailings that you already sent.

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❑ STEP 8: Select Mail Date

o Click Select Mail Date

❑ By default, the USPS sends cards on the next business day.

o Click Change Date

o Click the date you want the postcard sent.

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❑ STEP 9: Choose Delivery Method

o First Class is the default method of delivery.

❑ Standard mail is only for bulk mailing--at least 200 domestic addresses.

o Click Continue.

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❑ STEP 10: Send Postcard

o Click Download Your PDF Proof.

❑ Review the proof of your postcard. If you need change something, click on the box for the feature you want to change.

• Example: If you want to change the text on the back of the postcard, click Enter Back Text box on the left column of the web page.

❑ After proofing the postcard, select the box next to I have reviewed the PDF file and would like to send my mailing.

o Click Continue

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o Select the quantity of postcards you want to purchase.

o Click Continue

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o Enter your credit card information.

o Click Continue

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o Click Send.

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