From Photo... to Postage Stamp

A photo postage stamp is the perfect personalized detail for mailing wedding invitations, shipping homemade holiday gifts or sending unique birthday cards.

Did you know that you can make your own personalized postage stamps? Yep, it's true.

You could even make a monogram stamp or incorporate a business logo to create your own stamps.

Follow these simple steps
to make your own postage stamp.

1. Choose a photo or image
   
   

   As with most photo gifts, the image you choose can make the difference between something amazing and something that's a complete waste of time.
   
   

   Choose a simple, close-up image without much background.
   
   

   Wedding postage stamps might call for a picture of the engaged couple's hands. A child's birthday party invitation could be mailed with a photo postage stamp of the birthday child in his/her party hat. A 50th wedding anniversary invitation could feature the couple's original wedding photo.
   
   

   

   
   I recently made personalized postage stamps to use on my son's baptism invitations. The image I selected was a photo of the self portrait he drew at school earlier this year. I was pleasantly surprised how excited he was for this special stamp and also that so many people noticed the unique stamp on the outside of their envelope. The special touch was definitely worth the time and effort to make!
   
   
2. Choose a vendor
   
   

   Your personalized postage stamps must be printed by a USPS approved license vendor. But don't worry. There are several online vendors that offer customized stamps. Prices vary, as does the ease of creating your photo postage stamp. Many sites offer the ability to search for design ideas and inspiration.
   
   

   At PictureItPostage, you have the ability to zoom in and out, rotate and choose landscape or portrait orientation. Processing is a little on the spendy side, though.
   
   

   At Stamps.com, you pay only a $3.99 processing fee (plus the postage cost of the stamps) and $2.99 shipping. You can even get FREE postage when you sign up for Stamps.com. I'd highly recommend them!
   
   

3. Upload, edit, adjust
   
   

   Once you have selected a vendor for your custom postage stamps, it's time to upload your photo. Just follow the site's instructions. You may want to crop the image, adjust the orientation or add a special border.
   
   

   Make sure you are able to see a final preview before you order so you know exactly what your photo postage stamp will look like.
   
   

4. Purchase your customized postage stamps
   
   

   One advantage of making custom postage stamps is that you can specify the postage amount. So whether you're mailing a postcard or oversized envelope, you can select the exact postage amount and stamp quantity.
   
   

   

   
   The 20 self adhesive stamps I ordered from Stamps.com came on a single 8 ½" x 11" sheet. They arrived in a sturdy envelope just days after ordering.
   
   
   

Buying photo postage stamps online is fun and easy. Try it!

If you already have made your own custom photo postage stamps, please share your project tips and ideas!



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