Guidelines for addressing envelopes

Addresses Addresses must - be at least 15 mm from the bottom and the sides of the envelope; be typewritten or computer (ink jet, laser or dot matrix) printed; be in block format; be 5 mm from all edges of a window; be strictly horizontal; be printed clearly in black on either white or light coloured envelopes; be printed clearly in black on either white or light coloured paper to show clearly through a window; have at least three address lines; and not be enclosed by borders. Type size and fonts Type sizes for typewritten or computer-printed addresses should be between 10 point and 14 point, ideally 12 point: Upper case 2,3 mm to 5 mm Lower case 1,6 mm to 3,5 mm The character fonts allowed are set out in a subsequent section. Italic characters are not acceptable. Although dot matrix is acceptable if all the dots touch one another, this type of print is not preferred. Laser and ink jet printed addresses are recommended. Postcodes Postcodes - are essential; must appear immediately below the name of the post office/office of destination; must have four digits (a possible extension of the postcode is being considered); and must be the correct code for the destination. Reference numbers Reference numbers - or the names of provinces must not be added to addresses and addresses must not be underlined; and must be written above the address in such a way that they do not form part of the address. Spacing and punctuation Spacing between address lines must be equal to at least one character but must not be more than three characters. Characters may not overlap or touch each other, as in condensed fonts (proportional fonts). No commas or any other form of punctuation may appear in addresses. Scanning area Addresses must appear well within the scanning area on the envelope as illustrated below: Example The following is an example of an envelope which is readable: The 15 mm space at the bottom of the envelope is required for mechanical holding of the letter in machine processing and for indexing purposes and must be left clear. Advertisements and logos Advertisements and logos may appear only above the scanning area on the left-hand half of the envelope, but preferably on the back.

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