EDDM postcard sizes compared: price per home and when each one wins

Why these five sizes

USPS Every Door Direct Mail only accepts flats: pieces longer than 10.5″ or taller than 6.125″, and no larger than 15″ × 12″. Each of the five cards below passes that test, so any of them can go EDDM.

They all print on 16pt card with UV or matte coating. The only differences are space and price, which is what this guide compares.

Prices at every tier

Printing only, before shipping and postage. Each column is the number of cards you receive, which includes the free pieces in every tier.

4.25″ × 11″: the lowest cost per home

At 10,000 cards for $749, this slim card costs about seven and a half cents to print. It reads like a rack card, with room for one strong offer and a phone number.

Choose it when the budget is tight or the message is simple, such as a coupon, a grand opening or a seasonal service reminder. Design is $69.

6.5″ × 9″: the everyday choice

This card costs $379 for 2,500 and $889 for 10,000, under nine cents each at the top tier. It is wide enough for a photo, a headline and a short list of services.

Most first mailings should start here. It looks substantial in a mail stack without the price of the jumbo sizes, and it is our most ordered EDDM postcard.

6″ × 11″: same price at 5,000, more length

At 2,500 cards the 6″ × 11″ is $399, a little above the 6.5″ × 9″. At 5,000 they cost the same $579, which makes the longer card a free upgrade in space at that tier.

The extra length suits a before and after photo, a short menu or a strip of three offers.

8.5″ × 11″ and 9″ × 12″: room for a full story

The two largest cards cost $549 and $579 for 2,500. They hold a full menu, a price list or several product photos, and they sit on top of almost any mail stack.

Use them when the piece has to do the selling on its own, such as a restaurant menu or a home service price sheet. Design for these sizes is $89.

Size mistakes that cost money

The most common mistake is printing a 4″ × 6″ or 5.5″ × 8.5″ card for EDDM. Neither is a flat, so the post office will not take them as an EDDM mailing, and the run has to be used another way.

The second is measuring the design file instead of the trimmed card. Artwork includes a little extra bleed around the edge, so check the finished size against the rule, or run it through our EDDM size checker.

Stock and finish on every size

Every EDDM size prints full color on both sides of 16pt card. That is stiff enough to survive the sorting machines and stand up in a stack of mail.

Pick UV gloss for food and product photos, or matte when you want a calm look that people can write on. The finish costs the same at every size.

Choosing the quantity

Count the homes on your routes first, then pick the smallest tier that covers them. The spare cards are useful for counters, invoices and the next mailing.

If your count sits just above a tier, compare the two prices. Moving from 2,500 to 5,000 6.5″ × 9″ cards adds two hundred dollars and doubles what arrives, which often makes the bigger tier the smarter buy.

Fitting the design to the size

Each size suits a different amount of content. A slim card needs one headline and one offer, while a jumbo card can carry a menu, a price list or a gallery of finished jobs.

Leave clear space for the USPS address panel and the facing area on the address side. Our designers know where that space sits on every size, and you approve a proof before anything prints.

If you already have a design at one size, ask before you switch. Moving from a 6.5″ × 9″ to a 6″ × 11″ layout usually means rearranging the artwork rather than just stretching it.

How to pick in one minute

Start with your message. One offer fits the 4.25″ × 11″, a photo and a list fit the 6.5″ × 9″ or 6″ × 11″, and a full menu needs a jumbo card.

Then check the budget with our EDDM cost calculator, which adds postage at the rate you enter. Still torn between two sizes? Call 512-573-1977 and Corey will tell you which one he would mail for your trade.

Questions

What is the cheapest EDDM postcard size?

The 4.25″ × 11″ card: $349 for 2,500 or $749 for 10,000.

What is the most popular EDDM size?

The 6.5″ × 9″ postcard, at $379 for 2,500.

Can I order a sample before a full run?

Call 512-573-1977 to ask about samples of the stock and finish. Every order also gets a proof to approve before printing.

Does postage change with the size?

USPS sets EDDM postage for flats within its size and weight limits. Check the current rate on usps.com before you mail.