How to Address and Stamp an Envelope

In this world of digital communication, many of us might not know how to properly address and stamp an envelope. There are a few practical things that you have to understand, but there’s more to the art of sending a letter. 

We’re going to take a look at how to address and stamp an envelope today, as well as creative ways to address an envelope. Hopefully, the ideas below will inspire you to tap into the potential of connecting through written correspondence. 

Let’s take a look. 

Everything You Need to Know

The first thing you have to do when sending any kind of physical correspondence is to write your return address. The same goes for a package, but that’s a discussion for a different day. 

Lay your envelope flat on the table in front of you and grab a pen. You could use a pencil, but there’s a chance that the information could get smudged or wiped off during transportation. With that in mind, it’s best to use a black and blue pen to do the writing on the outside of the envelope. 

Make sure that you write the information on the side opposite the fold. 

We’ll discuss how to write recipient and return addresses in future sections. In terms of postage, you’ll have to know the weight of the package. Different stamps amount to different values in postage, although most stamps are created to pay for one ounce of mail. 

Those stamps, when purchased individually, tend to cost around fifty-eight cents. You might have to include more stamps if your weight exceeds one ounce. You can either weigh the envelope yourself or bring it to theUnited States post office to have the person there weigh it. 

They’ll tell you everything you need to know if there are any unexpected factors. 

Creative Ways to Address an Envelope

An interesting way to spice up your envelope is to use different fonts. You can also use different fonts in a handwritten note. Fonts add an element of flair that stands against the standard handwriting that most people use to address their envelopes. 

That said, writing in a font can be difficult. It’s useful to get a little help with your card design to improve the quality of your unique font and word placement. 

One exciting thing to note is that The United States Postal Service still accepts most uncancelled or used forever stamps. So if you have postage from the early 1900s and don’t see any value in it, you can still use it to send your letters. 

DIY envelopes are more interesting, personal, and they stand out from the standard mail that most people receive.  

You might even do this with a cover letter, a holiday card, or a business letter. Business letters are often seen as boring and formal. You can certainly change things up and get creative with a handwritten card with an outer envelope that’s interesting so that recipients are eager to get to the inner envelope.

How to Write the Recipients Address

Now it’s time to understand how to write the recipient‘s address. 

The recipient information is located in the center of the envelope. Write in the same size as you did in the upper corner. If possible, contain all of the recipient information to around the same size as you did your personal information, only square in the middle of the paper. 

The top line is the recipient‘s first and last name. Note that the name is the least important part, so don’t worry use a nickname. The next line is their street address, and the third line is the city, state, and postal code. 

If you can manage to get the full zip code, that might be helpful. Adding the full, extended zip code adds a level of specificity that helps avoid direct mail campaign errors. The error rate might be lower if you have the most specific zip codes possible. 

If you mess up the recipient‘s address, though, the mail service won’t send it properly and will never get there and it will just be sent back to the sender‘s address. 

If you’re writing to multiple recipients at one business, note that you can only list one address. You could address them as “Wilson Group,” or “Tom Wilson & Dianne Jones” and the letter will still go to the correct recipient‘s address listed on the envelope. 

Short of plural titles, you’ll have to send multiple pieces of mail to reach numerous people. 

How to Write a Return Address

Your personal information goes in the top left corner of the envelope. You shouldn’t write more than one-quarter of the way down the envelope, and no more than one-quarter of from the left edge. That way, you situate the information neatly in the upper left corner. 

Write your first and last name on the first line. If you’re a business sending to clients, you can use your business name instead of your personal name. Move right below the first line and write your street address.

After writing your street address, move down another line and write your city, state, and postal code. Be as clear as you can while staying succinct. Note that there’s a human being who reads that information, so abbreviations are okay as long as they’re clear. 

Where Does the Stamp Go?

You always have to stamp an envelope when sending a letter. You have to use official postage that’s accepted by the post office, and not just any stamp you find laying around. 

Something to note about stamps, though, is that each stamp denotes the cost of a one-ounce letter. You have to make sure that you offer additional stamps for each extra ounce that you add to the envelope. Most letters that include one or two sheets of paper will not exceed an ounce in weight. 

Place any and all stamps in the top right corner of the envelope. If you use multiple stamps, make sure they’re not covering one another so the post office can see the number of stamps used. 

If you send international mail, it’s wise to check with the United States Post Office on any restrictions that might be in place. It will also be easier to deal with postage, as the post office will have insight into all of the requirements for particular countries. 

Send Your Envelopes and Letters With Handwrytten!

You might be a little nervous to send your first letter. Don’t worry! It’s natural to be uncertain about something you’ve never done, especially when it has to do with putting documents through a municipal operation. 

The postal service might seem like a scary idea when you’re not sure how it works. That said, millions of people have been using the postal service for hundreds of years. It works, and it’s pretty simple. 

If you’ve got your envelope addressed and stamped, you can just drop it into an outgoing post office box. If you’re not sure what you’re doing, you can always go into the post office and someone there will help you. 

Any package or letter of any size will be dealt with by the postal service employee at the desk. They’ll weigh the package, tell you how much it will cost, and they can even provide the stamps or stickers needed to send your mail. Usually, they can even provide a rough estimate of how long it will take for your mail to be delivered, too.

If you’re not confident that you want to deal with every business stamp and envelope that you need to send, we’re here to help. Handwrytten is equipped to send handwritten greeting card options a beautiful handwritten script, address them, and send them. 

Need More Help With Envelope Etiquette?

Understanding how to address and stamp an envelope is something that we should all try to do at some point in our lives. There’s something about a handwritten letter that outshines emails and messaging services. 

Worried about the handwriting? We’re here to help. Explore our site for options on having your words written in superb handwriting and sent through direct mail without any effort on your part.

Whether it’s a formal letter, business letter, or a casual message to friends, we’re here to help.