Best Software for Making and Mailing Greeting Cards
According to the U.S. Postal Service, the average home received a personal handwritten letter once every two months in 2010.
In 1987, people would receive these letters once every two weeks.
In The Wall Street Journal, novelist Philip Hensher claims that handwritten notes are a lost art. That’s because text messages, tweets, and emails, have been championed as more efficient ways of communication.
But these modes of communication just don’t cut it when you want to make someone you talk to frequently feel extra special. Plus, did you know that handwritten notes have 99% open rates? Greeting cards are still the perfect gift for any occasion because they show a high degree of thought and care. Sometimes, it can be hard to find the right card and message for the event.
Some people use software to make their own customized greeting cards because it allows them to send special notes but with more time-efficiency and less chance for error. Keep in mind that not all software is created equal; some have features that others don’t have.
Here is a list of the best software for making and mailing greeting cards:
Related: WHY USE A HANDMADE GREETING CARD SERVICE?
Nova Development US Studio Deluxe 2018
Hallmark cards are well-known for their meaningful, heartfelt messages, and Nova Development Hallmark Card Studio 2013 comes with over 13,000 custom-made cards. Customers can customize the cards to add their personal touch or create a completely new one from scratch.
This software has over 18,000 premium art images as well as over 10,000 Hallmark messages to choose from, giving customers a wide array of choices to express their feelings. Users can also create photo frames and calendars, and share or print them through social media or email.
Nova Development US Card Studio 2018
It has all the same features from the previous edition, but with a more updated and advanced interface. This edition comes with fewer Hallmark cards than the previous version, but it offers the functionality to make calendars from scratch, as well as many other projects that are similar to the previous edition.
This Noval Development version has a variety of templates such as Christmas, Birthdays, Easter, Valentine’s Day, and much more. Plus, users can create their own template by using over 20,000 art images for the projects. The Hallmark fonts offer an authentic touch to the greeting cards. The main downside to Nova Development is that you still have to send the cards out yourself.
PrintMaster
PrintMaster 2012 Platinum is another high-quality handwritten greeting card software to check out. This greeting card maker has more than 3,000 templates and 100,000 clip arts to choose from. It also provides a wizard to create the cards quickly and ensure that they’re ready for printing. This is a helpful feature that prevents users from wasting paper when they test out designs.
Images and text offer iron-on printing opportunities as well as over fifty thousand images than the previous version. Like Nova Development, you’ll have to send out the cards yourself.
Related: WHY HANDWRITTEN NOTES MAKE PEOPLE FEEL GOOD
Felt
Felt is a greeting card software with an excellent selection of handwritten card styles. The pre-made cards can range from something silly to sweet. Users can also create a personalized card by applying filters and using their photos, then adding their own messages. Some handwritten cards can be traditionally folded while others are unfolded rectangles, so it's vital to pay close attention to these details.
Felt's signature service provides a handwritten card by using a stylus or finger. That way, recipients will see the user's handwriting rather than something generic. For an extra cost, customers can put some confetti or cash into the envelopes. The app also has a collection of creative gifts, ranging from flowers, to small trinkets to add to the card.
With Felt's service, expect to pay about $4 per card with postage.
Handwrytten
Handwrytten lets users design custom greeting cards. The style of the card is more straightforward and professional rather than cute and funny. Users can create colorful styles that have a slight sense of humor, but there's a limited selection.
Handwrytten is mostly used for the business and real estate industry, making it a good option for sending cards to clients and customers. The site can be slow, but the display and interface function pretty well and help users find the card that they need.
Handwrytten integrates with Zapier, which means users can connect to other software automatically to send a card when a particular action occurs, such as when a valued customer purchases from the user's Shopify store.
When it comes to pricing, one card with postage is approximately $3.50.
Let Simply Noted make and mail handwritten greeting cards to your recipient
Sincerely
Sincerely helps users shop for customized greeting cards at the speed of light. The app has 5-by-7-inch flat cards, which provide customers with a personalized text and image. Some cards have designs that don't require pictures, but the majority of them do. Don't forget to pay attention to the info icon that shows whether the card is matte or glossy.
The selection of cards is more modest, so it's not a good idea to use this software for puns or cards with cartoon animals. The majority of the cards in this software come with color options so that users can choose the background color along with other options.
The interface is quite efficient, and it also offers a mobile option for smartphone users. In addition to selling the cards in either the matte or glossy style, Sincerely sells can also sell them in packs as well. It starts as a set of 10 for a rate of $2 each. Keep in mind that the shipping fees will add $10 to the bulk orders.
The pricing is about $4 per card and postage.
Related: HOW TO CREATE CUSTOM MASS HANDWRITTEN COMMUNICATION
Postable
The Postable service has a range of funny and heartfelt designs that users can pick for any occasion. Some designs provide the option to add photos to the card, while others offer personalized messages. Even though each message is digitally printed, users can handwrite them as well. The printing qualities are high; when users schedule to mail a card in advance, they can choose the estimated date of arrival.
With Postable, users can send cards at a schedule time frame or immediately. They can also save important dates, such as anniversaries or birthdays in their Postable account and get reminders by email a few weeks before the event, therefore giving them time to create a new batch of handwritten cards.
Businesses can upload their logo to the card, and order them in stacks. Customers can also create handwritten holiday cards and drop them in the mail for delivery.
The pricing for one card with postage is around $4.50.
PunkPost
This service contains fun and colorful cards for any occasion.
Any message that users type is inked or handwritten by one of PunkPost's writers.
For an extra dollar, users can add confetti inside the envelope. Another dollar can add 129 more characters to the message. Upload an image for another $1, and PunkPost will slip a 4-by-4-inch printed copy of it into the card. Users can also add a gift card in the amount of their choice for another $1.60.
Aside from implementing glitters and extra photos, the company does have more options. For example, businesses can hire PunkPost to create custom cards that they can order in bulk.
The pricing for one card plus postage is $6.
Thankster
Thankster offers greeting cards for a variety of styles and a wide range of events. There are unique designs by a few greeting card companies, like Wildhorse Press and Carol Blakney. When entering the message, users can customize their text to the point of personalizing the letter-spacing and line-height. Finding the right words to express can be difficult, but Thankster has pre-made messages to help their customers.
Thankster's services are more affordable for customers in the business industry. This is mainly because the price can drop as low as $2 per card when customers order in bulk. The software gives customers a choice of sending in a sample of the handwritten note so that the company can emulate the handwriting style to create a customized look.
With Thankster, expect to pay about $3.05 for one card plus postage.
Related: HOW TO AUTOMATE SENDING HANDWRITTEN BIRTHDAY CARDS
Simply Noted
An elegant option for business professionals but with a wide range of options to fit any client’s needs, Simply Noted stands out from the pack. Not only can you choose from a wide selection of cards or customize your own, but you can get your messages handwritten and sent without a sweat.
After you provide your contact list, Simply Noted will take your greeting card selection (or your own customized creation) and address them to each recipient. They’ll seal each envelope and send them out for you, so you won’t even have to take a trip to the post office.
Simply Noted has scalable services that are even more specialized than other greeting card services. Business professionals can use Simply Noted for their clients. Not only does it integrate with Zapier, but also with Salesforce and Shopify. Their white glove services also allow you to send gifts and custom orders along with your notes. They’re on call 24/7 for professional design services.
Simply Noted is also great for marketing. After sending out cards, you can use their useful ROI calculator to see just how worth your greeting card campaign turns out to be (hint - very worth it!). While the standard format is A6 envelopes, you can also create messages on 3x5, 4x6, 5x7, 6x9 or 8.5x11 card-stock.
Not sure if you want to use Simply Noted? By joining the email list, you can get your first card for free.
Why Should People Consider Using A Greeting Card Software
The following are the benefits of using a greeting card service:
Reduce Costs
Purchasing handwritten greeting cards from the store can be quite expensive. It can be a nightmare to buy the cards for various occasions, like anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, festivals, valentine's day, and much more.
Fortunately, using greeting card software can make this an affordable project. You can create as many greeting cards as you like and mail them off.
Increases Innovative Skills
The software has multiple messages, symbols, and images that users can utilize to create their custom cards. This provides endless opportunities to become creative and innovative, which makes the card more meaningful.
To Design Customized Cards
It’s challenging to create the perfect card that satisfies what the user is trying to convey. People can't incorporate personalized information that they purchase from the store. Luckily, a greeting card program allows the user to input images or messages to the recipient.
Edit Available Cards
Greeting card software offers users the ability to alter the appearance of the available or premade card. Users can edit the card to add a unique touch and style, like selecting the size of the card.
What to Consider When Purchasing Greeting Card Software
Selecting the perfect software that contains all the appropriate tools will require some in-depth research. Fortunately, we have all the information that you need to find the greeting card software of your dreams.
Images
The software should have multiple templates and images to choose from. It should create different types of cards for different events, which include: graduations, baby showers, congratulations, birthdays, holidays, and just greetings. Users should also have the option to personalize the cards and create it from scratch. The program should also have multiple images and templates.
Design
The software should also contain various styles and font sizes for users to consider. The tools should have a variety of design elements and text to help the user create the perfect card. Advanced software will give options for customers to attach music, recording, or slideshows to the cards. There should also be other features like editing and proofreading tools.
Easy to use interface
Not everyone has advanced computer skills, so the platform must be straightforward for all the users. The interface should provide 24/7 customer support, and users should be able to contact the help desk through the phone, social media, and email. There should also be tutorials to help people navigate the platform.
Conclusion
Sending personalized, handwritten greeting cards can make the recipient smile. This can be an expensive endeavor, but services like Simply Noted can give users options to create customize cards and send them out in bulk. They’re perfect for sending out individual cards, but can be tailored to scale to particular business needs.
With the endless possibility of creating something meaningful, handwritten notes are no longer a lost art, but can be preserved and improved to be more meaningful and touching for the next generation.
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