Apps help users send paper greeting cards from a digital world

Woe, the end of letter writing.

Penmanship pushed aside amid a sea of e-mail and text messages. The U.S. Postal Service in decline. Congratulations offered via Facebook. E-cards mark the holidays.

To the delight of grandparents and stationery lovers everywhere, the digital revolution has come full circle. A whole slew of smartphone and tablet apps aim to make sending an old-fashioned card — on real paper, delivered by a mail carrier — as easy as tapping out an e-mail.

"Amaze your friends and family with your thoughtfulness and creativity," says Treat Cards, an app from Shutterfly.

The bar isn't too high when the mailbox is mostly bills and junk.

There's Postagram for turning Instagram snaps into postcards. Ink, RedStamp and Touchnote also turn digital photos into picture postcards with typewritten messages. That's just the beginning.

Seeking something more formal in an envelope? Apple's Cards app offers letterpress cards that can be customized with a photo and a message.

Felt, an iPad app, takes it a step further, letting you choose a blank card and write the entire message (or doodle) inside with your finger or a stylus.

"We don't mean to brag or trick anyone, but our printers lay down the ink in a way that looks a whole lot like it was written by you with a real pen," says the Felt website.

The apps are free to download, but sending a card costs $1 to $5 including postage.

Just don't wait until the last minute.

It still takes a couple of days for the postal delivery service to get your greeting to the mailbox.