Direct mail still works, especially for neighborhood businesses. A well-printed card lands in a real mailbox, gets held in someone's hand, and sticks to the fridge long after a social post has scrolled out of sight. For a local marketing push in Los Angeles or the San Fernando Valley, postcards and Every Door Direct Mail are two of the most cost-effective tools you can buy.
Understanding EDDM and postal routes
Every Door Direct Mail, or EDDM, is a USPS program that lets you mail to entire postal routes without buying a mailing list or addressing each piece. You pick the carrier routes that match your service area, print to USPS size and layout rules, and the post office delivers to every door on those routes. It is ideal when your customers are simply whoever lives nearby: restaurants, dentists, salons, gyms, contractors, and grand openings.
Standard postcards are the everyday workhorse. Common sizes are 4x6, 5x7, and 6x9 inches, printed on heavy 14pt or 16pt cardstock with a gloss, matte, or soft-touch finish. Uncoated stock is a smart pick if you want recipients to write on the card, like an appointment reminder or a handwritten note. Our standard Postcards and Direct Mail Postcards are built for exactly these runs, and bundling design plus mailing keeps the whole campaign in one place.
EDDM pieces follow stricter specs because the post office handles them in bulk. They generally need to be larger than a standard postcard, with one side reserved for the EDDM indicia, the route information, and the mailing area. We print EDDM-ready formats as Postcards with EDDM and Flyers with EDDM, so the layout clears USPS requirements the first time instead of getting kicked back at the counter.
Going beyond standard postcard formats
Want to stand out in a stack of mail? A few formats earn their keep. Die Cut Postcards use a custom shape to break the rectangle pattern, Magnetic Postcards turn your card into a permanent fixture on the fridge, and Doorhangers skip the mailbox entirely for hyper-local routes you can cover on foot. Trifold Brochures and Half Fold Brochures give you room for menus, service lists, or seasonal promotions.
Turnaround is usually a few business days for printing once your artwork is approved, plus USPS delivery time on top for mailed campaigns, so plan backward from your event or sale date. Quantity matters too: larger runs lower your cost per piece, and most local businesses see the best response by mailing the same neighborhood two or three times rather than a single one-and-done drop.
Timing, quantities, and buyer tips
Two quick buyer tips. First, always include one clear call to action and a real reason to act now, like a dated coupon code or a limited-time offer, so you can actually measure response. Second, build your file with a bleed and keep important text away from the trim edge; for EDDM, leave the required blank space for the postal indicia so nothing important gets covered.
Angels Print is based in Sun Valley, CA and helps businesses across LA and the San Fernando Valley get direct mail done right, from file setup to finished cards. When you are ready, configure your size, stock, finish, and quantity and order online, with free U.S. shipping on orders over $100.