Some things still have to arrive on paper. A notice to your landlord. A letter to a grandparent who doesn’t do email. A copy of a form that a government office will only accept by mail. And somehow these always come up when you don’t have a printer, envelopes or stamps in the house.

You can do the whole thing from your phone.

When a printed letter beats email

  • Formal notices. Lease terminations, repair requests and disputes are often supposed to be in writing, and a printed letter gives you a paper trail.
  • People who don’t live online. Older relatives, and friends or family who are incarcerated, often can only receive mail or simply prefer it.
  • Paperwork that asks for a hard copy. Some offices, schools and insurers still want documents mailed in.
  • Things worth keeping. Photos, recipes and long notes are nicer to hold than to scroll.

The old way

Write it, find a printer (library, office store, a friend), buy envelopes and stamps, then find a mailbox or post office. For one letter, that can eat an afternoon.

The phone way, with Inktoss

  1. Write or save your letter as a file. Any PDF, Word document or image works. Most phones can save a note or document as a PDF from the share menu.
  2. Upload it in the Inktoss app. Pick the pages and print options.
  3. Enter the delivery address. It can be your own address or the recipient’s. Inktoss prints it and mails it directly to them.
  4. Pay and you’re done. Orders ship the next business day, then Standard shipping ($1.49) typically takes 3–5 business days in the mail. Every option includes tracking, and Expedited and Rush are faster.

What it costs

$0.29 a page, color or black and white, plus $1.49 shipping. A one-page letter comes to $1.78, and a 5-page document to $2.94. There’s no subscription and nothing to buy up front.

A note on privacy

Your file is stored securely for 30 days in case a reprint is needed, then automatically deleted. It’s never shared or sold.

Tips for a letter that lands well

  • Put the recipient’s name and the date at the top, and your contact details at the bottom.
  • For formal notices, keep a copy of the PDF you sent and note the order date.
  • Photos print well, so add one if the letter is for family.

Ready to send one? Download Inktoss for iPhone or get it on Google Play.