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I live in England but often mail cards to the US (as I'm from there originally). I understand that the USPS doesn't like square cards, although that's mostly what we use here. Even the majority of store-bought cards seem to be square.
So my question is, what size cards do most people in the US use? I can get 5x7 here but anything else is more difficult. Is that size acceptable? Thanks for any advice.
I find I prefer the 5x7 for celebration type cards and 4.25 x 5.5 (A2 size) for notes and thank you cards. In the card shops, cards come in every size under the sun! HTH
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
I could be misspeaking here, but it's my understanding that square cards require extra postage because they don't go through the sorting machines properly and so require handling differently. I have put square cards in rectangular envelopes with no issues of note. I believe it is the envelope and not the card itself that is the problem. As mentioned above, any/every size is sold in shops (including square, I've noticed).
When posting from here, I don't worry about square or not, because we pay what is required here and it's up to USPS to deliver it because of the agreements governing international postage. That doesn't answer your question, but is by way of saying that I don't worry too much about it. If I'm sending cards to an organisation to be mailed within the US, that's different and I do take care to send "regular" cards.
I too use a lot of square cards of various sizes. I also use A4 folded to A5 size. Also cut a lot of my own, Cutting an A4 sheet in half either widthways or lengthways, then score and fold, and that runs out to pretty much the equivalent of US 'notecard' size. As Sabrina says, we pay the required postage here, so there shouldn't be an issue.
It isn't that the USPS doesn't "like" square cards. They require extra postage for us to send them. The size that most U.S. card makers use is A2 (4.25" x 5.5"). That being said, there are other popular sizes as well. I make 5 x 7 and what they are calling "slimline" now. I've been making various sizes of cards for many years, and I usually make my own envelopes for the unusual sizes.
I remember watching Carol Duvall, years ago, who always advised that you select the envelope first, and then make the card to fit it. It's still good advice. ;)
I still make square cards for my family in the States. They can still be hand sorted once they get to the states. I've paid the amount required by Royal Mail to have it posted.
thanks for the replies. I made a square 6x6" card for my granddaughter and it arrived one MONTH later! It was a little bulky because I put some sequins on it, then wrapped the card in bubble wrap, but still.....
Jane, if that was this year you sent it, then mail services around the world have been changed perhaps always. I am in Texas and ordered some stamps from Australia that took over 2 months earlier this year. I send different sized cards/envelopes to Europe and it's taken a month. Yet my Funky Fossil order reaches me in record time every time! What I'm hearing you ask is, is there a size that will get delivered here the quickest? No. And in fact, your card may be treated with TLC if it's square and therefore hand-cancelled. I still remember the pain I felt upon learning that a card I'd mailed in town got delivered in a ziploc bag shredded to pieces. Those machines are rough! I'd continue to make square if you like to and just make sure the card is not bulky, because you can't predict it.
I had this page open since Thursday. I too was going to say, if it was just recently you can't count on the post being normal. I've had most cards I've mailed recently take longer than normal, and yet apparently, (unless it came off after I mailed it), a card in a custom-made envelope reached NYC with no stamp at all in record time, maybe four days? I thought it had a stamp on it, but it definitely arrived without.
I think international freight capacity is still reduced. We're only just able in the last couple of weeks to send anything more than a 1" deep small packet to the USA, they were limiting it before that.
thanks for the replies. I made a square 6x6" card for my granddaughter and it arrived one MONTH later! It was a little bulky because I put some sequins on it, then wrapped the card in bubble wrap, but still.....
Glad your card still made its way to your granddaughter. <3
Help with card sizes please
