Journal · 5 min read

How to write a postcard, and what to write on one

What to write on a postcard: the back of a photo postcard with a short message to Grandma
Two sentences about tomatoes, then a name. That's a whole postcard.

How do you write a postcard?

Write on the left half of the back: a greeting, one or two specific sentences (something that happened, something you noticed), and a sign-off. The right half is for the address and stamp. Short beats long.

How to write a postcard

Here's how to write a postcard, in order. The back splits down the middle: words on the left, address on the right.

Diagram of a postcard back: greeting, one specific thing and sign-off on the left; stamp in the top right corner and the address below it
  • Greeting: their name is enough. "Dear Grandma," or just "Grandma,".
  • One specific thing: something that happened or something you noticed. It only has to make sense to them.
  • Sign-off and your name. Their address goes on the right half, with the stamp in the top right corner.

For exactly where the address and stamp go, see how to address a postcard.

That's the whole format. The hard part is the middle line, so the rest of this page is lines you can borrow.

What to write on a postcard, by who it's for

Pick who it's for and why you're writing, then tap Copy. Under each line is the one detail to change so it's about your person.

Narrow 48 messages

Showing 48 of 48 messages

Swap the detail under a line for your own and it stops being ours.

Postcard messages for Grandma and Grandpa

  • Grandma, I planted your tomatoes on the porch. Three are red already and I ate one standing up.

    Change this bit: what you grew or made

  • Grandpa, I did the Sunday crossword without you and got stuck on 14 across. Call me.

    Change this bit: the thing you do together

  • We're at the lake all week. Owen caught his first fish and needs you to know it was huge.

    Change this bit: the trip and the kid's big moment

  • Thank you for the birthday money, Grandma. It went straight to new cleats, and I scored on Saturday.

    Change this bit: what the gift turned into

  • Happy 89th, Grandpa! Still the only person who beats me at checkers. Rematch soon.

    Change this bit: their age and your game

  • Grandpa, I tried your chili recipe. The smoke alarm says hi.

    Change this bit: the recipe that went sideways

  • Nana, Ellie lost her first tooth and made us promise to tell you before anyone else.

    Change this bit: the kid's news

  • Sunday calls aren't the same as your kitchen. Save me a seat in June.

    Change this bit: when you'll visit next

  • Grandpa, I changed a flat by myself on Tuesday, in the rain. I heard your voice the whole time.

    Change this bit: the thing they taught you

  • Here's this week's photo, Grandma: the twins at the park, both refusing to wear hats.

    Change this bit: what's in the photo

Polka-dot postcard back to Nana saying Ellie lost her first tooth and wanted Nana told first, with a photo of a girl baking on the front
Kid news goes to the grandparents first.

Postcard messages for a friend

  • Greetings from Austin. I found the taco truck you told me about. You were right, as usual.

    Change this bit: the city and the tip they gave you

  • Our Thursday walks have been very quiet since you moved. The ducks miss you too.

    Change this bit: your old routine

  • Saw a man walking a cat on a leash today and thought of you immediately.

    Change this bit: the odd thing you saw

  • How's the new place? Send me a photo of the view so I can be jealous properly.

    Change this bit: what they just started

  • Rome update: lost four times, gelato five times. I'm calling that a win.

    Change this bit: your trip, in numbers

  • Happy birthday! Thirty-five looks good on you. Dinner's on me when I'm back in town.

    Change this bit: their age and your plan

  • Our song came on at the grocery store and I sang the whole thing in aisle nine.

    Change this bit: the song and where you heard it

  • The beach is perfect and the book you lent me is even better. I'll give it back. Probably.

    Change this bit: where you are and what they lent you

Pink postcard back to a friend who moved away: the Thursday walks are quiet and the ducks miss you too, signed Jess
The routine you shared is the message.

Postcard messages for Mom and Dad

  • Made your lemon chicken for friends last night. Everyone wanted the recipe. I said it's a family secret.

    Change this bit: the dish you made

  • Maine is cold and beautiful. Dad, I finally see why you wanted to come here every summer.

    Change this bit: the place and who loved it first

  • Thank you for driving six hours to help us move. The couch fits. Barely.

    Change this bit: the favor and how it turned out

  • Mom, I keep reaching for the phone to tell you small things. So here's one: the basil finally grew.

    Change this bit: the small news

  • Dad, I fixed the leaky faucet myself. It only took three trips to the hardware store.

    Change this bit: the job you finally did

  • Thank you for taking the kids last weekend. They came home talking about pancakes and a very late bedtime.

    Change this bit: what the kids loved

Postcard messages for a kid away from home

  • The dog still waits by your door every afternoon at four. So do I, a little.

    Change this bit: who's waiting at home

  • Your room is exactly how you left it, mostly because none of us dare go in.

    Change this bit: the state of their room

  • Hope camp is all s'mores and no mosquitoes. Write back and tell us your cabin name.

    Change this bit: where they are

  • Dinner is too quiet without you arguing about the playlist. Proud of you. Come home hungry.

    Change this bit: what's quieter without them

  • Friendly reminder: the washing machine has a dial. You turn it. We love you.

    Change this bit: the chore they're learning

  • Good luck on Friday's chem exam. You've got this, and there's pie when you're home.

    Change this bit: the test and the reward

Pale blue postcard back from Mom and Dad saying dinner is too quiet without the playlist arguments, over a photo of a dad and son at a soccer game
A photo from home on the front, one line on the back.

Postcard messages for your partner

  • Day three in Denver. The hotel coffee is bad and the bed is too big without you.

    Change this bit: the city and what's missing

  • Twelve more days. I'm crossing them off the fridge calendar in red pen.

    Change this bit: how long until you're together

  • No reason for this card. I just like you, and I wanted it in writing.

    Change this bit: add the reason, if there is one

  • You still make my coffee before you make yours. I notice every morning.

    Change this bit: the small thing they do

  • Watched the sunset from the pier tonight and saved you the left side of the bench.

    Change this bit: the view

Postcard messages for a pen pal or a stranger

  • Hello from Ohio! I'm a librarian with two cats and a garden that's mostly weeds. What's your town like?

    Change this bit: where you live and two facts about you

  • It snowed here this morning, the first of the year. What's the weather where this card lands?

    Change this bit: today's weather

  • I found this card in a tiny shop in Vermont. The owner says that's the town's oldest bridge.

    Change this bit: where you got the card and what's on it

  • Our town is known for apple butter. If you ever visit, go to the Saturday market.

    Change this bit: what your town is known for

  • Writing this on a train to Milwaukee. The man beside me is knitting a very long scarf.

    Change this bit: where you're writing from

Short postcard messages for anyone

  • Thinking of you on a Tuesday, for no reason.

    Change this bit: the day

  • The lilacs are out. I thought you'd want to know.

    Change this bit: what's blooming or changing

  • Sunny here. You'd like it.

    Change this bit: the weather where you are

  • Just saying hi, from me and the dog.

    Change this bit: who else is saying hi

  • Still proud of you. That's the whole card.

    Change this bit: what you're proud of, if you want to say

  • No big news. I just miss your laugh.

    Change this bit: the thing you miss

  • The cat sends regards. Reluctantly.

    Change this bit: the pet

  • Look who's walking now.

    Change this bit: the milestone in the photo

How to end a postcard

The sign-off is the last thing they read. Pick one that sounds like you, then add your name.

  • Love,The default for family
  • Miss you,When distance is the point
  • Talk Sunday,Names the next call
  • Wish you were here,The classic, from a trip
  • Hugs to everyone,For a whole household
  • More soon,Promises another card
  • Proud of you,For a kid away from home
  • See you in June,Swap in the real month
  • Cheers,Friendly, not mushy
  • Yours,Warm and a little old-fashioned
  • Write back!For a pen pal
  • Your favorite grandkid,A joke they'll allow

What not to write on a postcard

A postcard travels open. Anyone who handles it on the way can read it, so keep three things off it.

  • Anything private: health news, money, anything you'd lower your voice to say.
  • The dates you'll be away. "Back on the 14th" tells a stranger the house is empty.
  • Anything you'd mind a roommate or neighbor reading first. Postcards get left on counters.

Writing to a stranger: Postcrossing

To write to someone you've never met, try Postcrossing. You mail a card to a random member, and another member mails one to you.

Joining is free; you pay for your own cards and stamps. We don't run it and get nothing for mentioning it.

Put it on a real postcard

A line this short fits on the back of a 4x6 photo postcard, with this week's photos on the front.

Send a real postcard from your phone: you pick the photos and the font, and we print it, add the postage and mail it.

Sending for a birthday or a holiday? Please allow up to 15 days. USPS can run a little slow, especially in December.

Writing for a birthday? Birthday postcards are made the same way.

For someone far away, miss you cards say it without an occasion.

Writing to someone who's ill? Get well cards have their own lines and their own tone.

Summer plans? Here's how to send letters to grandkids at camp.

For the holidays, there's a separate bank of Christmas card messages, sorted the same way.

And for November, Thanksgiving card messages, from the host thank-you to family far away.

Frequently asked questions

What's a cute thing to write on a postcard?
Something small and true: "Ellie lost her first tooth and made us promise to tell you first." Cute comes from the detail, not from the word cute.
What do you write on a postcard to a friend?
Something only the two of you would get, like the place they told you to try or the joke nobody else understands. Then sign off with your name.
How long should a postcard message be?
Two to four sentences is plenty. Our 4x6 cards take up to 420 characters, roughly 80 words, but most good messages use half that.
Do you put the date on a postcard?
You can, and it's a nice touch on a card someone keeps. Write it small above the greeting. Just don't write the dates you'll be away from home.
Can you write on the picture side of a postcard?
Yes. USPS rules define the address side, the one with the address and postage (Domestic Mail Manual 101, 6.2.8), and set no rule for the picture side. Keep writing off the address area.