A valuable tip for new collectors of real photo postcards

New collectors of real photo postcards can sometimes be confused by how to tell the difference between a real photo postcard and a printed photo postcard. Read on to learn how you can tell the difference.

Real photo postcard

Real photo postcards are made by developing a black and white photograph onto heavy stock photo paper in the size of a postcard. There are many postcards that look like a real photo postcard but are actually printed using an offset printer in the same way that images are printed in magazines.

It can be hard to tell the difference between real vs. printed photo postcards if you are just starting out collecting, but you can tell the difference between the two printing methods by looking at the image with a magnifying glass, or loupe. If there are small dots in the image it is a printed photo, if there are no dots it is a real photo.

Why distinguish between the two photo printing methods?

Look at our two photo postcard examples. It's hard to tell that the one to the right is not an actual photograph, isn't it? Mouse over the two examples to see the close up of the area marked in red, you will be able to tell right away which one is a real photo.

There is nothing wrong with collecting printed photo postcards, but real photo postcards were usually printed in much lower quantities and are therefore rarer and more desirable than their mass produced offset printed cousins.

Real photo postcards are also more expensive than offset printed photo postcards. Learning the difference between the two printing methods now can save you a lot of money when shopping for new additions to your collection.