Postcards are a special type of postcard. They are intended for writing without an envelope, that is, open. The front side contains the image most often full-size, that is, located on the entire area. On the back, it is customary to write not only messages, but also the addresses of both the sender and the recipient. In addition, a postage stamp is also stuck there.
Very often practiced stamp printing on the card itself. Moreover, the sale price already contains a postage. Cards can be non-postal, then there is no stamp on them, and a place for the address is not provided. Such a postcard is only a dense rectangle of cardboard or standard size paper.
Labeled and unlabeled postcards
Those that are issued by the post office are called labeled. They always have a postage stamp printed on it. If the card belongs to unmarked (artistic), then on it, as a rule, there is a place for a sticker of such a sign. Sometimes a brand is mistakenly glued to the artistic (front) side. A very rare option is when it is provided initially, that is, the brand will not be placed on the back. An example is some old Soviet postcards.
Those that contain illustrations can be attributed to either artistic or documentary (in the form of photographs). The most common and widely known ways of using them are as gifts, for invitations to events or congratulations on all kinds of holidays.
A bit of history
The first postcards appeared on the territory of Austria-Hungary. Since 1869, the mail circulation of this state was replenished with correspondent cards on which stamps with a face value of a couple of cruisers were already printed. At the time of the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, both armies also used illustrated postcards. Sometimes soldiers sent their relatives a regular postal card, providing the text with a home-made picture.
This idea was picked up by businessmen. According to different versions, the first illustrated postal cards (i.e. postcards) were issued either in France (in Brittany), or in Germany (in Oldenburg). Be that as it may, such an undertaking was a success, and they have appeared in many countries.
Postcard conquers Europe
In the seventies of the XIX century, their production was established by the postal departments of almost all European countries - Switzerland, England, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Sweden and Italy.
Since 1878, there is a standard size for such a postcard adopted by the Universal Postal Congress held in Paris. Initially, it was 9 x 14 cm, and since 1925 it became 10.5 x 14.8 cm. On the first postcards, the entire back side was occupied by the address, then, starting in 1904, it was decided to leave the left half blank for a brief message.
What were they like
Greeting cards were made not only from paper and cardboard. There were exotic rare specimens of glass, metal, wood, etc. Their shapes and sizes were sometimes quite bizarre. There was also a huge number of options for decorating postcards, which were decorated with shells, decorative pebbles, ribbons, feathers, trimmed with fur and elegant cloth, tied with thread using a hook or wrapped with twine. Such fantasy types of postcards were intended for congratulations on an important holiday date. And some of them were presented exclusively as a keepsake.
Greeting Cards
Let's go back today. What types of postcards now exist? The most famous of them are congratulatory, dedicated to a particular holiday. And, as you know, there are many of them. There are postcards with the wishes of everything that is supposed to be, both for Christmas, and for the New Year, and for March 8, and for February 23, and for all possible anniversaries, and for ordinary "non-circular" birthdays.
Professional holidays, of which there are a great many in our country, do not stand aside. And any other celebration is unthinkable without a bright elegant postcard.
Business cards
Their other type is corporate. Such cards have a design deliberately made in the corporate or just business style. In addition to the thematic image, they can be equipped with the company name, logo and other necessary data. They are used as invitations to business events, to congratulate partners and customers.
These specially designed cards are part of the brand image. Their task is to make a favorable impression on the recipients, to emphasize the respectability of the company, to introduce elements of corporate cohesion among the employees.
Well, how is it without ads!
A relatively new kind of postcards is advertising. Every year they gain popularity and begin to enjoy a certain trust among a wide range of consumers. They are printed for a specific purpose, namely to present information about the emergence of a new brand, a certain type of product or product, as well as the services offered by the company and a variety of planned events.
Such "leaflets" necessarily have a bright attractive design. Sometimes these are pretty funny postcards - because the producers of advertising go to any tricks in the struggle for the attention of buyers. All relevant commercial information is usually printed on the back.
Other types of postcards
This type of cards, such as invitations, is widely involved in transmitting messages about upcoming personal celebrations. That is, anniversaries, weddings, etc. They inform with the help of printed cards about business events - presentations, exhibitions. Such invitations necessarily contain information about the date, time and place where the event will take place.
A postcard can be individual. Most often, it is made in the form of a photograph of the addressee. Its design can also carry a personal focus.
England is the birthplace of greeting cards
Of course, the most popular variety is greeting cards. They are so familiar to us that without this symbol we can not imagine a single significant holiday. England is considered the birthplace of such cards, where traditions are usually honored and maintained.
Before this special type of postcards appeared, it was customary to use ordinary business cards as the carrier of the congratulatory text . The first truly invented and hand-painted greeting card was released in England in 1840. Since then, a huge number of options for their appearance and theme have appeared.
Then and now
What manufacturers of the first postcards did not come up with! Materials for their design used the most extraordinary. Many methods are now forgotten. Once popular were postcards with flowers - dried or artificial. They were decorated with curls of hair, bird feathers, beads, leather, velvet, silk, rubber and many other, sometimes very unexpected materials. Some of the methods now lost, for example, the use of silk fabric, gave greeting cards a remarkably luxurious and unusual look.
Of course, such rare types of postcards were not mailed. The exclusive design of these cards involved handing them personally to the addressee.
Nowadays, in any bookstore you can find a huge number of original and very beautiful greeting cards with a variety of performance techniques. Voluminous postcards, embossed or musical, do not surprise anyone. Designers and designers offer services for the development and production of exclusive copies.
Funny postcards for teens and more.
And what else can be found in kiosks and on bookstores? A separate category is postcards for children. That's where the flight of fancy designers is unlimited! They can be very, very cute (especially those that are drawn for little girls). They can be funny - with cartoon characters, funny and touching characters, etc. Funny postcards are a separate category. They are always popular among adolescents and the young creative category of consumers. Sometimes both the picture and the text are literally on the verge of a foul. But, as a rule, the sense of taste for designers still does not change.
Thanks to modern technology, we met with their virtual version. Nevertheless, elegant author's cards painted on thick cardboard do not think to give up their positions. Each of them carries a piece of unusual soulfulness, touches the recipient's heart and is sometimes a truly invaluable souvenir.
The selection is impressive ...
A few decades ago, their choice on the shelves of kiosks and bookstores in our country was quite limited and was reduced to a number of standard images. Basically, these were pretty banal cards with flowers. But now, from a variety of colors, themes and design options, your eyes just run up. You can purchase this souvenir printing product for any occasion.
All known holidays and just occasions to send an elegant paper message have been taken into account and envisaged. Postcards are available for buyers with a wide variety of financial opportunities - from simple budget ones to truly luxurious works of printing art. You can send them without any reason - just to raise the mood or express warm feelings. Funny postcards will help reconcile after an accidental quarrel between friends or a young couple.
Postcard as a hobby
Among handyman masters and amateur designers, it has become fashionable to make greeting cards with your own hands. Such a gift, made individually, always carries a piece of the soul. He is able to cheer up and maintain a long memory of the sender.
Making copyright cards occupies a separate niche among a variety of hobbies. This process is quite complicated, requiring considerable skill, taste, manual skills and even knowledge of the fundamentals of psychology. When mastering such cards, one should be familiar with many nuances - from historical and modern trends in their printing to elements of decorative and applied art.
The main task of the greeting card is to cheer up, and the requirements that are put forward are contained in a colorful and unusual design along with simplicity and conciseness. Its theme should correspond to the event. And modern cards are made of high-quality and easy-to-use materials.