Each year thousands of first class letters are sent through the US postal service to destinations all across the United States. Each of these boring, plain manila envelopes must be paid for with common US postage stamps. Over the years the USPS has tried to improve on their stamp designs, but while at one time we might have been satisfied with a one-inch portrait of the American Flag or Elvis Presley, today you can make your letters as impressive on the outside as they are on the inside with customized legal photo stamps made from your own digital photo collection.
Many Options For Creating Photo Stamps
The first step to creating the perfect photo stamp is to select the photograph that you are going to use and upload it to one of dozens of online photo services that with handle it for you and then ship completed sheets of stamps to your door. A search for "photo stamps" turns up many different companies, but many of the better photo sharing sites also provide the ability to order photo stamps as well. Here is a list of some of the big-name photo stamp providers:
- Stamps.com- One of the oldest online stamp providers, stamps.com will turn your photo into a sheet of twenty 41-cent stamps (valid for one-ounce standard letters) for US$18.99. The cost goes down the more sheets you buy. Buy two or more sheets and the cost drops by $2.00 each.
- FujiFilm.com- The film maker also provides online photo storage and printing of photo stamps, but the cost is a bit higher at $19.99 for one sheet or $16.99 for multiple sheets. FujiFilm adds the ability to print words on the image and more adjustment options than Stamps.com
- Zazzle.com- This retailer specializes in putting your photos on a variety of items, including postage stamps. Zazzle's interface and options are the best of the three, and provide options for three different sizes of stamps. The smallest photo stamps cost only $14.95 per sheet with a $2.00 discount for multiple sheets. Standard size photo stamps cost $14.95 to $16.95 per sheet. Large photo stamps are $16.95 to $18.95.
Restrictions and Considerations About Using Photo Stamps
The most obvious issue with using photo stamps is that the cost per stamp is about twice as much as standard 41-cent postage stamps. However, if you only use them for your Christmas cards or other special occasions, the cost may be worth the splurge simply for the uniqueness of the stamp.
The US Postal Service restricts what you can and cannot use on a photo stamp. Each image is reviewed before being allowed to be printed, so be sure to check the rules and regulations before trying to print anything too personal or controversial.
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