It is unusual for cards to arrive with the pictures smudged unless they are postcards. When a postcard leaves the SendOutCards printers, it is already dried and the ink is set. However, the US Post Office system runs mail through large scanners and sorting belts that can cause damage to unprotected mail due to heat and friction. Since the ink that we use is a polymer-based ink, this heat and friction may result in the ink becoming tacky, which can cause smearing.

Unfortunately, this issue is not exclusive to SendOutCards. While attempting to resolve this issue, we have been informed that at this time there is no guarantee the sending process will be adjusted to provide additional protection once the postcard leaves our facility.

On our end, we make efforts to make our postcards as durable as possible during the mailing process to help decrease these incidents. These efforts include adding a gloss finish to your postcard and optimizing the dimensions of the postcard to ensure that the postcards pass through sorting machines more easily. We continue to look at different options that will maintain the high-quality product that leaves our facilities.

Updated: 05/07/2020