Postcard Workflow

Template Usage

Always use the official Money Mailer InDesign templates to ensure the best possible final printed product.

Postcard ads should be designed horizontally. All ads should be created "right-reading" meaning you should not have to turn your head to read the copy.

Our postcards have a required 0.125" bleed and 0.25" safety margin. The extra 0.125" bleed area will be removed when the postcard is trimmed to it's final size. This allows the ad image to go all the way to the edge of the postcard with no white border. Important text and logos should not be placed within the 0.25" safety margin. The safety margin ensures that all critical ad elements will be visible even if there are variations in the trimming process. To see these guidelines on the Indesign template select "Show Guides" under the View > Grids & Guides submenu.

Each type of postcard has different U.S. Post Office requirements so it is important to verify the product that is being ordered, use the appropriate template, and follow the addressing area instructions on the template/spec sheet, or the order could be delayed.

• P1: +One Postcard (paired with Money Mailer envelope mailings)
• L1: DML Postcard (paired with Money Mailer Magazine mailings)

Design Notes

• All artwork must be built using CMYK process color types (spot color types are not supported and should be converted to process).
• Type smaller than 6 points is not recommended due to legibility with online content.
• Do not use the registration color (rich black) under any circumstances. These colors may look black on your display, but contain additional colors and will not print as expected.
• All non-original artwork such as photographs, logos, etc. must be licensed with legal permission for use. This may be in the form of a photo CD or online subscription license agreement, or model/property/image release form (available on the InfoCenter.) Proof of legal permission may be required at any time.

File Naming

• PDF file names must be 64 characters or less in length.
• PDF file names must end with the ".pdf" extension (not case sensitive).
• PDF file names must contain a valid ad number immediately followed by a single character side indicator (i.e. Pizza Palace 013-00-1234F.pdf will match this PDF with the the Pizza Palace booking). Postcards are uploaded as a single two-page PDF so the side indicator is always just F. The indicator-character is not case sensitive.
• If a PDF is uploaded without a side indicator it will fail.
• Be careful with file naming, as mistakes can cause files to be overwritten accidentally.

PDF Exporting

Only PDF files are accepted and the official MM Full Bleed PDF Export Setting must be used to create your final PDFs for this workflow. Instructions for installing the preset are included in the download file.

PDF files may not be edited. If a change is needed, edit the native file, and then export a new PDF file.

PDF files may not be greater than 10 MB in size. Exceeding this limit is usually the result of poorly built or corrupt artwork, and may give unexpected results. Overly large PDFs can often be simplified by rasterizing complex vector components of the art.

Uploading and Verifying Final Art

+One and DML postcard art should be uploaded by registered Money Mailer independent artists to the Art Status page of Money Mailer Online. If you are not a registered independent artist, please send your final files to the sales representative working on your account. Always carefully proof any PDF being delivered to Money Mailer production. This PDF is the sole source of reference used by Money Mailer production. Files are reviewed for technical compatibility with Money Mailer automated systems but not for content or accuracy.

PDF files must be uploaded into the correct order and named with an ad number that matches the booking or they will fail.

After uploading, it is necessary to verify all files have passed our automated PDF checking process.

All uploaded PDF files should also be visually proofed via Art Status once uploaded to verify art will print as expected. Also confirm the artwork is associated with the correct booking. Very important for versioned ads!

• On the Art Status page of MMO enter the order number in the search field and press the "Search" button.
• Click the order number line that appears below to expand the order and see a list of all the ads in that order.
• Click the "Upload Art Files" button in the upper right corner of the order section.
• A dialog box will appear that will allow you to upload your files either by dragging and dropping or clicking to select files from your computer.
• After the files have uploaded and processed, enable the "Show Ads with Passed/Approved Status" and "Show Thumbnails" checkboxes at the top of the page.
• Click on thumbnails to proof a full size image of each uploaded PDF.
• PDF files that pass our automated checking will show a green status of "PASSED" or "PROOF" in the "Art" column.
• PDF files that fail will show a red "FAILED" status in the "Art" column.
• Any failed files will show an error code number in the "Codes" column. Click the "Codes" column header for a list of descriptions of each error code.
• You will need to fix the issue, generate a new PDF and reupload until you get a green "PASSED" or "PROOF" status. Money Mailer will not accept or fix uploaded files that do not pass our automated processing.