Custom Shaped Postcards

A shaped postcard carries the same full color print as a rectangle, and the outline gets it picked out of a stack of mail. The flat and oversized cards are on postcards printing.

Fifty cards cover an open house or a shop's first test mailing. A realtor mailing a whole farm area, or a brand dropping a card into every shipped order, runs in the thousands, where each card falls to about 17 cents at 6,000.

What Are Shaped Postcards

Shaped postcards are postcards die-cut to a custom outline instead of a straight rectangle, printed full color in 5 sizes from 4" x 4" up to 6" x 6", on any of 28 stocks. People reach for them when a plain card would get lost in a stack of mail: direct mailers, event and grand-opening announcements, product promos, menus, invitations, and in-package inserts. Because the shape is unexpected, the card gets handled and kept instead of tossed. If you want the familiar rectangle instead, the Standard Postcards cover that, and the shaped version sits right beside it as the one that stands out. Our guide to die-cut card printing and the custom shapes that cut clean explains which outlines hold up, and the web story on custom shape postcards shows them in use.

What Shape and Size Should a Shaped Postcard Be

Match the outline to the message and the mailer. There are 76 die-cut trim shapes to choose from, so the outline can follow the idea instead of a plain box. On top of the shape you set the size, from a compact 4" x 4" square up to a roomy 6" x 6", with the default at 4" x 4", and you can set a custom size up to 6" x 7" when none of the presets is exactly right. If a specific cut is the goal, the Die-Cut Postcards give you clean die-cut edges, and the Die-Cut Any Shape Postcards open the outline up even further.

Stock, shape and layout decide whether a shaped postcard gets kept.

Pick a stock that feels like more

A heavier coated stock gives the card real presence in the hand. Metallic pearl catches the light, the silk and velvet laminated covers read premium, and the indoor magnet stock turns the postcard into a keeper on a fridge or filing cabinet. The default gloss cover keeps it clean and cheap, and a High Gloss UV Coating makes a photo or logo snap. Two stocks are plastic rather than paper, synthetic plastic and rigid vinyl PVC, for a card that gets handled a lot.

Let the shape carry the message

You choose the outline, so choose one that matches the offer, print your headline and a QR code on the front, and the cut does the work of getting the card picked up. Full color on both sides gives you room for the pitch on one face and the details on the other.

Design it without a designer

Our postcard design templates draw on the thousands of free layouts in the 4OVER4 template library; pick one for your size, set the headline, the offer and the logo in the online editor, and keep every line of type inside the outline of the trim you chose.

Already have your artwork? Skip the editor and download a press-ready blank instead. Each blank shaped 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 Shaped Postcards Cost

Shaped postcards start at $135.11 per set of 50, which is the smallest run you can order, and the per-postcard price keeps dropping as the quantity climbs toward 25,000. A set of 500 runs $242.74, about 49 cents a card, 1,000 run $367.96, and a 6,000-card mailing lands near 17 cents each. Count the addresses on your list, set the slider below to that number, and read the set total and the per-postcard cost.

Can You Print Full Color on Both Sides

Yes. You set the ink coverage per order: 4/0 prints full color on the front with a blank back, 4/1 adds a black back for text and fine print, and 4/4 runs full color on both sides. Pair a two-sided print with a die-cut shape and a finish that fits, and a 4" x 4" card carries the offer on the front and the address, date and QR code on the back. Add a Free Online Proof at checkout and you can confirm the layout on screen before the job goes to press.

How Do Shaped Postcards Compare to Other Postcards

Shaped postcards are the pick when the shape itself should stand out. If you are weighing a fixed die-cut edge, a bigger card or the plain rectangle, the chart below lines up shaped postcards against their closest siblings so you can compare the starting price on each before you choose. For a larger flat card, the Oversized Postcards go bigger.

See How a Finished Shaped Postcard Lands

The gallery below shows shaped cards our customers printed in-house, across different shapes, stocks and finishes. Look at how much of each design the cut removes before you settle on a trim. Tap any print to see it larger.

How Fast Can You Get Shaped Postcards

Shaped postcards print on a 5 business day standard turnaround, and when a date sneaks up you can move that to 4-day, 3-day, 2-day or Next-Day production. Each step buys back time for a set amount on top of the base price, so you only pay for speed when you actually need it. Five speeds sit in one dropdown, 99.8% of 4OVER4 orders arrive on time, and 82% ship early. Compare every turnaround tier below and see exactly what the rush adds before you pick. For a mailing tied to an open house or a sale date, add mail transit on top of production when you choose the speed.

See the Rest of Our Postcards

Shaped postcards are one stop in a much larger lineup, and you can scan the full print product range any time. If a die-cut edge, a bigger card or a plain rectangle would serve you better, each card in the postcards range shows its own starting price and links straight to its product page.

Print Your Shaped Postcards Today

At 4OVER4.COM, quality comes first, and it's backed by five Gold Standard guarantees and 25+ years of printing since 1999, including a Price Match that beats a real competitor quote by an extra 10% - the 110% price-match guarantee. A house outline for an open house or a leaf for a garden center tells the reader the offer before they turn the card over. Need them before a mailing or an event? Rush speeds down to Next-Day keep you covered. Print your shaped postcards today.