When I do batches of postcards, I do bordered ones.
I trim 8x10 paper to 7x10, and make two 5x7 bordered prints back to back on the same sheet. I do that by printing one, removing the paper from the easel and rotating it 180 degrees and printing the second on the other half of the sheet.
I print them in batches of 4 - 6 sheets at a time, then develop them together in a large tray, using a longer developing time and shuffling continually.
After everything is processed and, where applicable, toned, and everything is dry, I cut the sheets into two.
When you do your tests you need to incorporate the longer developing time and a bit of waiting time between exposure and development.
And for what it's worth, I usually pick negatives that are relatively straightforward to print!