Holiday Greetings Made Easy

No matter what holidays you may celebrate, one common feature of each is expressing our affection and appreciation for others, often done in the form of holiday cards. In fact, every year during the holiday season, 3.4 billion letters are mailed.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) found an efficient way to help send those warm holiday wishes with less environmental impact. USPS provides a Cardstore for creating personalized cards that the company will print and mail for you.

Preserving Our Forests

• The cards are not printed until they are purchased, so only what is needed is created.
• You can easily edit your card or envelope online, without the need to toss your mistakes and start a new one.
• The Cardstore is powered by Ink2, a Forestry Stewardship Council-certified company, meaning they must use legal logging practices, along with sustainable wood sources.

Reduced Emissions

• 130 million customers visit post offices during the holidays, resulting in heavy fuel consumption to purchase and mail cards.
• More fuel is consumed when cards are transported from where they are bought, to your home or office. The Cardstore allows you to skip this step.
• Ink2 prints with non-hazardous chemicals, subsequently producing less VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Time Savings

• You can also purchase gift cards for popular retailers and restaurants across the nation. No need for wrapping paper – your greeting and gift cards make one tidy package!
• You can choose your cards, purchase them, and arrange their delivery, all at any time of day or night. You can even schedule a future mailing date for advanced orders.
• No time spent driving or standing in line.
• If you setup an account, an online calender for birthday and special event reminders is available where you can store addresses and other information.
• Are you a business owner in a time crunch? Create a corporate account to have your company logo, address book and calender as a reminder to send cards and more.

Make it Your Own

• USPS has over 1,000 holiday card designs to choose from, among many other designs for other occasions.
• You can add photos and customize fonts to further personalize your holiday greetings. Don’t worry, there’s spell check too!
• Want to personally sign your holiday cards? They can be delivered directly to you to be sent out at a later date.

User Friendly

• Having writer’s block? Message suggestions are provided to help pick your perfect greeting.
• The process is explained through a number of how-to guides on the site.
• An automatic address checker ensures your letters will reach their destinations.

Your friends and family will notice your environmentally friendly choices. By reducing waste and streamlining your greeting card and shopping experiences, you can lessen your environmental impact, save time and reduce holiday stress. Don’t forget to recycle your holiday greetings once the festivities are over!