What is Rocket Postcards?
RocketPostcards.com is the online sister company of Nomad Printing and Services. Based in San Francisco, RocketPostcards.com specializes in printing high-quality four-color postcards and business cards with a very fast turnaround time.
What are the advantages of using Rocket Postcards?
We print high-quality postcards on 12-point cover stock at a very competitive price. 4/4 (full-color front and back) and 4/1 (full-color front, black-ink-only back) are available, each with a UV coating applied to the front side for a very crisp, professional look.
Where is Rocket Postcards located?
We are located at 363 Clementina Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Between Folsom and Howard and 4th and 5th Streets.
What products are available?
At present, Rocket Postcards offers two sizes of postcard: The standard size, which is 4.25 by 6 inches, and a deluxe size which is 6 by 8.5 inches. Our business card size is that of a standard business card, 3.5 by 2 inches. See Services for more details. We have also recently added posters and posterettes to our product line as well. See Services for more details, including sizing.
What quantities are available?
The minimum quantity we sell is 500. Quantities increase in increments of 500 up to 4000, then by increments of 1000 to 15000, with card quantities available up to 100,000. If you need fewer than 500 cards, we can ship you your requested quantity, but you will still be charged for 500. You cannont split a 500 run between different files, there is a 500 minimum per card submitted. See Prices for more details.
I am an artist / photographer. What should I know about your service?
Please read this! Thank you.
You offer 4/4 and 4/1 pricing now. What does this mean?
We offer two different pricing structures for 4/4 (full color front, full color back) and 4/1 (full color front, black ink only on back) postcards. It costs us less to print 4/1, and as a result, we can pass that savings along. We do specialize in 4/4 as well though. Note: if you submit a 4 color file for your back and you order 4/1, we reserve the right to convert your file to black and white.
Some postcard companies place their logo or title on the back of postcards that they print. Does Rocket do this?
We do not place our logo or title on any paid postcard order. We believe that your postcard is yours to do with as you wish, and prefer to rely on word of mouth for advertising. Posters and posterettes do have our logo and tagline on the back.
What kind of paper do you use?
Rocket Postcards are printed on Carta Integra C1S paper, a 12-point, bright white stock (90 brightness). This is an ideal paper for postcards, with a good weight and great color reproduction. The UV coating on the front side gives a very professional appearance. The back side has a matt finish allowing for hand addressing or ink jet labeling.
What kind of press do you use?
We have 2 Heidelberg Quickmaster DI presses, which are digital (filmless) 4-color presses. Not only do they print fantastic output at an affordable price, they are very environmentally friendly as well. Our inks are high quality, soy-based, Toyo inks, and our presses are run by a very skilled and attentive staff. See About us for details.
I want to mail my postcards. What do I need to know?
Mailing information.
What if I want (to use a different paper stock / not have UV coating / to print cards in a different size than what Rocket Postcards offers)?
Contact our sales department at sales@nomaddesign.com to discuss details and reserve a space on a Nomad print run.
Do you have templates?
Click to download templates for 4.25 by 6 postcards, 6 by 8.5 postcards, and business cards.
Templates are in Illustrator and Photoshop formats.
What file formats do you accept?
We will accept TIFF, Photoshop EPS, and Illustrator compatible EPS files with the following conditions: Bitmap images should be 300 dpi or greater, flattened, and saved as CMYK. Vector files must have fonts outlined and be CMYK as well. Please see our Guidelines page for more details.
What about QuarkXPress documents?
We do not accept native Quark documents. For specific information on how to convert your Quark document, click here.
What about PageMaker or InDesign documents?
Sorry, no. PageMaker causes far too many output problems to be used. InDesign may be considered in the future.
What about PDF, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, or Microsoft Publisher?
PDF is under consideration, but until a standard PDF workflow is established it is not accepted at this time. PowerPoint, Word or Microsoft Publisher are all unacceptable.
What about CorelDraw?
If you are able to save out to a Tiff file, yes. EPS files created in CorelDraw are problematic however, and we will not be able to use those.
What platform does Rocket Postcards use?
We are a Macintosh-based shop. PC files, if saved in the proper format, are fine. Note, however, that any fonts used in the creation of your file must be outlined or rasterized.
What are your guidelines regarding bleed?
Please read the detailed explanation on the Guidelines page. In a nutshell, build your file to the exact specification of the postcard (either 4.25 x 6 or 6 x 8.5). Your files will be placed into a template for the run, precluding any need for additional bleed. For business cards, it is a bit different. If you are using a white background, build to the actual (standard) size (3.5 x 2). If you wish for color or design to bleed, build your file to a size of 3.75 x 2.25; this way, when the card is cut down to the standard size, your bleed will extend off all 4 sides. Remember that your content must be well within the 3.5 x 2 inch size to avoid trim violations.
What are your guidelines regarding trim?
On both postcards and business cards, all type must be a minimum of 1/8 inch from all four sides. Anything closer is considered a trim violation and runs the risk of being chopped when cut. A waiver must be signed for any intentional trim violations for design purposes. Note: because of the reasons listed above, exact borders cannot be guaranteed! If you wish to have exact borders, you will have to place a standard size postcard within a deluxe sized postcard template, add trim marks, and pay for the deluxe size.
My image contains graphics from the web. Is that okay?
Web images are normally 72dpi screen resolution JPEGs in RGB color mode. For print they must be saved as CMYK Tiff files, and a waiver must be signed to acknowledge the understanding that they are going to print with a very jagged and unappealing result.
Why is there such a discrepancy between what I see on my screen and what the printed result is?
Your monitor is only capable of displaying a fixed resolution, and displays in RGB (Red Green and Blue light). The printed output, on the other hand, depends on a much higher resolution and CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black inks). As a result, printing a screen-optimized image such as a web page is tantamount to a printing disaster.
I'm concerned about color. Can I supply a color proof and ensure that my job will print to that?
We understand that this is a concern with many designers. Please understand, however, that every output device is different. An inkjet proof is a completely different output than that of a Fiery proof, etc. Colors you see on a monitor are still only emulated, and are dependent on everything from the monitor manufacturer to the age of the monitor. On top of this, RocketPostcard runs are "gang-run", which means that your job is run along with many others on the same sheet. Calibrating the press to one individual job may very well shift the color for all the others.
The medium ground to all this is that if you are or use a professional designer, the most reliable way to guarantee accurate color is to use a Pantone Spot-to-Process swatch book. Just remember to convert to CMYK after designing with spot colors! Our production Macs and presses are calibrated to the standard CMYK Colorsync profile. The biggest element in how color renders is the stock that it is printed on; ours is a bright white stock that is optimized for color reproduction. The UV coat applied to the front side enhances both the contrast and saturation as well.
We encourage you to supply a printed, jpeg or pdf proof, as this can help with identifying missing files and other issues. However, no proof supplied will be used for color matching purposes!
Do you supply a color proof before the job goes to press?
If you are willing to pay for one and are willing to delay your order, then yes. If you do wish for a proof, you may choose to do so while ordering. All orders which request a color proof will be taken off the run schedule until a mailed and signed proof has been received back to us. Costs for a (Composite) printed proof are $40 and an emailed PDF or JPEG proof costing $10 can also be ordered. A complimentary proof can be requested for orders of 5000 and more, with the same restrictions otherwise applying. Again, these are not press proofs, so color, though calibrated, is not applicable! Internal proofs are run to ensure placement and quality, but the price, volume and turnaround time precludes any individual color-proofing without either delay or compensation.
I have a technical question that has not been answered in either the FAQ or Requirements page. Who can I contact?
You can contact Customer Service at rocket@rocketpostcards.com or Toll Free at 1-866-SFROCKET or locally at (415) 357-1509.
How do I order?
First, compress your your print-ready files using Stuffit or Dropstuff(Mac,PC,UNIX) or WinZip (PC). Then, go to our Order page and agree to our terms and conditions. After doing this, you will be directed to our secure site. We accept VISA, Mastercard, American Express and personal checks with proper ID (note that payment by check will delay your order).
I would like to place an order but I work with a designer. How do I do this?
We offer a convenient way to place an order without the actual files for the postcard. If you are paying for the postcards, please place the order yourself and fill out all the necessary info, selecting "Designer is Uploading Files" as your submit type. Once your order has been placed, you will get an order number. Let your designer know what your order number is. They can then go to the designer upload page (link on our Order page) and enter in the order number, which will then allow them to upload files.
Can I pay after my order has printed?
Sorry, no. Payment must be received up front in order for any work to be completed.
I don't want to use a credit card to pay. What are my options?
We do accept checks through our secure order form. Please note that your check must be received and cleared before your order will print. Please make payment to Rocket Postcards on checks. For other forms of payment, please contact us to arrange an alternative billing method. Please note that payment must clear before your job will run.
Please explain your file upload procedures.
We strongly recommend using a compression program such as Stuffit or WinZip (PC). to compress files for upload. In this way you will only have one final file (front and back files, properly labeled, stuffed/zipped as one file) which will substantially reduce upload time. Then go to the designer upload page (link on our Order page) and enter in the order number. Note that the upload time is longer before the deadline when everybody is uploading their files. If you are uploading from an AOL account, you may experience difficulties. This is not a problem with our site. If you only have an AOL account, consider mailing your files instead.
What kind of shipping do you offer?
We can ship UPS overnight, UPS 3 Day and UPS ground (3-10 days). Note that Ground takes at least 7 days to reach the East Coast. Prices are dependent on the quantity ordered and region being shipped to. All shipping options are for weekday delivery only. If other services are required, please call to coordinate.
Please explain your shipping procedures.
We now offer UPS 3-Day shipping, as well as our previous UPS Ground and UPS Overnight ship rates. This is a fantastic solution, particularly for our non-California customers. For our San Francisco customers, we still offer local pick-up services. We have also traded in our flat shipping rates for regional rates, which is more accurate and inexpensive than previously. Please check out the shipping calculator on the Shipping page for an accurate estimate of how much shipping will cost to your location. Please note that shipping rates are subject to change without notice- Contact us directly for international and non-continental US orders.
I selected to pick up my order, but haven't done so yet. How long will Rocket hold my order?
Rocket holds orders for 30 days from the date the order is completed. Please call or email should you require arrangements beyond the 30 days.
I placed an order and selected shipping, but I now want to pick my order up locally. Will you credit my charge card?
If you contact us before 4:00 PM PST on the day you place your order, we'll adjust your order to reflect "Pick Up" and you will not be billed. Any order that is marked for any kind of shipping (not Pick-Up Local) and does not contact us with other instructions before 4:00 PM PST the day the order was placed will be billed for the shipping that was ordered, and NO refund will be credited. We reserve the right to extend credit towards future orders placed, but we will not charge back the difference to your card.
back to top