Hi! I have been wanting to join post crossing for such a long time however I have a problem that I have encountered – I have trouble hand writing postcards as I don’t like writing by hand and it looks messy no matter how much I try to make it look decent. Would it be impolite if I printed a message on the computer and copy and pasted it onto the postcode and then signed it and write their name and address by hand? I don’t want to be rude or anything but I really would like to do post crossing however my handwriting is a problem as I just end up scribbling on every postcard 
so I was just wondering what everyone thought
thank you so much
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It is usually not considered like the best thing to do, but if you have serious reasons to do so, of course it is fine. What is important is that you personalize every message and don’t send the same generic text to everybody - that is rather sad…
If your only issue is your handwriting I wouldn’t worry that much, we’ve all received cards in all kinds of handwriting. And about being messy, well… I’ve not found a way to make my cards and letters look neat 
In conclusion, as long as you treat every recipient differently and not pre-print one message to use forever, it would be fine (maybe also explain briefly what your difficulties are). But I would also invite you to not worry too much about the handwriting, unless really it creates problems.
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I would mostly agree to @elikoa. Personally I strongly prefer handwritten cards (but if you worry about your handwriting you probably should print the address, many people do that). But there certainly are good reasons to print all the text, e.g. some diseases make it nearly impossible to write by hand.
I’ve received all kinds of handwritten messages. Some look nearly like printed and some are really hard to read. But so far I’ve been able to decipher everything (some with the help of friends). It’s kind of a game 
So please don’t worry too much.
@RFS for example says on his profile that you should contact him in case you cannot read what he’d written and offers to send you the text when you contact him.
PS Although I’m quite fond of handlettering and love to do that, my normal handwriting is always a bit different… there are days where it’s really hard to read and on other days it’s quite nice. Don’t bother too much 
And in the end: handwriting is a matter of practice (except for diseases etc).
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Well, @elikoa and @Cassiopheia put it quite well. There is no rule you absolutely have to write it by hand.
But… I do love handwritten texts! I don’t mind messy at all - I actually enjoy to decipher cryptic writings.
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if you want to write then you definitely should. postcrossing is not a place to be judgemental about other people. we meet people from literally around the world, there is no chance every person is how you want or expect them to be. and that is the cool thing about postcrossing.
for example, a lot of people are not that good at english but they try because they wanna send us postcards. so instead of being mean about it i usually write in my best handwriting, bigger than i normally do. and if i don’t understand something they say i react to something i do understand. i would never say ‘hey thanks for the card but i don’t understand a word you’re saying bye.’
so if your handwriting is just totally unreadable then you could consider printing your message but if you just think it’s not that neat it’s fine. like someone said before, we get cards with all kind of handwriting. in the end we’ll figure it out. and personally i prefer handwritten over printed (unless the writer is in pain of course). it’s part of postcrossing.
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You can also draw or made some doodle instead of writing. People love drawing and doddle.
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If it’s something that will stop you from enjoying the process in any way, by all means, print your message.
I personally enjoy seeing the many different ways in which people convey their message. Short, long, good handwriting, bad handwriting. It’s all good really.
I think like with handwriting, if it’s something you personally enjoy, it will come across on the card.
It shows you put in effort and thought into the card.
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I really don’t mind printed out messages, I do prefer handwriting I suppose if I could choose, but it is honestly the message itself that matters more to me and not if it was handwritten or not.
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My preference would be a handwritten postcard for sure, but I’m okay if someone prints and sticks a message too. Sometimes people just don’t like to write, and sometimes people are afraid that their handwriting is illegible.
I agree with @elikoa and @Cassiopheia too, that it would be nice to personalise the message instead of printing a generic message, so that at least the recipient won’t feel like just a statistic.
I have received postcards where it is a challenge to read the message, and sometimes despite spending a long time I still cannot decipher the message, and I end up sending a very generic ‘thank you for your postcard’ message back to the recipient… So at times like this it would be nice if the sender typed the message.
But that is just a preference after all, and I’m happy to receive a postcard no matter what. 
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My handwriting is terrible but it has never stopped me writing! The only trouble has been what people call me in their thank yous - Erina, Erica, Erik, Eliza, Ellen. Turns out, for me 4, y, h and a are all more or less identical. My l and r are also the same. This is all just part of the fun!
If you are very worried, you could aways show us a picture of what your handwriting looks like. I’ve only ever seen one card I couldn’t read, and even that one my mother read fine.
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Figuring out people’s names is really the only trouble I’ve ever had reading postcards - many people sign their name instead of printing it, so it’s hard to read. If I’m afraid I haven’t got your name right, I just leave it off in the thank you message. I don’t like to, but I think that’s better than misnaming you!
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i think the name thing has also to do with what people are used to. like sometimes i see a name on a card and i’m sure i’ve read it wrong cause it’s such a strange name. but then it turned out i got it just right.
i think that’s why a lot of people call me kira instead of kyra. my y and i are really not that similair. though i even get cards with kira on it. my name is in the email you’re getting how did you even get that wrong.
also
great idea
I would welcome a printed message.
Truly, what you write matters more than how you write it.
I prefer handwritten postcards, but in my experience, they can go either way, I’ve receiced cards with handwritten generic messages without even my name on it and nice and polite printed messages. One upside to printed messages is that you end up with more space and can say so much more.
I guess most of the people here will say they prefer handwritten because it gives more “authenticity” to the card. But if they read your message (printed or not) and can relate to that, they’ll enjoy it for what it is.
My advice is, write one card and send it, see how it turns out; print another and see how that goes too. Think on how you feel about it and then go for it. Have fun!
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Before I had surgery, my carpal tunnel made writing painful. Although I didn’t computer print my messages, I thought about it!
I’d do as what’s been suggested above, but instead of explaining on my card, I’d put a little mention in my profile about why you’re not handwriting (so there’s more space for message on your card), but that’s just me.
I received three cards in an envelope recently from a post crosser in Singapore that were blank, but had a short sentence on the envelope. Upon registering it, they explained how they couldn’t write well any more due to health and age. I appreciated that they still wanted to participate in their own unique way.
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I like the challenge of deciphering the messages I receive that aren’t toooo illegible, so that’s another thing to think about.
I like my handwriting, but after an experience with a former classmate who mangled my message for an alumni function, I have become a bit self-conscious about it. My lowercase H can sometimes look like a lowercase L and N put together, for example. I’ve asked other people about it, and they say they don’t have a problem with understanding my writing, so perhaps it was just that one person’s inability to understand it.
Don’t sweat it, do what works for you and enjoy it. I doubt anyone will think it’s rude, and if they do, that’s their concern, not yours.
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I definitely prefer handwritten cards, even if the writing looks childish. I have received cards written all in block letters from children or from people not used to write in Latin letters, and it was perfectly fine.
But if you feel uncomfortable at handwriting, or you think it would be too messy, it’s ok to print your message. Maybe you can explain your handwriting is not very clear so you prefer print it. The most important thing is that you don’t use a generic message, but you personalize every card with a unique message 
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Receiving handwritten cards always feel more personal. I have only ever received one printed text and it was for the purpose of fitting a recipe on the back of the card. I always write my messages in non-cursive writing. But, I sign the card in cursive. My hurray messages are full of many variations of my name: Cari, Callie, call, carli, etc. I would never mind if someone’s handwriting was hard to read or if they printed the message. It is a bit disappointing when I receive a card from a person(who has English listed in their profile) and I can easily tell the message is the same they must paste on every card.
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How about using a typewriter?
You may need to temporarily insert a postcard in a larger paper frame to advance it securely, though.
I find that many postcards are too stiff to properly go through my typewriter. I worry that it would damage either the typewriter or the card. I’m sure it would be possible with some of the thinner, more flexible cards but a) that may severely limit some people’s postcard options and b) not everyone has access to a typewriter.
It’s definitely a cool option if you have the right tools. I’d really enjoy receiving something like that. But I doubt it’s a practical solution for most people.
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