New Feature: PDF Attachments
May 17, 2007
Send a PDF file as an attachment and we’ll print and mail it. It’s really as easy as that.
Places where this might be useful:
- Invoices with extensive formating
- Fliers for marketing or announcements
- Forms or copies of existing documentation
- Mailing the output of almost any program on your computer
PDF is probably the most widely supported display format available. Many programs and systems allow you to either export or print to PDF. For you, this means that any program which can output PDF is “Postful Ready” (We’re working with software developers to add this label to their software. Can’t figure out why they’re stalling).
If the body of your e-mail is blank, the PDF will print on its own. If you add a message, it will be printed like any other letter and sent along with the PDF.
Here’s the inevitable fine print:
- Page size must be 8.5″ x 11″
- Minimum margins are .2″ (your pdf can run to the edge of the page, but the margins will be cut off at .2″)
As always, we’re curious about the uses you’ll find for this. Even for us this opens up options (which we’re diligently pursuing). Which is to say, more announcements are coming soon…
New Feature: Google Checkout
May 14, 2007
You can now add funds to your account using Google Checkout. This allows you to store your information with Google and make payments using their interface.
One big advantage of this is that we can accept credit cards issued in (and currencies of) these countries (note, we’re still working on supporting international mailings).
The process is simple. You’ll be redirected to Google’s site and prompted to either sign in or create an account. You’ll make your payment there and can return to Postful. In a few minutes, after we receive notification from Google, your payment will be reflected in your Postful account.
Google Checkout can save you a few keystrokes. Once you’ve established an account with them, you won’t need to re-enter your billing details to make payments on any site that supports Google Checkout.
Postful On Cell Phones
April 26, 2007
Many companies are working hard to release mobile versions of their applications. While we respect their labors, we don’t envy them. Luckily for us, Postful already runs on just about every cell phone out there.
If your phone supports e-mail, you’re set. Blackberries are a snap. Palm or Windows Mobile? No problem. Just send an e-mail and Postful will work its magic.
Most camera phones can send mms messages to e-mail accounts (just find out or set your phone’s e-mail alias and set is as Postful account alias).
But let’s say you’re on an older phone. SMS is still all you need. These instructions will vary slightly from provider to provider. For T-Mobile, send an SMS to 500 (Cingular is apparently 121) with the Postful address you wish to send to as the start of the message. Follow it with a space and type your message. As before, you’ll have to setup a Postful alias with your cell phone’s e-mail address (for T-Mobile, it would be yourphonenumber@tmomail.net).
It’s really that easy.
How would you use this? Snap a picture, add a quick comment, and mail it off to your grandmother. At the scene of an accident, capture the image and mail it to your insurance company (or yourself for a hard-copy) in one step.
But, as always, we expect to be surprised by the uses you come up with!
One feature request that has come up again and again in your feedback is the request to send mail from more than one e-mail address. We’ve heard from those of you who check different e-mail at home rather than at the office, and would like to use Postful from either place.
So we have launched a new feature. We call them aliases. Aliases are just a list of other e-mail addresses that you would like to send ground mail from.
Just log in, and click on Aliases under the Account menu. You’ll be able to create them there.
You can also use aliases to set up a Postful account that your whole family can use. Just add your kids’ e-mail addresses as aliases, and they will be able to send mail, while you take care of the payments.
As always, we encourage everyone in the beta to kick the tires on this feature and let us know any changes you’d like us to make.
Ask Postful: Advertising and Branding
April 9, 2007
Ben posed some excellent questions in the comments to a previous post. Some I’m going to conspicuously leave unanswered for a few days, but let me deal with the first now:
here’s what I’d like to see:
1. A photograph of what a finished letter looks like. I don’t want to send a Postful letter if it’s got advertising or your branding all over it; I’m pretty sure you’re not doing this, but I want to be certain. Basically, I want to know my letters will look professional.
All we send is your letter inside an envelope with the recipient’s address, your return address, and a stamp. I’m putting up links to pdf’s of two sample letters (once again, thanks to Matthew for producing these samples during testing). The first is a text only letter, the second includes photos (warning: this is a large file). Here’s a very low-res pic of a printed letter and envelope (I’ll update with a higher quality shot).
These show you what we print: no added branding or advertising.
Some people are using Postful for personal letters and don’t want their grandparents getting an envelope of ads from them. Others are using it for business where advertising and branding is simply not an option. We will always provide a clean letter, branding- and advertising-free, just like you’d send yourself.
Ask Postful: Mailing Timeline
April 8, 2007
Q: How long does it take you to mail a letter?
A: Our eventual goal is to have any e-mail that enters the system by 3pm PST go out the same day.
Right now, we’re still adjusting our production process so we aren’t quite at that point yet. Our aim today is to have any e-mail entering the system out within 24 hours (excluding weekends for the moment). Over the next several months we’ll be steadily decreasing that turn-around time as we approach our target (hopefully not asymptotically).
Ask Postful: International Mailings
April 7, 2007
Q: Can I mail internationally?
A: Not yet. This is one of the most requested features from beta users so we’re moving it way up the development list.
The first step will be to offer international airmail service from our printers in the US. As we expand, the next step is to set up international print stations. These would have the advantage of dramatically decreasing mailing times (send the message from anywhere in the world and it’s printed and delivered locally).
We plan on having the airmail service available by June. The rates will be slightly higher for this to cover the additional cost of airmail postage.
I don’t have a timeline on the international print stations since that will depend largely on demand. As we roll those out, we will be able to lower our rates. Our target is to reach a single flat fee for a letter sent anywhere in the world.
