Envelope Addressing Guidelines
What is Envelope Addressing?
Writing or printing the name of the recipient on the envelope face.
A few considerations when choosing an envelope color:
How will you address your envelopes? If you choose a light envelope shade, almost anything goes. Calligraphy, flat printing, or write them by hand. If you choose a dark envelope colour, you’ll need to think creatively for the addressing. Calligraphy is the best solution for dark coloured envelopes as Calligraphers can use a white or metallic ink (like gold or silver).
Format and Look
- Flat printed envelope addressing is only applicable for medium to light envelope colors. Envelope colors here
- In the course of the design process, we recommend the fonts to use for envelope addressing. If nothing has been discussed, font to be used will be artist discretion. But you may choose from fonts here, or send us the font to use.
- By default we use black ink. It is also the most visible on most papers.
- We recommend that addresses be in print. It is easier to read.
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FONT
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Print font to match your invitation suite
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| Aerolite Script |  |
| Mozart Script |  |
| Parisienne |  |
| Brendisa |  |
Build Your List
- IMPORTANT: Put your names / last names as the file name. We receive many envelope addressing files.
- Use excel, numbers or google sheets to make your list, especially if including addresses. Do not mix names with addresses. Please follow format below.
- Separate the details into columns, by line, for proper organization. (e.g. Name 1, Name 2, Address 1, Address 2)
- No need for extra columns if you are only printing names.
- Use correct capitalization. Do not type in all capital letters, even if you want the names printed in all capitals.
- Double check, triple check the spelling. We do not proofread, as we do not know your guests.
- Please add # in the first column. The number will not be printed, it will only serve as a guide for the quantity. It has to be a separate column from the names.
- Do not type out numbers in making your list. (1. Ms. Alexis...), otherwise the number will also be printed
- We do not encode. Do not send images of your list.
- Our usual font size is 22pt. please inform us if you want it to be bigger.
Example #2 will be printed as
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Lee
and Family
Example #5 will be printed as
Hernandez Family
Unit 101 Hubert Street
Taguig City, Philippines 1122
Black ink on dusty blue paper
Common Questions
- One has title, one doesn't
- Dr. Harry and Mrs. Jane Foster
- Mayor Guy and Atty. Gwen Brown
- The lady is your ninang and you want to name her
- Mr. Kendrick and Ninang (or Mrs.) Leah Julian
Addressing Women
- Girls under 18 should be Miss (Miss Rachel Harris).
- Single women over 18 or married women who use their maiden name should be Ms. (Ms. Anna Smith).
- Addressing divorced and separated women with the correct title can be tricky, but Ms. is usually the safest option if you're unsure of their preference. If they've returned to their maiden name, Ms. is definitely correct. When using Ms., don't use the husband's first name (Ms. Anna Smith (maiden name) or Ms. Anna Jones (married name)).
- For widowed women, the above rule also applies, but it's most traditional to use Mrs. and her late husband's first and last names (Mrs. Henry Jones).
- If addressing a married woman who uses her husband's last name (but his name is not included on the envelope), it's traditional to use Mrs. followed by her husband's first name, but using her first name is also correct and may feel more appropriate depending on the scenario (Mrs. Henry Jones or Mrs. Anna Jones).
Addressing Couples
- Married couples who both use the husband's last name should be Mr. and Mrs. followed by his first and last name (Mr. and Mrs. Henry Jones).
- Married couples who use different last names should use Ms. and Mr. with full names, joined by "and" (Ms. Anna Smith and Mr. Henry Jones), however the order is not strict.
- Unmarried couples and samegender couples who live together should follow the above rule as well. In all instances, if both names cannot fit on one line, write them on two separate lines without the "and" (whomever you're closer to can be listed first, or it's common to list same-gender couples alphabetically by last name). (Ms. Emily Wood and Mr. George Swan or Ms. Nancy Hall (followed on the next line:) Ms. Elizabeth Sams).
Addressing Families
For invitations, it's important to be explicit about what members of a household are invited via the names on the envelope (especially when it comes to children and weddings).
- Any children under 18 should be listed on the line below their parents' names, in age order, without titles or last names (Mr. and Mrs. Henry Jones(followed on the next line:) Emma, James, and Stephen).
- For less formal correspondence intended for the whole family, the above method is perfectly fine, or you can address the family as a whole using the father's first and last name (The Henry Jones Family).
- A helpful reminder for making last names plural: You shouldn't address a family this way, but you may use it in the return address on your envelope (or certainly when signing your holiday card). Simply add s or -es to the last name—don't add any apostrophes!
Professional Titles
For doctors, judges, members of the clergy, or military officers, titles should be included when addressing both formal and informal correspondence to the best of your knowledge.
- For couples, whoever has the higherranking title should be listed first (The Honorable Anna Jones and Mr. Henry Jones).
- If both have the same title and share a last name, most titles can be made plural (The Doctors Jones or Drs. Anna and Henry Jones).
- If both have different titles or the same title but different last names, distinguish each full name with relevant title, joined by "and" (The Reverend Henry Jones and Dr. Anna Jones or Dr. Henry Jones and Dr. Anna Smith).