Postcards have been in existence since the early 1840s, but they weren´t  widely available to the public until H.L. Lipman purchased the patent in 1861 and made them available commercially. Over the course of nearly 200 years, the postcard has evolved from being purely functional to a unique, fun and sometimes crazy way to keep in touch.

Nowadays you can even have a printing company or online printing service help you create your own unique postcards. Printlion.com offers brochure printing and other printing services and is ready to work with you to take care of all your individual and business printing needs. Click here to find out more before reading on to learn a little bit about some of the creative, crazy and unique postcards of the past.

Silks

During World War I, men fighting overseas sent special postcards to their wives, girlfriends and families back home. Called “silks,” these postcards featured beautiful, embroidered mesh fabric in their creation. In addition to being a form of communication, silks also served as a keepsake and a way to feel connected to a loved one who was far away from home. A printing company or online printing service can help you create printed keepsakes to commemorate your special occasion.

Wink, Wink. Nudge, Nudge

In the 1950s, postcard creator and manufacturer Donald McGill received a lot of flak and was the target of censorship after producing and selling millions of postcards that pushed the envelope when it came to being risqué. McGill was only expounding on the saucy humor for which Great Britain was already well-known. Some three decades later in the 1980s, racy vacation postcards made a comeback. The naughty, cheeky postcards full of innuendo were a humorous, unique way of connecting with friends and family back home while enjoying a holiday vacation. The postcards became so popular that the theme spread from the UK throughout Europe, where nude caricatures and photos against beach resort and other vacation setting backdrops soon replaced the clever innuendo.

Shaped Postcards

Although initially printed only in the rectangular shape that´s still prevalent today, creativity began to seep in later, and postcards appeared in shapes to represent the destination and its popular sites or attractions. A postcard from Italy might come in the shape of a boot similar to the country´s shape or a bottle of wine. Friends might receive a postcard shaped like a pair of sunglasses from a sunny beach destination. No matter what your printing needs are, Printlion.com offers brochure printing as well as many other printing services for your business and personal needs. To learn more, click here.

The First Social Media

Back in the early part of the 1900s, postcards were like the snail mail version of social media. People didn’t just use postcards for vacations or to keep in touch during the war. Postcards became an easy way to keep in touch with family members as people spread farther across the country. At this time, postcards with real photographs started appearing. Today, an online printing service or a bricks-and-mortar printing company can produce photograph-based postcards quickly and at reasonable rates. Use them to remember a special milestone, such as a wedding, birth or graduation. If you´re known for your silly or dry sense of humor, add a funny caption. Today´s technology offers many advantages to both the printing company and individual wishing to make personal, unique postcards.

Sending a Laugh

James Bamforth, the owner of Bamforth´s, a British postcard company, was well-known for his bawdy sense of humor. Bamforth knew the importance of using the right drawing or photograph coupled with the best phrase to make people laugh. Compared to current standards of acceptable humor, his 1920s postcards seem mild. But back in the early days of the Roaring 20s, postcards with sayings such as “That´s not my safety belt you´re unfastening — it´s my suspender!” written against the backdrop of a surprised, smiling man were considered cheeky and funny.

Postcards and postcard-sized prints are now more than just a way to connect with others while on vacation. Framed postcards make unique decor and treasured keepsakes for remembering your travels and other special occasions. While Printlion.com offers brochure printing, they are also happy to help you create and print unique postcards for decorative or keepsake purposes.

Today´s printing technology allows for much more uniqueness, creativity and craziness than ever before. Whether using an online printing company or a stand-alone printing company nearby, the creation of one-of-a-kind postcards has never been easier. Printlion.com offers brochure printing, document printing and postcard printing and is ready to help with any other personal or business printing needs. Click here to learn more about how Printlion can serve your printing needs today.

This guest post article was written by Daniel Clark who is always looking to find new ways to expand his business and increase incoming revenue, find out more about online printing for your business today.