LetterAgent
Mail physical letters by just asking your AI assistant.
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LetterAgent prints letters only, with no inserts, so photo prints can't go through LetterAgent. To mail prints yourself, use a rigid "do not bend" photo mailer, slip tissue between prints, and keep them out of heat: gloss prints can stick together or to plastic sleeves in a hot truck. For irreplaceable originals, add tracking and consider a sturdier box.
| Mailer | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Rigid cardboard photo mailer | Everyday prints; the standard choice | Cheap ones flex; pick one that truly resists bending |
| Padded bubble mailer with cardboard stiffener | Small stacks of prints | Bubble mailers alone can still bend; the stiffener is doing the work |
| Small box with prints flat inside | Large prints, framed photos, irreplaceable originals | Costs parcel postage, but nothing safer |
| Paper envelope | Nothing photographic | Prints bend, crease, and arrive ruined |
Stack the prints with a sheet of plain tissue or thin paper between each one, then sandwich the stack between two pieces of stiff cardboard cut slightly larger than the prints. Slide the sandwich into a rigid mailer and seal it well. The tissue prevents the print surfaces from rubbing and sticking, and the cardboard takes any bending force so the prints do not. If you are labeling the prints, write on the back with a soft pencil or a photo-safe pen, never a ballpoint: ballpoint pressure embosses the front of the print.
Glossy prints soften in heat. In a hot delivery truck or a sun-baked mailbox, gloss surfaces can stick to each other, to plastic sleeves, or to the inside of the mailer, and peeling them apart damages the image. This is the most common way mailed photos get ruined, and it happens invisibly: the package looks fine from the outside. In summer, mail photos early in the week so they do not sit in a hot facility over the weekend, and warn the recipient to grab the package promptly.
Home inkjet prints need time to dry fully before they are stacked or packed; packed damp, the ink smears and transfers to whatever touches it. Give prints a full day face-up in open air. Laser prints are more forgiving once cool. Either way, the tissue-between-prints rule still applies.
If the photo exists as a digital file, mail a reprint and keep the original. Reprints cost little and remove all the anxiety. For true originals with no digital copy, scan or photograph them first so a loss is not total, then mail them in a small box with tracking. Sentimental value does not survive the mail stream any better than paper does, so the backup copy is the real insurance.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent - describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it's printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
Need help? Ask your assistant. It can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com