The Duo now turn their attention to another kind of output--the kind you send out to get. Steve kicks it off by producing something you've probably never seen before: the Digital Duo commemorative postage stamp. What, you thought the Post Office only did commemorative stamps for dead people? You're right, actually. But companies such as Stamps.com and Zazzle.com cheat on that rule. They let you create stamps from your own photos and artwork, even if the subjects of those works are alive.
These are real stamps, approved for use by that same U.S. Postal Service. And the companies charge a pretty penny for them. A sheet of 20 first-class 37-cent stamps will cost you 17 bucks, which is nearly 85 cents a shot for the joy of vanity. Of course, there are quantity discounts, and if you buy 100 sheets at a time, your 37-cent stamps will cost you a mere ... 60 cents. "Who buys these things?" asks Angela.
So you'll buy cheaper Christmas cards to make up the difference, counters Steve. But you've got to be a bit careful with the photos or art you intend to put on those pricey stamps. Stamps.com says you have to agree not to send anything unlawful or "obscene, offensive, blasphemous, pornographic, sexually suggestive, deceptive, threatening, menacing, abusive, harmful, an invasion of privacy, supportive of unlawful action, defamatory, libelous, vulgar, violent, or otherwise objectionable." And you can't violate trademark or copyright either, adds Angela. But if Stamps.com rejects your order, it can charge you a $10 processing fee. Zazzle.com's terms of use don't seem to include the word "offensive," but the service has even more specific no-nos than Stamps.com. They just go on and on.
But assuming you can afford the freight and you don't want stamps of a celebrity, or a felon, or a misdemeanorist, or a politician, or a religious figurehead--hey, you're in luck! Pick the photo you want and upload it to the service. You can rotate the image, flip it, zoom in or out, and change the border color. And you can change the postage amount to make it for postcards or express packages, though you'll pay even more for that.
Stamps.com produces only horizontal stamps with a square image portion. Zazzle.com gives you a rectangular image area that's more like what most cameras take and lets you do both vertical and horizontal stamps. And Zazzle.com lets you overlay text on your image in a great variety of fonts and colors. (Lovely, grumbles Angela: Every bridezilla broad in America just had a great idea for her wedding invitations. And yes, she actually says this in the video clip. Fan mail to the usual address.)
Meanwhile, it only starts with stamps. These days you can plaster your images on just about anything else you can think of. Holiday greeting cards? No problem. Photo albums? You can create photo books using IPhoto on the Mac or a whole bunch of services on the Web like Snapfish. Cookies? In the mail. Decorated cakes? Well, believe it or not, you can get edible photo paper and edible photo inks that plug right into your Canon inkjet printer, and according to the company they are not only Food and Drug Administration-approved, but kosher.
For more traditional goods, one site with an excellent range of clothing and gifts you can buy is CafePress.com. It offers custom aprons, tote bags, boxer shorts, bibs, T-shirts--even T-shirts for your dog. Not to mention beer steins and messenger bags, an ineffably salubrious combination. Kodak offers playing cards. Snapfish will let you customize a cutting board, a scarf, or a golf towel. Several companies will turn that adorable little kitty of yours into a giant throw or afghan. Narcissistic? Maybe, but Angela points out that some folks make great use of such sites and services for charitable fund-raisers--a kind of output that benefits everyone.
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