The more advanced technology gets, the more impersonal our communications get. Kids 12 and under won’t even know what it is like to have to call a friend in order to stay in touch, let alone write a handwritten letter. Birthday cards are becoming old-fashioned in a world where a simple Facebook post is a sufficient birthday greeting.
Felt Cards is an iPad app that transforms digital technology into analog communication. Greeting cards, sent through postal mail, offer a much more personal message than a quick how-do-you-do online…
The app features 79 custom designed cards that are exclusive to Felt. Choose from birthday cards, congratulation messages, sympathy cards, thank you notes, and more. Cards are divided into categories to make it easier to find what you are looking for.
When you’ve chosen the card you want to send, you can begin writing a personal note in your own handwriting by tapping the inside of the card. The handwriting tools include a fountain pen and a fine-tipped marker with red, black, or blue ink. If you plan to write a lengthy note, it might be smarter to bring up the Palm Pad. The Palm Pad temporarily shuts off touch capabilities to portions of the screen. This makes it possible for you to place your hand directly onto the screen while you write, just like you would on a physical piece of paper. You can adjust the Palm Pad to any height, so you can continue writing your epic story without running out of room.
If you make a mistake, you can erase it with the eraser tool. Or, if you really messed up, just clear the whole card and start over. You can’t do that with a pen and paper.
Once you’ve written your greeting, tap the zoom out icon at the top right corner of the screen. Then, swipe from right to left on the screen to see the envelope. Add your address and the sender’s and tap the “Checkout” button. Then, enter your credit card information and create an account. When you create an account, you can save your credit card information for one-touch ordering in the future.
Cards cost $3.99 for everything. That includes the price of the card, the cost to print it and your personalized handwritten note, and the postage price. The cards are stamped with actual U.S. Postal stamps, not electronically printed postage.
The cards will ship within 24 hours and typically take 2 to 5 business days to arrive. They are sent through USPS First Class mail, so delivery time depends on your local mail carrier. Currently, cards are only available to send within the U.S. However, an international shipping option is in the works.
Felt Cards is available for free on the iPad running iOS 5.0 or higher. Download it in the App Store today.
How do you send birthday greetings? Do you like to receive letters in the mail, or do you care? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.