Envelopes
PowerPoint on addressing an envelope
When you send a letter, you need to put it in the correct type of envelope in order to mail it. You also need to properly address the envelope, and include the correct amount of postage, using postage stamps.
TYPES OF ENVELOPES
The type of envelope you need depends on the style, length, and size of the letter you are sending.
Friendly letters can be sent in just about any type of envelope.
Business letters of three pages or less that are written information only should be mailed in a business-size envelope, which is approximately nine inches long by four inches high (9" x 4" - sometimes identified as #9 or #10 envelopes).
Some options for business-sized envelopes include self-stick closures (the kind you don't need to lick) and security printing (which is a pattern printed on the inside of a thick-papered envelope to prevent people from seeing what is in the envelope).
If your business letter is longer than three pages or if it contains pictures or other paper-sized materials that should not be bent, you should use a large format or catalog envelope. These come in several sizes, generally starting at nine inches tall and eleven inches wide (9" x 11"). They can be made from paper, cardboard, or plastic.
Finding contact information Recipient's address Return address C/O ("in the care of")
There are two main parts to addressing an envelope. They each have a specific placement on the outside of the envelope, and each looks very different.
The return address is your mailing address (the mailing address of the person sending the letter). It is NOT the same as the heading on your letter.
FORMAT: It belongs in the upper-left corner of the front of the envelope.
Every line begins at the very edge of the envelope.
It should be printed in small capital letters (as compared to the recipient's address).
No punctuation should be used (exceptions - dashes for ZIP+4 and slashes for C/O).
CONTENT: The top line of an address is the most specific; each line underneath the first is less specific, in terms of geography. Each of the following goes on a separate line:
Sender's name
C/O information (if applicable)
P.O. Box number (if applicable)
Apartment number (if applicable)
Floor number (if applicable)
Building name/number (if applicable)
Street address - number and street name
City, State (using two letter postal abbreviation), and ZIP code or ZIP +4
The recipient's address is the mailing address of the person to whom you are sending the letter. It is the SAME as the inside address of a business letter.
FORMAT: It belongs in the center of the front of the envelope.
The longest line of the address should be centered on the envelope.
The beginnings of all the lines are aligned.
It should be printed in large capital letters (as compared to the return address).
No punctuation should be used (exceptions - dashes for ZIP+4 and slashes for C/O).
CONTENT: The top line of an address is the most specific; each line underneath the first is less specific, in terms of geography. Each of the following goes on a separate line:
Recipient's name
C/O information (if applicable)
P.O. Box number (if applicable)
Department name (if applicable)
Apartment number (if applicable)
Floor number (if applicable)
Building name/number (if applicable)
Street address - number and street name
City, State (using two letter postal abbreviation), and ZIP code or ZIP +4
PowerPoint on addressing an envelope
If you don't have the home address for the person to whom you are writing, but you do know the address of some other place where they spend a lot of time (like where they work), you can address the envelop in the care of that non-home place.
Put the person's full name on the first line. On the second line of the address, begin by writing C/O, then put the name (or the first line of the address) of the place you think the person spends a lot of time. Finish addressing the letter with the information for the non-home location.
When the letter arrives, the non-home place should see the C/O and realize that the letter is for someone who spends a lot of time there, but doesn't live there.
A postage stamp is a small stick-on piece of paper that indicates to the United States Postal Service (USPS) that you have paid them to deliver your letter. The USPS postage cost is the least-expensive way to send information currently available in the world when one considers the total cost of needed materials and speed and accuracy of delivery.
The cost of postage changes. If you do not have the correct amount of postage on your letter or package, the USPS will return it for having "insufficient postage", meaning you didn't pay them enough to deliver it.
To make sure you have the proper amount of postage, check with your post office, or see the USPS website <www.usps.com> for the most current postage rates.
You can purchase stamps at your local post office.