There’s no ignoring that the holidays are creeping closer. It’s time to take that family portrait, write those greeting cards and send our annual updates and well-wishes on their way to our loved-ones.
But if you’re like me, the idea of hand addressing 100+ cards to family and friends, and stuffing envelopes seems like madness.
But for just 60¢ each (when you order in bulk), sending a 4-page glossy family newsletter is much more fun and affordable and you can you can save the wasted hours and annoying paper cuts from stuffing envelopes.
We’ve created six holiday newsletter templates to get you started so you can spend more time enjoying a cup of hot cocoa and playing with the kids.
How it Works
A 4-page publication costs just 80¢ when ordered individually and drops to 60¢ when you order in bulk of 20 or more copies. So you can create a 4-page newsletter and ship them anywhere in the US for about $1.70. Better yet you don’t have to brave the crowds at the post office or lick a single stamp.
Using MagCloud’s “Ship to Group” Feature
The “Ship to Group” feature lets you mail publications to multiple recipients with a single order. That means you can design your newsletter, upload it to MagCloud, and let MagCloud handle distributing copies to everyone on your list.
Shipping each copy costs more than a USPS stamp, (it’s about $1.09 domestic) but when you consider each copy only costs you $0.60 (when you order 20 or more copies)–spending less than $1.70 for 4-full-color pages, delivered to your loved ones with just a few clicks of the mouse–is easily worth it!
If you need help working with Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Word, or Apple iWork Pages check out previous posts on working with each application in our ‘tips and tricks’ section.
For a basic template that maximizes your space for a family newsletter, and gives you the ease of “Ship to Group,” check these out:
Preview the InDesign (Ship to Group) Newsletter Template
DOWNLOAD the InDesign CS4 or newer (Ship to Group) Newsletter Template
Preview the Word (Ship to Group) Newsletter Template
DOWNLOAD the Word (Ship to Group) Newsletter Template
Preview the Pages (Ship to Group) Newsletter Template
DOWNLOAD the Pages (Ship to Group) Newsletter Template
Ship it Yourself:
If you prefer to put a little extra love into your mailing, want to sign your name, add a sticker or simply put a personal note in a few of your messages, then use one of the “Fold and Ship” Holiday templates. These have an address area for you to adhere address labels and a stamp, and are intended to be folded to a 8.25″ x 5.375″ size and sealed so that they can be mailed with a 44¢ 1st-class stamp.
This template style requires that you order a bulk order to be shipped to youself, and then you handle folding them in half and mailing. While this process can save you a bit of money–these averages about $1.35 per letter–(depending on stickers, address labels and postage) it’s more time consuming.
Preview the InDesign (Fold and Mail) Newsletter Template
DOWNLOAD the InDesign CS4 or newer (Fold and Mail) Newsletter Template
Preview the Word (Fold and Mail) Newsletter Template
DOWNLOAD the Word (Fold and Mail) Newsletter Template
Preview the Pages (Fold and Mail) Newsletter Template
DOWNLOAD the Pages (Fold and Mail) Newsletter Template
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
How Do I Create a Group Order?
Simply create an address group in your MagCloud address book (Account>Address book>Add New Group). Name your group — clients, friends, family, vendors etc — and select group members from existing recipients in your address book.
Once your recipients and group are ready, add the newsletter to your cart. Set the quantity to the number intended for each recipient, not the total for all recipients. For example, if you are sending 1 copy to 20 recipients you should set the quantity to 1.
When you get to the shipping page, click “Select from Address Book »”, choose your address group and complete checkout. That’s it! Costs will be displayed for the total order including all recipients.
Can I upload my own mailing list to my MagCloud address book?
Not currently, but that is a feature we hope to offer in a future site update.
Have more questions about Shipping or Publishing through MagCloud?
Check out our Help Section and Shipping FAQ.
Publisher's Corner 
Great idea!
Love the Word and other templates that accompany the ideas and suggestions! This really helps with design for the non-professional designers. Keep ’em coming!
Thanks Rochelle!
I’m so glad to hear you like them! Keep checking back for more tips, tricks and templates!
I’m excited about this feature. I think I will be using this often. I’m glad MagCloud is making it easy to feel that the printed page is not dead. I know I love to sit down in my big easy chair with a cup of tea and read a real printed page – be it a book, magazine or newsletter.
I love this idea. I’ll be looking into it right away.
We re-designed the template so that it looks like a regular card from the outside, but then opens up to the newsletter after they open the card. Of course, this means you can’t print the address on the outside of the card, so we put them in 6×9″ “catalog” envelopes. A 28 lb. envelope and the MagCloud letter are exactly one ounce, and it’s easier to address the envelope, since the glossy stock from MagCloud requires a Sharpie. Quite looking forward to their arrival tomorrow.
Thanks Walter!
So great to hear about users taking my little inspiration and running with it!
Hope it worked out well!
-Lauren
Hi! It would be great if MagWorld would set up a spot somewhere that folks who tweak the design can post PDFs of their final product (with any personal info erased if needed of course). I would love to see Walter’s design!