"American Idol," whose voting system helped popularize text-messaging, is going old-school with its newest communication concept: U.S. postage stamps featuring the show's winners.

As part of the "Idol Gives Back" fundraising effort, stamps featuring the six Idols and this year's winner will be available to fans. If the limited editions — 100,000 20-stamp sheets for each Idol — sell out, "Idol Gives Back" would get about $7 million, "Idol" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe says.

That would be a step toward topping last year's $76 million raised for foreign and domestic charities, says Lythgoe, who hopes to break $100 million. The stamps are "a great idea, especially for philatelists. I think it's a little bit iconic, too. It's great for "Idol."

Ryan Seacrest announced the stamp act Wednesday on Fox's "Idol Gives Back" broadcast (results show is tonight).

The stamps are not being sold in post offices. They're available online only at Photo Stamps (photo.stamps.com or linked via AmericanIdol.com), a product of Stamps.com, which offers USPS-approved, Internet-based postage services.

The first-class mail stamps are not U.S. Postal Service commemoratives, which are approved after a process that includes public nominations — individuals must be deceased — and evaluation by the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee.

Kelly Clarkson stamps are now available; each 20-stamp sheet has four images of the first Idol. The next five Idols — Ruben Studdard, Fantasia, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks and Jordin Sparks — will be released on the next five Tuesdays. Another set will come out when a new Idol is named in May.

Each sheet is $19.99; proceeds go to "Idol Gives Back", save for the cost of the stamps ($8.40 a sheet based on the 42-cent rate taking effect May 12), shipping and processing, says Ray Manzella, a Stamps.com consultant who came up with the idea.

Each stamp sheet will feature the name of one of the 50 states, with each state allotted 2,000 sheets for each Idol. Online buyers, however, can purchase from any state's allotment.

"It will have a way you can see when each state is sold out," Manzella says. Selling out each state "is a nice competition to have when people are giving money to such a great cause."