Guidelines For Printing & Addressing

The correct formatting and address position on an envelope is required to facilitate mail processing by optical character recognition equipment used by the postal service for sorting mail.

Machine readable mail can be sorted automatically rather than by people, which results in faster, more accurate delivery, not just in Buffalo or Pittsburgh but all over the U.S.

General considerations for you to keep in mind:

Always use the ZIP/Postal code If you are using software for printing addresses, always print barcodes if they are supported by the software program

Use simple fonts such as Arial or Helvetica and a font size of over 11 points Avoid using any graphics in the address zone as it may confuse the optical reading equipment

When printing addresses on envelopes or labels, it is recommended that you use a laser printer. The ink from ink jet printers may be susceptible to moisture and addresses may become blurred or unreadable. However, do not print window envelopes with a laser printer. The window material (glassine) will melt when it comes in contact with the printer's heating element.

For more information about mail guidelines feel free to contact us today!