Click the image to view it at full scale. 
Font: Molot (Font Squirrel)
Stock Photo: Field 4 (stock.xchng)
Stock Photo: Rhino 3 (stock.xchng)
Stock Photo: Winter Landscape (stock.xchng)
Stock Photo: Lake Fulmor (stock.xchng)
Stock Photo: City Flowers (stock.xchng)
Stock Photo: Nha Trang (stock.xchng)
Stock Photo: Ho Chi Minh City (stock.xchng)
Stock Photo: Mary (stock.xchng)
Font: Honey Script (Font Squirrel)
Texture: Paper Texture (Unsigned Design)
This guide will initiate with examples of authentic retro postcards sharing a thematic alignment with our design goal, focusing on the 3D typography as the centerpiece. My research involved exploring Google Images for vintage New England and Florida postcards for inspiration. Feel free to search for your favorite vacation destination.Here are my findings: 
From these examples, we can identify specific elements to incorporate, such as the contrasting black and white strokes, the 3D typography, and the “Greetings from” notation positioned at the top left.Armed with these references, we can create a 1200x655px document in Illustrator.This dimension corresponds to an 11×6 inch size, a standard format for postcards. For further dimensions, refer to the Designers Toolbox. Utilize the Type Tool (T) with the Molot font to inscribe “DESIGN INSTRUCT” on the artboard.Molot is a bold, retro-inspired font. 
We observed that certain postcards featured text that curved, which we found appealing. We will emulate this style by bending our text using Effect > Warp > Rise.Set the Bend to 12%. 
The result is a wavy text effect. 
Convert the text to point and line shapes for easier manipulation in the next steps by going to Object > Expand Appearance.I prefer the bold contrast of red and black shadows seen in the “Massachusetts” postcard, so let’s incorporate this concept into our design. For now, we simply change the text stroke to red (#D22323) and the fill to white (#FFFFFF).This look will be finalized in the subsequent steps. 
To create the 3D text effect, go to Effect > 3D > Extrude & Bevel. Adjust the Extrude & Bevel settings to align with the example below, positioning the text to face upward and to the left.Set the Extrude Depth to 80pt. 
Convert the 3D text to vector points and lines by going to Object > Expand Appearance.Ungroup the 3D text by selecting Object > Ungroup.Each letter should have a red stroke. Click on each stroke and change their fill color to black. 
Next, we will add the black shadow portion.Depending on the font used, there may be additional pieces on each side of the letter. 
Ensure the Pathfinder Panel is visible; if not, go to Window > Pathfinder. Select all the pieces with the Selection Tool (V) and then, in the Pathfinder Panel, click on the “Add to Shape Area” button.Change the fill color to black for each side facing downward. Ignore the curved shapes for now. 
Adjust the bends manually for some characters. Focus on the “D”, “R”, and “S” shapes. First, select the curve shape, then duplicate it using Edit > Copy (Ctrl/Cmd + C) followed by Edit > Paste in Front (Ctrl/Cmd + F). Change the duplicate object’s color to black. Switch to the Pen Tool (P) and click on the anchor points as shown to delete them.Continue deleting anchor points until the curve is halfway through. 
As with Step 7 (adding black shadows), select all adjacent red shapes and connect them using the “Add to Shape Area” command in the Pathfinder Panel. Change the fill color of the red (#D22323) used earlier. 
Create a white stroke within the text. First, select all the letter faces by holding Shift and clicking on each one to add them to the selection. After selecting all, change their fill color to white. 
Next, go to Object > Path > Offset.Set the Offset to -2px and change the color of the new shape to blue. Now, we can import the text into Photoshop.Start by creating a new 1200x655px document in Photoshop. Copy the text from Illustrator and paste it into the new Photoshop document. Adjust the text size to fit comfortably within the canvas. 
Note: Typically, when creating a print-ready postcard, the document should be set to 300 dpi, but for this tutorial, we will maintain 72dpi to keep file size manageable. For more information on preparing artwork for printing, refer to our guide on preparing print files. Use the Magic Wand Tool (W) with a Tolerance of 30 to click on the blue portion of the text.Then, go to Layer > New > Layer to create a new layer and fill the selection with black using the Paint Bucket Tool (G). Keep the selection active. With the selection still active, go to Select > Modify > Expand.Expand the selection by 2px. Switch back to the original text layer and fill the selection with white. This will eliminate the blue color, and we will use the layer with the black fill as a mask for our images later on. 
Now, we can begin adding photos. Let’s start with the background of our postcard. We will use the Field 4 stock photo due to its simplicity and minimal distraction from our foreground, the 3D text.Download and open the field photo in Photoshop. Adjust the colors of the background image by going to Image > Adjustment > Curves; modify the curves as shown below: 
Next, adjust the color of the grass to give it a faded appearance, which complements our retro theme. Go to Image > Adjustment > Replace Color.Hold down Shift and click on the green areas in the canvas until everything is selected. Press OK when satisfied with the color replacement adjustment. 
Now, place the processed field photo into our main Photoshop document as a layer beneath the text. 
Next, we will place photos within the 3D letters. We will use one photo per two letters. Let’s begin with the Rhino 3 stock photo.Open it in Photoshop and bring it into our document. Ctrl-click/Cmd-click on the black letter layer (created in Step 12) to load a selection around the letters. Choose the Polygonal Lasso Tool (L) from the Tools Panel, hold down Alt/Option, and create a shape around all the letters except the first two (“D” and “E”).This removes the selection around everything except the first two letters. In the Layers Panel, click on the rhino layer and go to Layer > Add Layer Mask > Reveal All. This makes the rhino image visible only within the “D” and “E” letters.To resize the image, click on the link icon between the layer and the mask, then click on the layer. This allows you to resize it using Free Transform (Ctrl/Cmd + T) and move it within the mask. 
Repeat this process for the other letters.Utilize the stock images listed in the Tutorial Resources section above or choose your preferred photos. 
Create a new layer by going to Layer > New > Layer. Load a selection around the canvas by going to Select > All (Ctrl/Cmd + A).Go to Edit > Stroke, set the Color to white (#FFFFFF), Width to 20px, and Location to Inside. 
Use the Horizontal Type Tool (T) to write “Greetings From” with the Honey Script font. Change the color to yellow by sampling it from one of the photos using the Eyedropper Tool (I).Additionally, we will add a bold, black shadow to the greeting text. With the “Greetings From” text layer active in the Layers Panel, go to Layer > Layer Style > Drop Shadow and apply the following settings: 
Next, we will introduce a Paper Texture to give our design an aged feel. Once placed in the Photoshop document, change the layer’s Blend Mode to Linear Burn and Opacity to 50%.Lighten the texture slightly by going to Image > Adjustments > Curves and using the following settings: 
