How do I label an envelope correctly? This question might seem mundane, that is, before you have to send an important letter or a card.
Whether it’s a letter to your friend abroad or a piece of important paperwork, you might suddenly become aware of the fact that filling in an incorrect label might be costly.
The only way to prevent that from happening is by learning how to label an envelope so all the recipient details are clearly and legibly written in their designated spots.
However, doing this is often challenging. People can have strange names, you may not know their proper titles, and different countries and cities title their streets and blocks in the most peculiar ways.
Often, it’s difficult to tell which information belongs where when it comes proper envelope labeling. Where is the stamp supposed to go? How do you send the letter to someone working in an organization?
How are you supposed to send proper mail when the designated recipient works through an intermediary or when you don’t know who will receive the letter before turning it over to its rightful owner? How do you avoid common mistakes with labeling?
Did you know that well-addressed envelopes arrived at their recipient’s successfully even when carried by cats? That’s right! There was a time in 19th century Belgium when cats were used as postal workers, and a few of them did a good job despite lacking health and dental insurance.
Most of the mail failed though, but who would blame them when there was no mention of a paycheck?
Luckily for you, you can rely on cheap, human postal service—that is, if you do your part right. This post will show you the exact steps for correct envelope labeling.
How to Label an Envelope: Six Steps for Seamless Mailing
Missing deadlines, losing job or education opportunities, or leaving your loved one wondering why they’re not hearing from you are only some of the negative consequences of incorrect labeling.
Being knowledgeable about proper mail posting is important for more than one reason. It universally ensures that the letter will be delivered to the right address, regardless of who carries it.
Step #1: Write the Return Address
Your return address must be legible so that the letter gets back to you in case it’s not delivered. To do this, you should lay the envelope with its flap facing down on a flat surface. This means that the front of the envelope should face upward or toward you.
Your first instinct might be to place the envelope top-to-bottom, but this is wrong—it should lay down longways. Now it’s time to correctly position your return address.
If you’re writing on an average-size business envelope, it should measure 4 1/8 inches by 9 1/8 inches. The “longer” sides of the envelope should be positioned horizontally before you start writing.
Write down your title and return address in the top left corner. This will ensure that the letter gets back to you if it doesn’t reach the recipient for any reason. It should contain three legible lines:
- Your complete legal name so that the carrier can recognize it by your mailing address
- Your mailing address, including the apartment number, street name, or a post office box
- Your city and state name followed by the postal (zip) code
Step #2: Write the Mailing Address
The recipient’s information should be written on the front side of the envelope. This side is typically smoother, although this doesn’t have to apply to all envelopes. The mailing address will consist of three legible lines—similar to the return address—and you’ll write it in the envelope’s center. Below, we will go through each of the lines.
The recipient’s name, starting with their title. You can address your envelope to “Mr.,” Mrs.,” “Mr. & Mrs.,” and you can address unmarried women with “Miss.” If you don’t know a women’s title, you can address the letter to “Ms.” depending on the social circle, omitting to add titles to the letter, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be added in. If the recipient doesn’t provide a title when giving you their mailing address, omitting it shouldn’t be a major social faux pas.
If you’re writing to a company or a facility, you’ll write the recipient’s name in the second line after adding the abbreviation “ATTN.” In this case, the company name should be written in the first line. Doing so will ensure that the right individual in an organization receives your letter. You can add extra security to your letter by highlighting “EXCLUSIVE FOR:” and then add the recipient’s name.
If you’re addressing a letter to a person who will handle it, and not a direct recipient—like an administrative assistant—add an abbreviation “c/o” instead of “ATTN.”
Next, write the recipient’s street address. Depending on the recipient’s name and title, this could be either a second or a third line. The address must include all relevant information, from apartment/building number, to street/line name, state, city, and zip code. Include any relevant directions provided by the recipient.
Writing an exact address is perhaps more important than hitting the name and titles. If the letter is sent to the right address, there’s less chance that it will be returned than if the carrier delivers it to the wrong address.
If you’re sending mail within your own state or country, you may not have to write the country name; but, if you’re sending internationally, this step is compulsory.
Step #3: Make Sure to Include All of the Information
Some mailing addresses, like military ones, require a bit of extra information. You will have to include their middle name, PSC and unit numbers, or a ship name. Instead of using a city name, you are to add Army post office, fleet post office, or diplomatic post office names.
The state name is replaced with abbreviations AP, AE, or AA, and the zip code number should contain an abbreviation “+4” after the full number.
Step #4: Add the Right Postage Stamp
You might have to lick some stamps to adhere them onto the letter but not all of them require doing this. When sending your letters, think about whether you’re comfortable having to do this, and see if there’s an alternative.
Allergies and squeamishness about licking stamps are frequent in people, so see if you can find self-adhesive stamps. On top of that, some stamps come with different smells and tastes, so if you’re not squeamish about licking, the process can even be fun!
Aside from making your letter smell and taste well, you can also make it sing! Did you know that Bhutan once produced a postage stamp that played the country’s national anthem?
Although it was done a single time in 1973, it shows that there can be a lot of fun to send letters if one thinks outside the box. Still, even a singing, tasty stamp must be placed properly on the envelope to follow through with local and international regulations.
The number, type, and price of your stamps will depend on the recipient’s address. Most countries require stamps for sending through postal services. If you’re sending a business letter, you’ll likely only need a single stamp. However, an additional stamp will be needed if the letter is over an ounce in weight.
Step #5: Calculate the Correct Postage Rates
Postage rates vary by country, recipients, letter weight, and—of course—whether you’re sending a letter locally or internationally. There are a couple of ways to find out how much postage will cost:
- You can ask directly in your local post office.
- You can calculate the postage costs on the postal service’s website.
- Keep track of stamp prices. Stamps can vary in cost from everywhere between $0.55 to $1.55. If you used to send mail frequently and have purchased a stock of stamps but haven’t been sending mail in a while, the stamps might be outdated or insufficient.
One of the ways to prevent sudden costs is to buy Forever Stamps, which you can then use to send first-class letters regardless of any price changes.
Step #6: Place the Stamp(s) Correctly
With the top left corner filled with your return address and its middle occupied by the mailing address, the top right corner is reserved for stamps. Do not, by any means, place a stamp over either of the two addresses—you shouldn’t write over stamps.
Step #7: Mail the Letter
When it comes to mailing a letter, getting the right return and mailing addresses are your responsibility; but, for everything else, you can count on the assistance in your local post office.
Once upon a time, you weren’t limited to inanimate objects for enjoying postal services. If you lived in 1914, you’d be able to send a chicken, some non-perishable foods, and even children by the United States Postal Service! Yes, it’s hard to fathom how doing so would seem appropriate to anyone but it was.
However, doing this wasn’t as inhumane as it may seem. People sometimes chose to “mail” other people so that they’d be charged a lower fee than if they paid a train ticket.
Rules and regulations regarding postage stamps are a lot stricter nowadays, so forget about getting a cheap airplane ride by mailing yourself to a friend. Today, you have to be really careful about sending your shipment the right way. Nowadays, you need to be really clear and precise about the type of content you’re sending.
You can make posting fun but that doesn’t change its rules. In fact, post offices come in different shapes and sizes, much like envelopes and stamps. If you’re traveling across Michigan, for example, you can send your letters and postcards using a floating post office! Neat, right?
This post office has operated since 1948 and is located on a boat. The boat even houses numerous neat bookstore items like nautical charts and postcards. Still, you need to make sure to follow through with the necessary procedures first.
If you’re unsure about the number and type of stamps to use or can’t figure out how much postage will cost, you can count on help from the nearest post office.
Before turning the letter in, double-check if all the details are in place. You can either print the addresses on the envelope or write them by hand. If you choose to write by hand, make sure that your handwriting is clear and legible. If possible, make the letters as large as possible so that they’re easier for the carrier to read.
A Few More Tips on How to Label an Envelope
Verify the Mailing Address
The best way to write an accurate mailing address is to ask for it directly. Make sure to have asked your recipient how you should address the letter. This particularly goes if you’re sending the letter internationally.
Some cities have multiple streets under the same name, and the address line could require country, lane, block, building, and apartment numbers. It’s easy to miss out on these details if you’re guessing the recipient’s address based on their website or social media information.
Map Out the Label Layout
It’s easy to place all of the three key elements correctly on a larger envelope, but what if you’re sending a smaller one? In this case, you need enough space for the addresses to be written in clear, legible writing without taking up too much space for the stamp.
Before printing or writing on an envelope, try to form a mental picture of the maximum space to be used for return and mailing address. Ideally, the return address won’t take up more than half of the envelope’s length, and the mailing address should be further apart from the stamp since you can’t write over it.
If you feel like there might not be enough space for comfortable writing, you can first write with a pencil then erase and correct until you’ve achieved the right size, position, and legibility. Once you’re certain that you got everything right, you can then write over with an ink pen.
Remove Insecurity
Everything is repairable before you mail a letter. Ask in advance to remove any doubts about the accuracy of your labeling. This particularly goes to writing to facilities and organizations.
If the letter is of great significance to you, don’t hesitate to call customer service and go over the entire mailing address, from titles to abbreviations and zip codes.
It wouldn’t hurt to verify with the recipient once more before sending if they’re available. Remember, it’s always possible for a recipient to misspell their address, and even a simple typo can sometimes cause a lot of trouble!
How to Label an Envelope FAQ
Although seemingly simple, labeling envelopes is often a problem for many people. In fact, some of the common issues—which we’ll discuss below—are often behind lost shipments and missing letters. Here are the most common questions surrounding letter labeling:
What Are the Most Common Errors With Labeling an Envelope?
Mail gets lost all the time, and not all of the fault is on the postal service and your mailman. Here are the most common reasons why people fail to get their letter to the right destination:
- Improper Labeling. Believe it or not, people often forget to include all of the relevant information into their mailing address. Typos and misspellings tend to cause the most confusion, particularly when the letter is being sent internationally.
If your recipient has a name or a title that seems challenging to comprehend or spell correctly, double-check the spelling with them before sending the letter.
It became so common with people to use their nicknames instead of full names—or middle names as last names—that they might just forget to provide the full legal name.
As important as it is to use the recipient’s full legal name and title, it’s also important to not exclude any numbers or abbreviations from the address they provided. Even if extra instruction seems redundant, you should still use it in the mailing address to avoid confusion with delivery.
- Poor Handwriting. Printing return and mailing addresses is becoming more and more popular, as it ensures that the writing is clearly legible. There can simply be no confusion with letters printed out.
However, many people still choose to write their envelope labeling by hand, and there are a few reasons for that.
Paper stickers can get damaged during transportation, and depending on the quality of the print, the letters can smudge or fade. For this reason, many still prefer the good old pen for addressing letters.
When you’re filling in the information by hand, be extra cautious about your handwriting. Never write in cursive because this can make it difficult for the carrier to discern the right address. This particularly goes for international mailing if your recipient’s country uses a different alphabet.
Envelope design is another thing to watch out for. Your envelope might look beautiful, but if its design doesn’t support the mailing norms, this could cause trouble. For example, the designer might print out return and mailing address lines in the wrong place, and the same goes for stamps.
If you’re using an envelope with a design such as this, make sure to comfort with requirements. If you’re unsure whether they’ll be issues with how the envelope is shaped or printed, the easiest way to ease your worries is to simply ask.
Your postal service might tell you that the information must be placed as required, regardless of how the envelope is printed, or they might tell you that labeling slightly off-standard won’t be an issue. This depends on how each individual envelope is printed and designed.
How Do I Keep My Letter Safe?
- Be Honest About the Letter Contents. If you added a memento or a small object to your letter, let the post office know. They might suggest using a different envelope or even sending your mail as a package.
Trust the service providers for best advice since they’re experienced and knowledgeable in what they do. For example, you might be sending a filled-out form with your photograph. This would be common if you’re applying for a job or otherwise submitting paperwork.
In this case, you might need a sturdier envelope so that the sensitive content doesn’t fold or wrinkle while being transferred. Some people find it convenient to mail small pieces of jewelry or other tiny—but valuable—objects. This would be a mistake—any heavy or sharp objects might pierce through the envelope and get lost.
For this reason, don’t try to bypass rules and regulations. They are there to protect you, the shipment, and the recipient.
- Choose the Right Envelope Type. Envelopes come in different shapes, sizes, and qualities. For example, if you’re sending a hand-painted postcard, you’ll need an envelope with extra layers of protection against wrinkling and humidity.
Depending on what you’re sending, you might need to pay a little bit extra money for the letter to arrive safe and undamaged.
- Buy a Security Envelope. If the content of the letter is sensitive, and you don’t want anyone to look through the envelope and guess or see its content, it would be the best to get a security envelope.
Security envelopes have an extra layer of printed, patterned paper on the inside which makes it impossible to guess its contents. Yes, these envelopes cost a few cents more, but they guarantee that no one will see your account or social security number or get a glimpse of your lab test results.
How Do I Track My Letter?
There are multiple options for both you and the recipient to track a letter. Tracking a letter ensures that both parties know that it’s on the way and that they’re able to predict its arrival.
When you turn in a letter for sending, you’ll get either a tracking number or the shipping/tracking number will be printed on the statement you’ll receive upon paying the postage.
Keep a copy of whatever statements or bills you receive upon sending the order. These documents will be helpful in case the letter gets lost or if the recipient claims that they didn’t receive it, but the records show that they have.
Additionally, you can choose between different mailing options for better options when it comes to tracking and securing the shipping. You might pay a little bit extra to receive an SMS when the order is about to be delivered or for it to be delivered faster.
Depending on the importance of the mail and your budget, spending a little bit more on postage can certainly make sending the letter a lot more convenient. Here’s a short video tutorial on how to track your letter:
Conclusion
If you used to worry about correct envelope labeling, this post has hopefully eased some of your concerns. You know that many fun things are possible in sending letters—if simple and proper procedures are being followed. Hopefully, your two main questions are now answered:
- How Do I Label an Envelope Correctly?
Labeling an envelope correctly is fairly easy. If you do it the right way, it’s plausible that the letter will arrive at its destination even if carried by a cat! Luckily, you won’t have to resort to such measures, but the example goes to show how proper organization makes sending mail simple and easy globally.
The essential steps for correct envelope labeling include first writing your full legal name in the top left corner of the envelope, adding your return address below, and finishing with the zip code and your city and country name.
Furthermore, you’re to add the recipient’s name in the middle of the envelope, and write out clear, concise, and legible address information underneath it. This information varies depending on whether you’re writing to an individual or an organization as well as on their title.
The stamp belongs in the top right corner, regardless of the envelope’s shape, size, smell, or taste. If your postal service approves of the stamp, you can get a variety of designs, sizes, and apparently flavors! As long as the stamp rests in its rightful place, you have nothing to worry about!
- How Do I Address a Letter Properly?
The mailing address—or better said, its proper format—remains a puzzle to many. It’s simple to send a letter to an individual and have it delivered to their home address. You merely need to write out their full legal name, the right title, and then finish with their street number, zip code, city, and country names.
However, if you’re writing to an official, a person whose mail will be handled by a third party, or an organization, different rules apply. Here, you need the right abbreviations, and the address is to be written in a slightly different format.
Remember: the best way to find out the right mailing address is to ask. Inquire about the correct information and apply it to your envelope unchanged. Follow through with regulations, and you’re free to send letters of all colors, shapes, sizes, sounds, and flavors!