Number 1 is the way to go for me. That is also how Deutsche Post wants a postcard to look like.
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I never thought there were so many options.
I usually go for number 1. Never number 4.
Drawing seems interesting. But unless it is a map to a treasure, I doubt the other side will be interested.
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No. 1 usually. No. 8 made me giggle though.
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The nonmachinable surcharge doesnāt apply to postcards, only letters. The USPS manual (number 200) even discusses the standards of vertically and horizontally divided cards.
I often use the formatting No.7 (because I have postcards from Postallove that are designed that way) and I didnāt notice any delays or more cards lost
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@marora Huh, really. I think I remember reading that and being confused before. I have, multiple times, received a card written vertically (from the US) and it either took a long time to arrive or with a notice that I owed extra postage. Iāve seen online discussions saying that post offices are really inconsistent on whether those cards need extra postage. Can you send me a link to the relevant part of the manual? Iād be interested.
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I think @marora is referring to Section 200 Commercial Letters, Flats, and Parcels Design Standards. The relevant subsection is 1.2.7 Address Side of Cards. I think post offices are inconsistent because it doesnāt explicitly say that addresses in different areas are subject to a non-machinable surcharge.
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Itās the Manual 200 as @syaffolee says. Also in subsection 2.2, it again says the cards are excepted from the surcharge. Here is also a quick guide
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Thanks! I hadnāt noticed before that cards were excepted.
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1, 2, 4, or 8, depending on the card. I had a wonderful card once with lines in the message area printed diagonally, like in 4. I thought that was fantastic!
As previously noted by others, we can only send for the postcard rate with the card in landscape orientation, address on the right, and stamp(s) oriented to the upper right-hand corner. Otherwise I would send cards in all of the other orientations, too, just depending on what suited the card.
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I am laughing SO HARD over the text āGreetings from Middle Earth!..ā Itās brilliant and made my night!!
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Me tooā¦ (never thougt there were so many options).
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No.1, always. Oddly, Iāve never thought of doing the others, haha. Maybe Iāll branch out to 2 or 4, also.
Mine is usually either 1 or 6, depending on the layout of the postcard itself. I agree that 6 is usually more common for postcards coming from Asia - I tend to encounter this layout in some of the postcard series I buy online from China.
I canāt draw, so 8 is definitely out for me. 
Although, I have sent a few postcards in style 8 before, for a drawing tag on this forum.
Iāve taken to writing my messages diagonally because it helps me add more text!
I use Style 1, as the majority of postcards Iāve got have a box for where the stamp should go and lines for the address. And, even if itās not subject to surcharge, Iād like to do my best to avoid confounding the sorting machines.
But Style 2 is interesting, and @lovely-weirdoās variant ā Style 2a? ā has a lot of merit (nestling the ID in the middle of the card to avoid it getting mangled prime among them); I may adopt that, or at least try it out a few times to see how I like it.
Style 7, I confess, distresses and intrigues me in equal parts due to its extravagant divergence from the norm. 
I basically use #1 while most of the time I wouldnāt switch line after the āHello,ā since it would waste too much space and I am a really chatty writer who always want more space to write on a card
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