Sending Watercolour Postcards : Does Size Matter?

The general answer is yes but the specific answer is not really!

Postcards and Christmas cards have fairly well established dimensions. For most postcards it is 4 by 6 inches, or roughly 10 by 15 centimetres. However, postcards are not exclusively this size but generally close and our Australian post office machinery for sorting mail handles this size easily. Assuming you card is stiff enough, 200gsm plus, you just need to put a stamp on the back with the address, don’t forget the postcode, and post.

Christmas cards typically have a variety of sizes, but 5 by 7 inch, or roughly12.5 by 17.5 cms, is a popular size. These cards are designed to be sent in a suitably sized envelope, which are usually supplied with the cards. Such larger envelopes by themselves can be hard to find and it might be best to find the envelopes first before embarking on larger cards.

Australia post have size and weight limits and standard post is now $1.50 for up to 13 by 24 cms and up to 5mm thick. 200 gsm paper is around 2mm thick and 300 gsm paper a fraction over 3mm thick but thickness varies by manufacturer and composition.

Australia post still offer cheaper rate 65c for card only posting around Christmas. I believe they now only sell the stamps in pack of 10 (ie $6.50) and I believe you still need to leave the envelope unseal and write card only on the back. Interestingly, Australian Post allow larger sizes for “season cards”, up to 26 by 34cm and up to 20mm thick, in November and December. So this might be an option if you make you own cards and send out several.

Here is a table of common sized option

Watercolour postcard	Either commercial watercolour or homemade postcards	10 by 15cm ~(9 by 17cm)	☑
A6 postcard		10.5 by 14.8cm	☑
Half A5 postcard	cut in half	14.8 by 21cm/2 =>10.5 by 14.6cm	☑
Quarter A4	cut into four	21 by 29.7cm/4 =>10.5 by 14.6cm	☑
A4 Card	Folded into quarters in envelope	~11 by 15cm	☑
A5 Card	Sent as is in envelope	14.8 by 21cm	⮽?☑ Only in Nov./Dec.

What Brands of Watercolour Postcard are Available and Where?

There are several brands of premade blank watercolour postcards. Here are a few I’ve used.  My favourite is Hahnemuhle which comes in a very nice little tin of 30 sheets, which is easy to pack when I'm travelling. I bought a couple of tins many years ago at a gallery in Fish Creek which is now closed. Unfortunately, this paper then proved hard to source. Recently I noticed that it is now available at The Art Shop in Bayswater.

Another brand of postcard paper I have used extensively is Winslow which I think is only carried by Eckersley’s. I originally bought a pad in Queensland. I think it is a wood pulp paper rather than cotton but it is a very robust 300gsm card. The pad only contains 15 cards, so it is not the cheapest option per card but often available at a discount price in-store.

 Last year I purchased a different brand in a tin called Potentate. It’s supposedly 100% cotton 300 gsm with 24 blank sheets in the tin and comes from China. I bought it from Amazon as it was on special, possibly $15, which was enough to give me free freight on an larger order. I like it but have not been able to find a supplier in Australia and it no longer seems available through  Australian Amazon.

Finally a large number of the postcards I have sent were "homemade", possibly more than half, and particularly the many birthday cake postcards that I sent to the WSV members during lockdowns, These handmade postcards, were just watercolour paper just to size. My YouTube below makes me cringe a bit at the video quality, I made it at the beginning of the Covid locked-downs. Hopefully, it may give you context as to why I like original hand painted watercolour postcards.

Whenever I am cutting up watercolour paper I try to keep any pieces that are roughly 10 by 15 cms in the little folder I made for my Canadian trip and carry this with my plein air gear. This size is great for quick sketches, value or colour studies even when they’re not intended to be postcards.

Can you Send Watercolour Paper Safely in the Post?

I have actually sent a lot of postcards unprotected through the post. From such diverse locations as Canada the UK, Northern Europe, Africa, South Asia, Brazil and even far northern Queensland with just the stamp on the back and an address, without problem. A few took a while to arrive, particularly through the Covid 19 lockdowns. In one late delivery, I had forgotten to add the postcode!

Being watercolour and paper many people worry they are not strong enough and will suffer water damage to smudge or lift the painting. Yes, water damage is a real potential problem but within Australia, the Postal Service does have a pretty good track record. Of course, providing the recipient has a waterproof mailbox!

Concerning the robustness of any watercolour postcard it depends mainly on the thickness and weight of the paper. Cotton-based watercolour papers are actually quite robust but I have not tried sending anything less than 200 gsm homemade postcards. Most of the commercial cards are either 230 gsm or 300 gsm. As far as I know, none have arrived scuffed, creased or damaged. Some wood-pulp-based paper in cheaper watercolour pads feels a lot softer and may require posting in an envelope.

Speaking of which you can always put your postcard in an envelope. Standard envelopes available for letters might prove a little tight. Just refold the top flap to accommodate the card’s width. Given envelopes are also made of paper they will not guarantee that there is never a possibility of water or physical damage.

As far as future provenance is concerned, I romantical have the view that future generations, even art historians or curators might enjoy researching the postmarks and stamp designs. Even today something sent through the post is considered quaint and more authentic.