Postable is a good photo card service with plenty of template options for all the major holidays and events of all kinds. Many of the designs on the website are simple but nicely conceived and formatted, without a lot of the busy or dated elements that we saw on some sites. While there is only one paper option for cards, it is a good one, and you can go the postcard route if you want to save money. We ordered a card that tested well among our panelists. However, the lack of options in some areas, and the super high price of the cards makes it a less-than-desirable choice.
This was by far one of the most expensive services we tested. For $35 you will only be able to get about 8 cards. This price includes shipping. We weren’t charged tax on our order but this might change depending on the state you live in. There is no minimum limit on the number of cards you can order, just type in the number you need and Postable will send them to you.
We tested this service by creating a card online and having it shipped to us to be assessed by a panel of testers who each have experience in design. It took the card five business days to arrive in the mail, which is about average when compared with other photo card services. The test card had a simple design that emphasized the photo collage by spreading it out across the card with a simple Christmas wish in the center.
The testers liked the thickness and heft of the cardstock paper. However, our testers noted that the bright and dark areas of the photos printed off color, with the highlights appearing overly saturated. To add to the bad look of the cards, the images came out relatively blurry. Overall, this card had one of the worst print jobs in our testing. You will find Postable’s logo in the bottom center of the backside of the card along with a small QR code in the right corner.
One thing we really liked about this service is that you can choose between three different envelope colors without paying additional money: Brown, vanilla and white. The envelopes were slightly higher quality than average and had a nice texture to them.
Postable has an attractive, functional website that is relatively easy to navigate. From the main page, you can do a search for Christmas photo cards and it will take you directly to its selection of templates. You can also click on the card prompt on the main page and scroll through the various template categories. However, there are no filters for photo orientation or size to narrow your search to landscape or portrait designs. You also can’t preview photos in a variety of templates at the same time.
For cards, there is only one paper option: a sturdy recycled cardstock. This will work well enough for most people, but it doesn’t allow you to opt for cheaper materials like photo paper. You do save on the price of each card when you buy in bulk, but it’s not the cheapest service we reviewed. You can choose to create a postcard for your holiday greeting, invitation or announcement, which is half the price of a card. You can choose from a variety of designs on the back of the card, but the front of the postcard only has space for an address.
You can order cards individually to confirm if you like the design before ordering more. Individual cards cost more per card than buying in bulk, and you have to pay for individual postage, so most people won’t want to do this in excess, but it’s nice to have the option, for instance, to compare the layout of two different cards to decide which one you like better.
Customer support options, if you have questions or need help, are limited to telephone, email and an FAQs section on the website. Many services offer a conditional money-back guarantee if you aren’t satisfied with your cards, but this service is not one of them. If you’d feel more comfortable using a service that does offer this promise, consider Mixbook.
Postable thrives on simplicity, both in its photo card designs and its options. There is only one option for paper: a high quality recycled cardstock that it isn’t exactly cheap. If you want to save money, you can create a similar design on a postcard for half the price. This is one of the most expensive services we tested, which makes it a bad choice for anyone looking for an affordable option. Our testers noticed that thee sample card we ordered was off color and printed blurry.
