Grad gifts bypass cash for cachet

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They'll need stationery for those thank-you notes. Lend a hand, and have fun doing it at PosePrints.com, where you can create a lookalike image of your favorite grad from a range of facial features and accessories (which include mortar boards) and backdrops that include preppy polka dots, skylines and a martini glass (not recommended; we're just sayin' … ). $2 each; minimum of 15 cards; turnaround in three to five business days. (HANDOUT)

Cash gifts are a no-brainer for high school or college graduates. But Derek Blasberg, the 28-year-old author of the new book "Classy: Exceptional Advice for the Extremely Modern Lady" (Razorbill, $16.99) warns that recipients may not benefit in the manner intended. "Often, before they know it (and probably before they write a thank-you note, tsk tsk), that money will be spent," he wrote in an e-mail. "Maybe think about buying this person a stock, or at the very least writing a check, so it won't immediately turn into a tip for the cute bartender." Cash also doesn't look particularly imaginative, Blasberg says. Instead, he suggests more personal gifts. Here are some options. --Wendy Donahue, Tribune Newspapers