I do draw one profile and read it carefully. Maybe check out some of the favourites (max two pages, just to get a feeling).
Then I choose a postcard and stamps. I like to use several. Maybe use some washi tape and stickers. After that I write the ID and the date on the top on the left, followed by my text. It always depends on the profile.
Last thing is the adress and take a picture with my smartphone (don’t have a scanner).
Depending on how many postcards I can send, I repeat that up to five times and bring the postcards to the Mailbox in my way to work the next morning.
Don’t you put a stamp on the card?
My “ritual” for writing postcards:
First of all, of course, I wash my hands, light a candle that I brewed myself, or an incense stick, turn on the music and start reading the profile of the person that fell to me.
After examining his profile, I begin to select a postcard to his liking.
Then I read the profile information again and make sure that the card is suitable.
I write the address and stick stamps.
And then I read the profile information again and compose a draft letter.
I tell a little information about myself and try to write something on the topic that the recipient likes.
At the end of the letter, I leave a favorite quote from the book.
I copy everything on a postcard.
Then I stick stickers on empty spaces on the card and admire the result.
It seems to me that there is some kind of romance in writing letters, filling out postcards.
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Yes I do. See the third sentence. 
We’ll I just wrote that I choose one, but of course I glue it in the postcard right away.
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I usually write the card full. Once this year I got no idea what to write and put a sticker instead! So sorry!
- I usually draw addresses at night, before bedtime. If it’s a country I didn’t want to send to (currently have a lot of cards travelling there already), I will draw a second address.
- Then I’ll read the profile(s) to get a rough idea what I’ll send.
- Time to look at the wall. First come the received to avoid duplicates. If I plan on sending a view card and they already have a lot of cards, I’ll only look at cards sent from Austria. When that’s done, I check their favourites. Maybe I have a card from there?
- I sleep over it.
- I pick the card and take it to work with me. Sometimes I take 2 or 3 options with me and let my co-workers decide when I can’t make up my mind.
- I start by writing the address. If there are no pre-printed lines, I start at the bottom. Then I place the stamp(s). Finally,I write the message after reading the profile again. I normally do this while I’m on break, but if it’s an especially slow day and I’m alone in the office, I write during normal working hours.
- I make sure to get the card into the mailbox before 4pm or else it won’t be picked up that day. There’s one just around the corner of where I work.
- In the evening I upload a picture of the card.
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What do you do about the address you don’t want to send to? From the way you’ve written that, it looks as though you’re only writing a postcard to the addresses that you like and ignoring the addresses that displease you.
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Oh no, not at all. I send a card every time I draw an address. I’ve just recently had a lot of cards going to the USA and it’s sloooow. So I’ll just draw a second address and if I’m still annoyed, I might pick a card for the second person first. But then I go back to address number one and pick a nice card for that person as well. And once I’ve read the profile, I’ve forgotten all about being annoyed.
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That’s good. You had me worried there for a minute! 
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I only have time for Postcrossing in the weekends, and I usually write about 20-30 postcards in one go, so here’s my simple Postcrossing ritual.
- Table-prepping - I will start with arranging the postcard box + stationery + stamps + label-printer + stickers + washi tapes within reach.
- Start drawing addresses on Postcrossing. I will match each postcard to each profile (and on each blank postcard I write the ID with a pencil.)
- Stick stamps + stickers + washi tape on each postcard, subjected to user’s profile/preferences.
- Label every postcard with the Postcard-ID at least twice.
- Include the date, weather and my name.
- Read the profile again, and I write the content (body text) accordingly. If it’s a blank profile, I will write something really really really generic.
- If it is a really interesting profile, or if I have extra time - I will paint/draw/doodle something on the card.
- Complete the card with the mailing address
- Place my outgoing postcards in a plastic Ziploc bag (To prevent water damage) and only remove them when I am at the posting box
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I do the same 
I got an address to a person who likes theme I don’t have.
Then they list they don’t want this, this, this, this, this, this etc.
I got annoyed by the “etc” 
I thought since they are so specific, don’t stop there, write all and don’t leave me guessing what is your etc.
So I took another address, wrote it, and after that looked at the first one again, and had to laugh at myself, it was just an etc, maybe they add it after every list.
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I usually write my official Postcrossing cards on days off or at weekends. For 2024, I’ve decided to only write new cards 1-3 times a month and reserve the resulting free slots for the annual Postcards for Literacy campaign 
Otherwise, I’ll use the available slots, read the profiles and try to find suitable postcards - this is usually difficult with my postcard stack, which is deliberately kept small (based on topics!), but for cost reasons I avoid a large topic stack… then I write the addresses and for many slots I print the addresses 
If the addresses are in Japanese, Chinese and Cyrillic script, I also print out the addresses - sometimes these address versions are faster… Then I write the cards, stamp on them and send them to the mailbox the next day
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I always try to prepare cards when I am in my good mood. That would be my number one before I draw an address or participate in a tag.
I have a small room, so sometimes I gotta do a quick desk and room clean up session to make enough room for me to take out my postcards box, stamp album, sticker box, and washi tape collection. I love the preparing postcards times, picking the right card and stamps for members.
I am definitely a messy postcard preparer/writer so I always have to do another big session of putting things where they were after my post-crossing time 
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So my routine is getting an address, reading his/her profile completely.
Pick the card as best as i can considering the wishlist. Address, stamps, ID, If the person has the same interest(s) as me i will write about that. Like if the person loves reading i will give some book recommendations. Than i will search for stickers and washi what matched their profile as well. As good as i can.
After the card is finished i will take a photo of the front and the back and store those in my folders. Which you can see here on my post above.
I mostly try to fullfil the wishes as best as i can. But one thing i am never doing although they may have asked for it, is put the card into an envelope.
Making one card will already costs me about 30 min or more. I am not going to search for an envelope which might fit a postcard. And maybe i can’t even find an envelope with the right size.
Why not just buy a standard pack of cheap C6 envelopes and keep them with your postcards, stickers, stamps & washi tape? 
Do they not sell them in the Netherlands? They sell them in supermarkets, stationery stores, post offices & on Amazon here in the UK.
It seems such a shame when you go to so much effort to please someone & then risk the card getting ruined or not arriving at all (as often that is the reason people ask for an envelope) just because you’d have to ‘search for’ an envelope x
Because buying the cards and stamps is already costing me enough. The stamps are getting even more expensive again in July. And besides that, it’s postcrossing. It is not a rule to use an envelope.
I only use an envelope for the tea tag, but with that i will use a double card as well.
I think i do more than enough to try to fullfil all their wishes
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But surely the time & money you so kindly spent is wasted if their card arrives damaged? Or does not arrive at all!
To avoid that i think than everybody on this site would put the cards into envelopes
Because i can as well receive damaged cards.
And it hasn’t happened yet with my normal cards. Haven’t heard anyone say that they received it damaged. (only one card came damaged, but that was a very oddly shaped card).
Do you send every card in an envelope??
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No, I don’t, because I’ve found most people prefer their cards sent without an envelope (I don’t mind either way so I leave it up to the sender to decide) but when people ask me to on their profile because many of their cards have arrived damaged, I always do.
You said it was because you didn’t want to search for an envelope & might not be able to find one, I was just trying to be helpful, most postcards fit in a standard C6 envelope
Goodnight x
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I guess I’m one of the persons who prefers to get their postcards without an envelope, at least with official Postcrossing.
Maybe it is because of my inner mental picture of how a postcard “should” look like with a stamp and all, because I’m used to it in this way. And it is connected to good memories of when we sent postcards from vacation when I was still a child many years back
And the possibility that cards get damaged is for me just a natural part and a thing to wonder where on the journey the scars happened 
and does not change how much I value the card. Just want to point that out, although being offtopic and knowing that you just wanted to help with good envelope size 
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