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GENERAL MAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Non – Mailable Items

Some items such as metal pieces, glass parts, product samples, chemicals, etc., may not be mailed. These items, besides jamming and/or damaging mailing machines, can cause serious injury to Mailroom employees. These articles may be returned to sender.

Non – Standard Mail

Envelopes and Post Cards of less than: 3 1/2" in height or 5" in length or .007 in thickness are considered non-standard and additional charges are levied towards their postage. For more information regarding standard sizes, please contact the FSU MAIL CENTER; we will be glad to provide you with more detailed information.

Sizes and Types of Envelopes

Please determine the proper size and strength of the envelope in accordance with the size of enclosure. Overly large envelopes fail to firmly hold their contents. The enclosures tend to move around and there is a risk of tearing the envelope and losing the contents. A snug fit keeps the enclosure firm in the envelope.

Overstuffing can cause an envelope to burst at the seams and may lead to loss of enclosures.

The size of the envelope should be selected to properly accommodate the contents. For the U.S. Postal System, the two main categories of envelopes are " letter size" and "flats". Flats are envelopes larger than the maximum letter size, but no larger than 12" high by 15" long and 3/4" thick.

Proper Addressing

The following address formats are recommended to ensure efficient handling and delivery by the U.S. Postal Service.

The complete mailing address should be located within the lower right half of the envelope whenever possible. Extraneous printing or markings should appear as far away from the address as possible. Sender’s address should appear in the upper left-hand corner and should be no lower than 1/3 of height of mail-piece from top.
The following SUGGESTIONS will help make your mail user friendly to the Post Office and speed up delivery:

  • TYPE OR MACHINE-PRINT COMPLETE ADDRESS

  • ENSURE PRINT IS CLEAR AND SHARP

  • USE STANDARD BUSINESS FONTS. ADDRESS CHARACTERS SHOULD NOT TOUCH OR OVERLAP

  • PRINT ADDRESSES IN 10 OR 12 POINT TYPE

  • BLACK INK ON A WHITE BACKGROUND IS BEST

  • MAINTAIN A UNIFORM LEFT MARGIN

  • USE UPPER – CASE LETTERS

  • OMIT ALL PUNCTUATION

  • INCLUDE FLOOR, SUITE AND APARTMENT NUMBERS

  • INCLUDE NAME OF CITY, STATE AND ZIP CODE IN THAT ORDER ON THE SAME LINE

  • USE STANDARD TWO – LETTER STATE ABBREVIATIONS

  • FOR INTERNATIONAL MAIL PRINT THE COUNTRY’S NAME IN CAPITAL LETTERS WITHOUT ABBREVIATIONS

  • IF USING WINDOW ENVELOPES, ENSURE THAT THE ENTIRE ADDRESS IS ALWAYS VISIBLE


Address labels if used on parcels, packages, letters or large envelopes must also be addressed accordingly to the above-recommended format. Labels must be applied parallel to the bottom edge of the envelope to be processed by the Post Office on automation equipment.