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Address blocks

For the best readability, use the following guidelines when printing addresses.

Address block guidelines

An example of proper addressing block format for a Personalized Mail mailing
  • The address block should be left justified (aligned to the left margin).
  • You should print all the characters in the address block in the same font at the same height. The best character height is between 2 mm and 5 mm.
  • Don’t use punctuation unless it’s part of a proper name (for example, ST. JOHN’S).
  • We recommend uppercase.
  • There should be at least 0.5 mm of space and no more than one blank line when determining the space between address lines.
  • The municipality, province or territory, and postal code should always appear on the same line.
  • There should be one space between the municipality and province or territory.
  • There should be two spaces between the province or territory and postal code.
  • The number of characters in one line should ideally be less than 30, but no more than 40. If the last line of the address has more than 40 characters, move the postal code to the next (last) line by itself, and align its left margin with the other address lines.
  • If you skew the address block, the angle should be less than five degrees relative to the bottom edge of the mail item.

For detailed information on the format, structure, and acceptable abbreviations for destination addresses, please refer to our Addressing guidelines.

Postcards

If you use postcards, the dividing line between the address block and graphics or text must be at least 0.5 mm and 5 mm to the left of the address.