Postcard Swap

[ibz]

I received a card from sdcurnow today. Thank you!

[jleeper]

Hi CraigR, jleeper & Tweel,

 

Sounds to me like there should be some appropriate paper available from Red River that will suit our needs.

 

At the prices they quote for 8 1/2 x 11" sheets, assuming 4 cards per page, the per card price is less than 9 or 10 cents, which is what I'm looking for.

 

So, please keep me/us in the loop when you find out about samples.

 

Thanks!

 

I went ahead and got a couple of boxes of 4x6 Red River paper. I'm using the Pecos River Gloss as my glossy because I've got a dye ink printer (Epson NX-100, a multifunction much like the stand-alone Workforce 30). I also got the Premium Matt 60lb. It has a paper back that looks like it will take FP ink, I'll give you an idea of how it works later.

 

The card looks and feels pretty much like a commercial postcard, IMHO. The back will take fountain pen ink, my first choice, Visconti Blue in a Conklin Mark Twain Crescent 'M' nib, feathered like crazy, didn't dry very fast, so it had a tendency to smear. My everyday pen/ink combo, on the other hand, worked like a champ; it was a Hero 569 loaded with Chesterfield Obsidian (repackaged Diamine).

 

I'm going to try to mainly send these self-produced cards out in the future. In fact, as soon as I get a reply from everyone I sent my first batch of cheesy tourist postcards, I'll send out one of these new ones on the Red River paper. Those postcards will have a photo that I took.

 

BTW, I picked up the printer at Target for $29.00, it takes 4 separate color carts, like its Workforce 30, 40, etc. siblings. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of the higher end models, and may be a bit slower, but it uses the same printing system with the same cartridges as the others. And so far the quality of the pics is very good.

 

Anyway, if anyone wants a postcard printed on the Red River paper just PM me and we'll do an exchange.

[penhorse87]

Cards out in the morning to Mr Anonymous and hdubious76

 

Penhorse87

[jleeper]

OK, got self-printed cards out to:

 

jazztonight

CraigR

Mr Anonymous

 

Anyone else who would like to exchange, PM me.

[pyotrkot]

Received postcards from

 

Jakespeed

&

Inkypete

 

With gratitude,

[Hylian]

I'm available for trading postcards from Lisbon (Portugal), or any other country that I might visit.

 

Since we're on a thread about postcards... How do all of you manage to write on postcards with fountain pen ink? Most postcards I bought in the past had very impermeable surfaces that hardly absorbed ink.

[jazztonight]

I'm available for trading postcards from Lisbon (Portugal), or any other country that I might visit.

 

Since we're on a thread about postcards... How do all of you manage to write on postcards with fountain pen ink? Most postcards I bought in the past had very impermeable surfaces that hardly absorbed ink.

 

Hi Hylian, and welcome to the postcard swap. I'll send you a PM with my address, and look forward to hearing from you; of course I will reciprocate.

 

I've received dozens of postcards since joining this forum, and all were written using FPs and FP ink. The difficulty I myself have encountered is trying to write on the back of ink jet photo paper, which was never meant to be written upon in the first place. In the end, I can usually find one pen and one ink that will usually do the job.

 

Anyway, give it a try again, and see what happens!

 

Jazztonight

 

[Hylian]

Hi Hylian, and welcome to the postcard swap. I'll send you a PM with my address, and look forward to hearing from you; of course I will reciprocate.

 

I've received dozens of postcards since joining this forum, and all were written using FPs and FP ink. The difficulty I myself have encountered is trying to write on the back of ink jet photo paper, which was never meant to be written upon in the first place. In the end, I can usually find one pen and one ink that will usually do the job.

 

Anyway, give it a try again, and see what happens!

 

Jazztonight

 

I'll try to send the postcard next week.

 

It's not that I can't write on postcards with my fountain pens—I can!—, it's just that they don't seem take fountain pen inks too well and I expect them to become rather prone to smudging. I'd expect a single drop of water to wash the ink right off the cards.

[Kabe]

As a sort of tip, Pilot Varsity has worked even on the worst PC's

[tr3n1ty]

This sounds like fun! I'd like to participate; I'm in Alaska.

Edited September 11, 2009 by tr3n1ty

[inkypete]

IS THIS YOU? I have a postcard that I can't decipher the signature. Its a card from Arizona with a Coyotr on th Rocks recipe on it. The sender mentioned he/she had been to Arizona on holidays recently.

[mooshi]

Postcards received:

inkypete

orangesam

jakespeed

jazztonight

okami

stevenh6883

 

All of your postcards have been sent out as well. >_O The mail center lady kinda screwed up, but I was almost late to class and didn't get a chance to tell her. So hopefully they all come in time! Please post if they do. Long story short, she pretty much charged me twice the amount of sending a post card. (USPS site says $0.98 per international postcard, she charged me $1.67!!!! )But not wanting to be late to class, I'm just going to bring my receipt and ask about it when I get back to school. For domestic, it's supposed to be $0.28? I was charged $0.35 or something like that.

 

-- Moo

[ibz]

I received a card from Philip1209 yesterday. Thank you! Reply out soon.

[jazztonight]

The mail center lady kinda screwed up, but I was almost late to class and didn't get a chance to tell her. So hopefully they all come in time! Please post if they do. Long story short, she pretty much charged me twice the amount of sending a post card. (USPS site says $0.98 per international postcard, she charged me $1.67!!!! )But not wanting to be late to class, I'm just going to bring my receipt and ask about it when I get back to school. For domestic, it's supposed to be $0.28? I was charged $0.35 or something like that.

 

-- Moo

 

$0.28 domestic US

$0.75 Canada

$0.98 The rest of the world, I believe.

 

They do have these stamps available at the Post office, btw.

 

here's where you can calculate postage easily:

 

http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage/welcome.htm

 

Finally, if you are sending a "normal" size postcard, those are the rates. But if your card is "oversized" the charge is more.

 

Postcard size is defined as between 3 1/2 inches and 4 1/4 inches in height (measured vertically, perpendicular to address), must be between 5 and 6 inches in width (measured horizontally, parallel to address).

 

That said, I'm sure I'm not alone in having put "extra" postage on a card or letter because of convenience or laziness.

[mooshi]

$0.28 domestic US

$0.75 Canada

$0.98 The rest of the world, I believe.

 

They do have these stamps available at the Post office, btw.

 

here's where you can calculate postage easily:

 

http://www.usps.com/tools/calculatepostage/welcome.htm

 

Finally, if you are sending a "normal" size postcard, those are the rates. But if your card is "oversized" the charge is more.

 

Postcard size is defined as between 3 1/2 inches and 4 1/4 inches in height (measured vertically, perpendicular to address), must be between 5 and 6 inches in width (measured horizontally, parallel to address).

 

That said, I'm sure I'm not alone in having put "extra" postage on a card or letter because of convenience or laziness.

 

My postcards were all 4inches by 6inches. I don't know why, but she decided to use the postal scale as well. Was that the problem? She kept weighing them, changing postcards around, weighing them again, and came up with the final total of $1.67 for each international and $0.35 for each domestic. Sorry for in inquiry, but this is my first time sending post cards.

 

-- Moo

 

**ETA: Oh, and that was indeed the site I used to calculate/check up on the postage rates.

Edited September 11, 2009 by mooshisho

[CraigR]

Postcards received:

inkypete

orangesam

jakespeed

jazztonight

okami

stevenh6883

 

All of your postcards have been sent out as well. >_O The mail center lady kinda screwed up, but I was almost late to class and didn't get a chance to tell her. So hopefully they all come in time! Please post if they do. Long story short, she pretty much charged me twice the amount of sending a post card. (USPS site says $0.98 per international postcard, she charged me $1.67!!!! )But not wanting to be late to class, I'm just going to bring my receipt and ask about it when I get back to school. For domestic, it's supposed to be $0.28? I was charged $0.35 or something like that.

 

-- Moo

 

Up to 6" by 4.25" should mail for .28

Greater than 6" by 4.25" should mail for .44

 

Not sure where she came up with .35 or where she got the international rates. /Craig

 

[jazztonight]

Hmmmm....perhaps a consultation with the FPN legal affairs dept. is in order.

 

We may have a Federal discrimination case on our hands. :hmm1:

[CraigR]

Hmmmm....perhaps a consultation with the FPN legal affairs dept. is in order.

 

We may have a Federal discrimination case on our hands. :hmm1:

 

After the Wet Squad's (those who do not exist) last dust up with Royal Mail, I would hate to make them aware of this matter. Something is surely afoot. /Craig

[GreenVelvet]

Hi Hylian, and welcome to the postcard swap. I'll send you a PM with my address, and look forward to hearing from you; of course I will reciprocate.

 

I've received dozens of postcards since joining this forum, and all were written using FPs and FP ink. The difficulty I myself have encountered is trying to write on the back of ink jet photo paper, which was never meant to be written upon in the first place. In the end, I can usually find one pen and one ink that will usually do the job.

 

Anyway, give it a try again, and see what happens!

 

Jazztonight

 

I'll try to send the postcard next week.

 

It's not that I can't write on postcards with my fountain pens—I can!—, it's just that they don't seem take fountain pen inks too well and I expect them to become rather prone to smudging. I'd expect a single drop of water to wash the ink right off the cards.

 

Once the ink is dry, it shouldn't smudge. I am not fond of the coated surfaces because I have to be so very careful about dry time and smudging, but the ink does look pretty once it dries.

 

As for water - that is why I only write postcards (and address envelopes) with waterproof ink.

 

Some people use sealants like MicroGlaze or a plain old white crayon to guard against the water issue.

[GreenVelvet]

$0.28 domestic US

$0.75 Canada

$0.98 The rest of the world, I believe.

 

$0.79 Mexico