Real pen vs printed handwriting.
Not every handwritten card is written. Some services print a handwriting font with a digital printer. Here is how to tell, and what the services themselves say.
How to tell them apart
- Run a finger over it. A pen presses ink into the paper; you can feel a faint groove. Print sits flat on top.
- Look at the ink. Pen ink varies in weight along a stroke and pools slightly at the start and end. Printed text is uniform.
- Compare repeated letters. A font draws every "e" from the same shape. Handwriting changes letters with the word around them.
- Ask for a sample. Any real-pen service should mail you one.
What the services say
From each company's own pages on October 25, 2026:
| Service | How the handwriting is made |
|---|---|
| notecardHQ | Robot with a real pen, every word read back by OCR first |
| Handwrytten | Robots with real pens (source) |
| Simply Noted | Robots with real ballpoint pens (source) |
| thanks.io | A "fully automated digital printing process" per its help center (source) |
Does it matter?
For a postcard sent to thousands of prospects, a printed font is cheaper and may be enough. For a thank-you, a milestone or a welcome to someone who already knows you, the point is that a real pen touched the card. That is the moment people notice, and the one they keep. More in robot-written cards vs handwriting fonts.
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