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How to send a postcard from your phone

By Doroteya Borisova

Published: Mar 31, 2021, 10:03 AM

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Here's hoping things are about to change back to normal this summer. We're setting our hopes high, and we've got a little something to get you ready for the fun times we're sure are coming your way this sunny season.

Did you know that you can send postcards from anywhere to anywhere, without going anywhere? We’ve picked out the two best postcard apps ever which let you take a photo and turn it into a real postcard (yes, you heard that right) right from the comfort of—well, wherever you are. As long as you’ve got an internet connection, you can send a custom postcard directly from your phone, and it’s going to look better than any card you can buy.

Felt: The Best Postcard App

This is one of the best postcard apps out there for sending out customized printouts of your vacation shots with only a couple of taps on your phone, whether it's Apple or Android. Believe it or not, it costs about as much as a regular postcard and postage, minus the time and trouble, plus massive customizability and personalization.

Get Felt from the App Store

Get Felt from Google Play

Prices begin at 6$/month for sending 3 cards internationally, with several slightly costlier options if you go for their special Story Card or a Pro subscription.

You can create single or up to four-panel cards through the Felt app, displaying your favorite vacation shots along with a personal letter. The coolest thing ever with Felt is that you can handwrite the message using your finger or a stylus on the phone screen, and add a doodle or two if you like. Of course, you can just type it in and opt for a nice digital font, if you prefer.

The more advanced Pro version further lets you create custom stationery and include your logo, initials and contact info. You get even more customizations there, and can replace Felt's logo on the card's back with your own as well.

There are just three steps to sending a Felt card anywhere in the world through your phone.

Step 1:

Choose a greeting design, photo frame or both! If you don't feel like making your own, there are hundreds of free designer cards and photos to choose from.

Step 2:

Make it your own—either type or handwrite your message using your finger or a stylus on the phone screen.

Step 3:

Address the envelope after you have decorated and doodled on it to your heart's content. That's it, you're done! Now lay back on that beach towel and close your eyes, feel those last warm sunbeams tickling your face, and enjoy the rest of your vacation.

Cards sent through Felt are printed on premium Mohawk paper by Indigo printers, and mailed within 24 hours in quality envelopes—which you get to design and decorate. Stamps are hand-applied for a final personal touch.

TouchNote: The Best Free Postcard App (14-day trial)

Although very similar to Felt, TouchNote offers something the former doesn't: a free trial to try before you buy. You can sign up for a free 14-day period during which you can send two customized postcards, OR a single greeting card in a decorated envelope. It's the more popular of the two in the App Store (Felt wins in the Google Play Store), boasting five stars thanks to the streamlined simplicity it offers for sending both postcards and greeting cards.

TouchNote provides up to six-photo panels on a single card, with a wide array of custom layouts or pre-designed fronts for your choosing. Unlike Felt, TouchNote can't feature your own handwriting. Instead, it offers a variety of fonts, including three handwriting styles.

The steps to having a card mailed are essentially the same: choose the layout, decide whether you want to feature photos or a pre-made design, type in your message, fill in the address, pay, and be on your merry way. Prices are $1.49/card without having to subscribe, although there is a Premium subscription option if you are a habitual traveller.

TouchNote is as compatible and easy to use on PC as on mobile, while Felt is for mobile only.

Get TouchNote from the App Store

Get TouchNote from Google Play

Although there are other postcard apps on the digital market, Felt and TouchNote are by the far the most popular, providing consistent and reliable service for years. Both also offer other greeting card options, besides postcards. When we tried them out, TouchNote did feel like the more streamlined one out of the two, focusing on an experience as simple and snappy as possible. The steps are all neatly lined up for you to follow at the bottom of the screen, and it can take as little as one minute to send a card from start to finish.

Felt, on the other hand, was definitely a more engaging process, making you feel as if you are truly crafting up a piece of art to send back home. This is largely because Felt allows you to handwrite every piece of text including captions and addresses, and has a few extra bells and whistles to let you know how everything works and what your options are. The theme and backgrounds are very artsy and realistic-looking, rather than TouchNote's straightforward cartoonish style. It takes a tad longer to fill in everything, but it is definitely a journey one can enjoy, and the outcome is as stunning and personalized as it can get—looking like you spent hours crafting an artisan card by hand, when you really only spent five minutes.

Happy vacationing!