The short answer
A postcard back template splits the address side into a message area on the left and an address area on the right, with the stamp in the upper-right corner, an optional return address in the upper-left corner, and a blank strip along the bottom for the USPS barcode. Download the free 4 × 6 or 6 × 9 PDF below, print it at 100% (actual size), and follow the guides. A 4 × 6 card mails with a $0.65 postcard stamp; a 6 × 9 card needs letter postage.
Free printable postcard back templates (PDF)
Most postcard templates online are design files for the picture side. The back is where the mailing rules live, so these two templates show only the back, drawn to USPS measurements. Each one is a single-page PDF at the finished card size, with light gray guides you can write over or delete.
Both templates include the same zones: a thin trim line, a vertical divider near the middle, a “Return address” block in the upper left, lined “Message” space in the left half, a stamp box in the upper right, and “Delivery address” lines in the lower right, inside the area the USPS optical character reader (OCR) scans. Nothing is printed in the barcode clear zone along the bottom right; a short tick mark and a note just outside it show where the blank strip starts.
- 4 × 6 in postcard back template: 6 × 4 in landscape page, stamp box labeled “Place stamp here.” This size mails at the postcard price.
- 6 × 9 in postcard back template: 9 × 6 in landscape page, box labeled “Postage.” This size is too large for the postcard price, so it needs letter postage.
- Both are free, need no sign-up, and print on a home printer.
What goes on the back of a postcard?
The back of a postcard is the address side. Everything USPS needs to deliver it goes there: the delivery address, the postage, and, if you add one, your return address. The picture side is yours to design.
The Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) sets where each piece goes. DMM 604.1.7 puts stamps in the upper-right corner of the address side. DMM 602.1.5 puts a return address in the upper-left corner. DMM 202 defines the OCR read area, where the delivery address should sit, and reserves a barcode clear zone in the lower-right corner. The table maps each zone and the measurement the templates use.
| Zone | What goes there | Measurement | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper left | Return address (optional, but it lets a card come back to you) | Top-left corner, above the message | DMM 602.1.5 |
| Upper right | Stamp or other postage | Top-right corner; the 4 × 6 template’s box is 7/8 × 0.95 in | DMM 604.1.7 |
| Left half | Your message | Left of the divider, above the bottom 5/8 in | USPS: write the message in the space the card provides, away from the address |
| Right half, lower middle | Recipient name, street address, city, state, ZIP Code | At least 1/2 in from the left and right edges; between 5/8 in and 2-3/4 in up from the bottom edge | DMM 202.2.1 (OCR read area) |
| Bottom strip, right side | Nothing: USPS sprays a barcode here | 4-3/4 in from the right edge, 5/8 in up from the bottom edge | DMM 202.5.1 (barcode clear zone) |
| Picture side | Photo or artwork | Full card, with 1/8 in bleed if printed edge to edge | Not used for addressing |
Where exactly are the zones on the 4 × 6 and 6 × 9 templates?
If you would rather draw your own layout in Word, Google Docs, or a design app, copy these numbers. They are measured from the bottom-left corner of the address side, which is how the DMM measures the OCR area and barcode zone.
| Zone | 4 × 6 template | 6 × 9 template |
|---|---|---|
| Page (trim size) | 6 × 4 in landscape | 9 × 6 in landscape |
| Divider line | 3 in from the left edge, 0.75 to 3.65 in high | 4.5 in from the left edge, 0.75 to 5.65 in high |
| Return address lines | 3 lines at 3.5, 3.28, 3.06 in; 0.375 to 2.75 in across | 3 lines at 5.45, 5.18, 4.91 in; 0.375 to 4.125 in across |
| Message lines | 6 lines from 2.5 down to 1.0 in | 10 lines from 4.25 down to 1.1 in |
| Stamp box | 7/8 × 0.95 in, right side at 5.75 in, top at 3.75 in | 1 × 1.15 in, right side at 8.75 in, top at 5.75 in |
| Delivery address lines | 4 lines at 2.1, 1.72, 1.34, 0.96 in; 3.25 to 5.5 in across | 4 lines at 2.15, 1.75, 1.35, 0.95 in; 4.875 to 8.5 in across |
| Barcode clear zone (left blank) | 1.25 to 6 in across, 0 to 5/8 in high | 4.25 to 9 in across, 0 to 5/8 in high |
Which postcard formats get the postcard stamp?
Only cards inside the USPS postcard size limits mail at the postcard price. DMM 201.1.2 says a postcard must be rectangular and between 3-1/2 × 5 in and 4-1/4 × 6 in, and between 0.007 and 0.016 in thick. Anything bigger is charged as a letter, even if it looks like a postcard.
That is why the 6 × 9 template labels the stamp box “Postage” rather than “Place stamp here”: a single postcard stamp is not enough. The address side layout rules (stamp upper right, address in the OCR area, clear barcode strip) are the same for both sizes.
| Format | Postage | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 4 × 6 in | Postcard stamp ($0.65) | Within the 4-1/4 × 6 in maximum |
| 4.25 × 6 in | Postcard stamp ($0.65) | Exactly the maximum postcard size |
| 4.25 × 5.5 in (quarter sheet) | Postcard stamp ($0.65) | Within the limits; four fit on a letter sheet |
| 5 × 7 in | Letter postage (Forever stamp, $0.82, for 1 oz) | Taller than 4-1/4 in |
| 6 × 9 in | Letter postage (Forever stamp, $0.82, for 1 oz) | Taller than 4-1/4 in and longer than 6 in |
How should you set up a postcard file for printing?
If you are sending your design to a print shop or online printer, follow that printer’s spec sheet first. As a reference point, Lob, the print and mail company that produces IRIS postcards, publishes these numbers for a 4 × 6 card:
- Bleed: 1/8 in (0.125 in) on every side, so the 4 × 6 file is 4.25 × 6.25 in. Backgrounds and photos should run all the way into the bleed so no white edge shows after trimming.
- Trim size: 4 × 6 in, the finished size of the card.
- Safe zone: keep critical text and artwork at least 1/8 in inside the trim edge.
- Resolution: images at least 300 dpi at print size. A 4.25 × 6.25 in file at 300 dpi is 1275 × 1875 pixels.
- Address area: Lob reserves an ink-free block about 2.375 × 3.2835 in on the back of a 4 × 6 card for the addresses and postage, so artwork there is covered.
- Front vs. back orientation (general practice, not a USPS rule): the back of a standard postcard is read in landscape, with the long side horizontal, because that is how the address must read. The front can be landscape or portrait; if it is portrait, the back still stays landscape.
How do you print a postcard template at home?
The templates are drawn at the finished card size, so the key setting is scale. Printers often shrink a PDF to “fit,” which moves every zone off its real measurement.
- Open the PDF and choose Print. Set scale to 100% or “Actual size,” not “Fit” or “Shrink to page.”
- Load cardstock in the manual or rear feed tray if your printer has one. USPS requires a postcard to be at least 0.007 in thick. Many people use 80–110 lb cover stock; that weight range is general practice, so check what your printer can feed.
- If your printer accepts a custom 6 × 4 in (or 9 × 6 in) paper size, print directly on pre-cut cards. Otherwise print on letter-size cardstock and cut along the thin outer trim lines with a paper trimmer or a ruler and craft knife; the lines stop at the barcode strip, so continue each cut straight to the corner.
- Print the picture side separately, or flip the sheet and feed it again. Do a test on plain paper first and hold it against the light to check that the two sides line up.
- Write the address in dark ink, inside the address lines, and keep the bottom barcode strip blank.
How do you use a postcard back template in Word or Google Docs?
Neither program needs a special postcard template. Set the page to the card size, then either place the PDF as a background guide or type straight onto the measurements in the table above.
In Microsoft Word: go to Layout, then Size, then More Paper Sizes, and enter a width of 6 in and a height of 4 in (9 × 6 in for the larger card). Set narrow margins, such as 0.25 in. To use the template as a guide, convert the PDF page to an image (a screenshot works), then Insert, Pictures, and set the picture’s text wrapping to Behind Text, sized to fill the page. Add text boxes for the return address, message, and delivery address over the matching lines, then delete or hide the guide image before printing if you want a clean back.
In Google Docs: go to File, then Page setup, choose Custom page size, and enter 6 × 4 in. Insert the template image, set it to Behind text, and type over it in text boxes or a two-column table. Then print or download as PDF at 100%.
Either way, keep these rules in your layout: message in the left half, stamp box in the top-right corner, address lines in the lower right between 5/8 in and 2-3/4 in from the bottom, and nothing in the bottom 5/8 in on the right side.
Can IRIS lay out and mail the postcard for you?
Yes. If you would rather not print, cut, and stamp a card, the IRIS postcard editor at /postcards handles the back for you. You pick an illustrated design or upload your own photo (JPEG, PNG, or WebP), write the message, and enter your return address and the recipient’s US address. The address block, postage indicia, and barcode clear zone are placed automatically by the print partner, so you never measure anything.
A 4 × 6 postcard costs $3.49 and a 6 × 9 postcard costs $4.49. The price includes full-color printing and USPS First-Class Mail postage to a US address. You preview both sides before paying with Stripe Checkout, and a private order link shows production status and any USPS events reported.
Know the limits before you start: IRIS mails only to US addresses, the message is printed rather than handwritten, cards go out one at a time rather than as mailing lists, and you can’t schedule a future send date. Postcards aren’t private, so leave sensitive details off the back.
Checklist before you mail a homemade postcard
Run through this list once your card is printed and written.
- The card is rectangular and, for the postcard price, no larger than 4-1/4 × 6 in.
- The stamp is in the upper-right corner of the address side.
- The delivery address is on the right half, in the lower area, with the ZIP Code on the last line.
- The bottom 5/8 in of the right side is blank: no message, art, or signature.
- Your return address, if any, is in the upper-left corner.
- The message stays in the left half and doesn’t run into the address lines.
Sources & further reading
Product details checked against the IRIS API contract when this article was published. Platform references can change; consult the linked documentation when implementing.
- USPS DMM 201: Physical standards
- USPS DMM 202: Elements on the face of a mailpiece
- USPS DMM 602: Addressing
- USPS DMM 604: Postage payment methods
- USPS Notice 123: Price list
- USPS: How to send a letter or postcard (domestic)
- Lob: Artboard layout (bleed, trim, and safe zone)
- Lob: Creative formatting
Published by IRIS Postal Forms, operated by Great Lakes Computing Office LLC. Send a correction.