Postage Gets Persona (NAPSA)—The next great American to be featured on a postage stamp could be you—ora family member, friend or virtually anyoneelse you know. That’s because people can now create their own customized, usable U.S. postage. The postage, called YourStamps, can be a great way to send out mailings for the holidays, a wedding, birthday or anniversary. Whether you include a photo of yourself, a child or even a particularly photogenic pet, the postage can help personalize most any message. YourStamps are real U.S. postage that feature your own digital photos or artwork and your words. You can create the customized postage at Fujifilm’s www. YourStamps.com website, and pick up your finished postage at a local store or have them mailed to you. Here are some creative ways to use YourStamps: Great Gifts—What grandparent wouldn’t love a set of stamps featuring his or her favorite grandkids? And you certainly don’t need to mail YourStamps— they can also be framed to create a personal piece of art. In addition, YourStamps can be used in scrapbooks and othercrafts. Get Down To Business— Businesses can use YourStampsto announce new products, promote special offers or services, or showcase their logo. Fundraisers can use the customized postage to raise awareness of their message. Any graphic or promotional message (within the bounds of good taste and U.S.P.S. content restrictions) can be placed front and center on YourStamps. Plus, the postage is larger than standard-sized postage stamps so your message is more likely to draw attention. People can nowcreate their own real U.S. postage. Stamp 101 Stamps have been used to celebrate special events and people since a British schoolteacher, Rowland Hill, first invented lick- and-stick stamps back in 1837. Hill got knighted for his efforts and Great Britain released the first postage stamp in 1840. The U.S.A. began producing its own stamps in 1847, featuring portraits of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. Stamps quickly became valued as tiny worksof art, and citizens clamored to have particular subjects honored on postage. The U.S. filters these suggestions through The Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee. The dozen members of the committee review about 50,000 postage pro- posals a year; only 35 or so of these ideas actually become stamps. Happily, you no longer need committee approval to celebrate what matters to you on your postage. Just visit http:// www. YourStamps.com, upload your favorite image, add a border and the perfect caption or message, and then place yourorder.
