What is the letter format envelope and how do you format a letter envelope ?
Contents
Paper and envelope sizes
Paper suitable for writing letters comes in various sizes, colors, and quality. The most common paper used for business letters is white A4 size paper (210mm x 297mm or 8 ¼ inches x 11 ¼ inches) with a smooth texture. Many people use letter size paper (8 ½ inches x 11 inches) or others of approximately similar size. However, as computers gain popularity, the A4 size is the preferred paper size as most printers can handle this size. Some printers use standard size printout sheets which is larger than A4 size, but this is not common for business correspondence, except for “computer generated letters” which are becoming increasingly popular for companies that handle standard letters in bulk for their many customers.
We normally write invitations and memorandum on paper of smaller size such as A5 (148mm x 210mm or 6 inches x 8 ¼ inches).
Envelopes some in various sizes, colors, and quality as well. The preferred size for envelopes is 9 inches x 4 inches. The other commonly used envelope is the smaller commercial size envelope (3 ½ inches x 6 inches). No restriction is placed on the color and quality of envelopes, but a light color makes it easier to read the name and address written on the envelope and good quality paper can withstand wear and tear better.
Folding the Letter
The basic rule for folding a letter is to make as few folds as possible. A much-used method is to fold the letter twice along its breadth, the folds being approximately one-third of the length from the top and bottom edges:
This method uses only two folds, a 9” x 4” envelope can easily fit the folded letter. The method also has the advantage of allowing the sender to put a cheque or other enclosures within the folded letter. The recipient will always find the enclosures first on opening the envelope. This will ensure that the recipient gets the enclosures. Otherwise, he may miss them or unwittingly throw them away.
Envelop Letter Format Questions and Answers
Q: How do I correctly address the envelope?
A: Envelope-addressing formats have changed in recent years largely because of the U.S. Postal Service’s use of automated optical character readers (OCRs). If you want your letter to arrive quickly and without problems, you would be well served to follow the post office guidelines to the extent you feel comfortable doing so.
The post office’s suggested format breaks from convention and certainly isn’t the most personal or aesthetically-pleasing approach, but it will get the letter to its destination. Each of us is left to decide which is more important—
conveying a warm, personal first impression or getting the letter to its recipient most effectively and efficiently.
OCRs handle typed text best, of course; but they can also read carefully formed printed and even some script letters, depending on how conventionally you write. Here are the post office’s guidelines for surest handling of your
letters:
-Send envelopes no smaller than 3 1/2 x 5 inches.
-Use typed or printed text, in all capitals, without any punctuation.
-Make “attention” lines the first line of the address (when you use them), rather than the last line. Write out the word “attention” or abbreviate it “attn”; either way, omit all punctuation.
-Use standard two-letter state abbreviations and zip codes—including the additional four digits when you have them.
-List the address to which you want the letter delivered last (when you have more than one address, a street address and a post office box, for instance). OCRs read information from right to left, down to up; your letter will go to the address you list last, which it reads first.
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