Black Postcards

What are black postcards

A black postcard is a postcard printed on stock that is black all the way through, not white card with black ink laid on top. At 4OVER4 black postcards print on 32pt to 80pt Midnite Black uncoated paper in 14 sizes, using white ink or CMYK plus white so the design shows up bright against the dark surface.

Here the printing runs in reverse. Instead of dark ink on light paper, you lay bright white ink, or CMYK over a white base, onto the black sheet, and the artwork glows against it. The result reads like a luxury invitation or announcement. If you want a lighter, everyday postcard instead, the Standard Postcards cover that, and the black version sits right beside it as the one that stands out in a stack.

Black Postcard Options at a Glance

• Stock. Midnite Black uncoated, black through the core, in 32pt, 48pt, 64pt or 80pt.
• Sizes. 14, from 2.5 by 2.5 inch through 4 by 6, 5 by 7 and 6 by 9 to 6 by 11 inch, plus a custom size.
• Ink. 1/0 white front, 1/1 white both sides, 5/0 CMYK plus white front, or 5/5 CMYK plus white both sides.
• Edges. Optional edge painting in more than 20 colors, a flat $150 add-on.
• Quantity. 50 for $25.60, 100 for $42.51, 500 for $143.12, 1,000 for $269.87, up to 5,000.
• Turnaround. 6 business days standard, with rush at 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 business days.
• Artwork. Upload your file built on the blank postcard template for your size, with the bleed and safe margin drawn in.

What sizes do black postcards come in

4OVER4 black postcards come in 14 set sizes, from a 2.5 by 2.5 inch square up to a 6 by 11 inch panel, and you can also set a custom size. Classic mailer sizes like 4 by 6, 5 by 7 and 6 by 9 inch are all here, alongside square and jumbo formats.

The 2.5 by 2.5 and 3 by 3 inch squares work as mini cards or gift enclosures. The mailer sizes include 4 by 6, 4.25 by 6.25, 5 by 7 and 5.5 by 8.5 inch. When you want the black to fill a table or a mailbox, step up to 6 by 8, 6 by 9 or the full 6 by 11 inch, or set a custom size and the price follows it. The specs below list all 14 sizes, both ink coverages and every stock the way the configurator groups them.

Already have your artwork? Skip the editor and download a press-ready blank instead. Each blank postcard template is built at the real trim size with the bleed and safe margin already drawn in, so your design never crowds the cut. Grab the size that matches your order below, drop your art in, and upload.

How much do black postcards cost

Black postcards start at $25.60 for 50 at 4OVER4. The price scales across 15 quantity tiers up to 5,000, so a larger run lowers the per-card cost. A heavier stock, painted edges, a hardcopy proof or a rush turnaround adjust the total, and the configurator shows the exact number before you order.

Past the $25.60 starting set of 50, 100 cards cost $42.51, 300 cost $93.37, 500 cost $143.12 and 1,000 cost $269.87, on 15 tiers up to 5,000. The slider below shows the set total for any count up to 5,000.

What stock and ink do black postcards use

4OVER4 prints black postcards on Midnite Black uncoated stock in 4 weights: 32pt, 48pt, 64pt and 80pt, all black through the core. Ink prints as 1/0 white front, 1/1 white both sides, 5/0 CMYK plus white front, or 5/5 CMYK plus white on both sides, so color stays vivid on the dark sheet.

The paper is the point here. Every weight is Midnite Black uncoated, a sheet that is black to the core, so the thicker you go the more substantial the card feels in the hand. The default 32pt is already a solid postcard, and stepping through 48pt and 64pt to the 80pt gives you a card that reads almost like a black chip. For ink, white is your workhorse: 1/0 prints white on the front with a blank back, and 1/1 puts white on both sides. When you want real color, 5/0 and 5/5 add full CMYK over a white base, so photos and bright brand colors pop instead of sinking into the black. For a softer premium hand in a lighter color, the Soft Touch Postcards and the natural Kraft Postcards print the same way on their own colored stocks.

Printing on True Black Stock: White Ink, Foil and Spot UV

White ink is the workhorse on this stock. It is laid down as its own opaque layer rather than mixed out of CMYK, which is why type and line art read clean and bright on a Midnite Black sheet where an ordinary ink would sink and vanish. Large solid white panels are the place to watch. A single pass of white over a deep black can read slightly grey, so heavy coverage takes a second white hit, and any CMYK that has to stay true to a brand color is printed on top of a white base rather than straight onto the black.

Foil behaves differently, because it is not ink at all. A metallic layer is stamped onto the surface, so the sheet underneath has no effect on how bright it reads, and fine serifs and thin rules hold better in foil than in a single hit of white. Raised spot UV is the quiet option: a clear gloss over selected shapes, so the artwork reads as black on black, near invisible straight on and obvious the moment the card tilts under a light. All three are worth proofing before a full run, because a black sheet reads nothing like it does on a screen.

The base under any of them is the same, 4 weights of Midnite Black uncoated paper from 32pt up to a rigid 80pt, printed on the front only or on both sides.

Can you add painted edges to a black postcard

Yes. 4OVER4 black postcards offer optional edge painting in more than 20 colors, from cyan, magenta and yellow to metallic gold, metallic silver, fluorescent pink and a custom color mix. Edge painting is a flat $150 add-on that lines the cut edge of the card with a band of color and adds a small amount of production time.

This is the detail that turns a black postcard into a keepsake. Because the stock is thick and black straight through, the cut edge is a visible black band, and painting it adds a stripe of color that frames the whole card. Choose a bright fluorescent pink or sky blue for a modern pop, a metallic gold or copper for a luxury feel, or a custom color mix to match a brand exactly. It is a flat $150 add-on no matter the quantity, so the more cards you order the less the painted edge costs per card. Want the effect on other stocks too? The Edge Painted Postcards range carries the same finish across lighter papers.

Matte Black and Soft Touch Black Postcards

The Midnite Black sheet arrives matte on its own, because it is an uncoated paper. No gloss, no reflection, a flat dark surface that absorbs light instead of bouncing it back. That is what most people mean when they search for a matte black postcard, and it is the most forgiving finish in the hand, since an uncoated surface does not hold a fingerprint the way a coated black does at a trade show table.

Soft touch is the other route to a dark card, a laminate film over the sheet that feels like suede under a thumb and reads a shade deeper than paper alone. It marks more readily than uncoated black, so it suits a card that travels inside an envelope rather than one passed around all evening. Ink sits on top of a laminate rather than settling into it, which keeps white bright but means fine reversed type wants a little more weight than it needs on the bare uncoated stock. Painted edges in over 20 colors work with either look, and both run on the same 6 business day standard turnaround, with rush down to 1 business day.

How do black postcards compare to other postcards

When the paper should not be black, compare a natural kraft, a soft touch coating or a heavier stock in the chart below.

See finished black postcards

White ink on black reads nothing like it does on a screen. These are customer cards off our own presses, across sizes and finishes, including painted edges, so you can see the result on a real black sheet. Tap any print to see it larger.

How fast can you get black postcards printed

4OVER4 prints black postcards on a standard 6 business day turnaround, with paid rush options at 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 business days. For proofing you can go straight to production, request a free online proof, or add a next day hardcopy proof. You pick both the speed and the proof in the configurator.

The standard turnaround is 6 business days, and it keeps the price lowest. When a date is closing in, five rush steps buy back time for a set fee each, from $15 for 5 business days up to $35 for 1 business day. On proofing, most orders run straight to production to save time, but a free online proof lets you sign off on the layout before it prints, and a next day hardcopy proof adds $75 to ship a physical sample so you can hold the real black stock first. 99.8% of 4OVER4 orders arrive on time and 82% ship early, so the date you pick is one you can plan around.

See the rest of our postcards

Kraft, soft touch and heavier stocks fill the rest of the postcards printing range.

Two neighbors are worth a look before you order. Edge painted postcards put the color on the cut edge of a lighter stock instead of across the whole sheet, and spot UV postcards add the raised gloss treatment on a coated card, shown start to finish in the raised spot UV postcards story. The full postcard printing range lists every size, stock and finish in one place, which is the fastest way to price a black run against a standard one.

Print your black postcards today

At 4OVER4.COM, quality comes first, and it's backed by a satisfaction guarantee and 25+ years of printing since 1999. Whatever size, stock weight or ink coverage you pick, these black postcards are built to feel substantial in a hand and stand out in any stack. Add a painted edge for a keepsake finish, and when a deadline is close, rush production keeps you covered. Print your black postcards today.