Can Post Officer Read Cursive?

[Davis19942003]

I want to send cards and letters to my friends in the US and UK and I want to write the address in calligraphy. But I afraid that the letter would not reach my friends.

Have you guys send a letter with a fancy envelope addressing?

Thanks in advance

[erpe]

In most countries in Europe, the mail is sorted by the so-called postcode, postleitzahl, code postal, Codice di Avviamento Postale, código postal or postal code. If you make sure these and the house-number is somewhat legible (by the computer), everything should work fine here, not sure how things are done in the US.might be something similar.

[domnortheast]

I regularly send and receive letters to a bunch of friends I correspond with here in the UK using an 18th century style of letter writing (as per here: https://parkslibrarypreservation.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/how-to-post-a-letter-19th-century-style/).

 

The letters are addressed in cursive using a dip pen, while it's certainly not 'calligraphy' it is a long way from a printed label. So far they've all arrived without issue. I guess it would depend on how obscure the font is you are using...give the Postie a break and make it a bit easy for her/him.

[AllieFromDevon]

In most countries in Europe, the mail is sorted by the so-called postcode, postleitzahl, code postal, Codice di Avviamento Postale, código postal or postal code. If you make sure these and the house-number is somewhat legible (by the computer), everything should work fine here, not sure how things are done in the US.might be something similar.

 

+1

 

In the UK, the mail is sorted by machines which read the postcode. For that reason, the postcode (series of 6 or 7 letters and numbers) should be written as the last line of an address, on its own line (i.e. not shared with any other information). The letters should be uppercase. I always make sure the postcode is written in a plain font, regardless of how I have written the rest of the address. Upon arrival at the local postal depot, the post is sorted by humans who sort it by street, then house number. In the past I used to print my Christmas card address labels in a fancy font. AFAIK they all arrived safely, but I don't do that any more now that I know how much of the sorting is done by a machine.

[Orpilorp]

The calligraphic style which I think is legible and the one someone else thinks is legible may be two different animals. To avoid lost mail remember that in order to deliver an envelope the postal service only needs to be able to read the street address and the postal code. I would suggest that the recipient's name and city/state be written in cursive while the street address and postal code be printed in a more legible hand.

[Davis19942003]

Thank you for all the replies.

We don't have postal code system in Hong Kong, so I don't understand how they work
this is a big problem when I shop online LOL

I guess I should make the street address and the postal code legible and write the recipient's name and the city+state+country name in calligraphy instead.

I will try the 18th century method next time

Thanks again

[Orpilorp]

For international mail I would print the name of the country on a separate line -- just to be safe.

[Intellidepth]

If I do fancy, I do a fancy name and the rest in block print. International. Country and postcode I'd always print, for sure.

Locally? Ahhh, whatever I feel like. Doesn't matter if it takes a few extra days.

 

I live in Toronto, Australia, and have had mail go to Toronto, Canada, before being re-routed.

[Mastiff]

If I do fancy, I do a fancy name and the rest in block print. International. Country and postcode I'd always print, for sure.

Locally? Ahhh, whatever I feel like. Doesn't matter if it takes a few extra days.

 

I live in Toronto, Australia, and have had mail go to Toronto, Canada, before being re-routed.

Thanks. I didn't know there was Totonto in Australia. Apparently there is Dunedin (where I live, in NZ) in America too but I haven't had any mishaps yet

[Runnin_Ute]

My understanding here in the US is that USPS at least prefers that addresses be done in block printing. I haven't had any issues using cursive however. (to my knowledge)

[Oggie]

Have you ever visited the blog called "The Postman's Knock"? The author posts elaborately calligraphed and decorated envelopes through the USPS and says she never has a problem with returned mail.

[ac12]

I've read some of the "fancy" stuff that people have complained did not get delivered, and I could hardly read the address, it was TOO fancy. Fancy has it's place, but not the address of an envelope.

As was said make it easy for the envelope to be read and quickly processed. If it has to be studied to figure out the address, it could be delayed or incorrectly delivered or returned as "address unreadable."

 

I do cursive on my addresses, but I try to do it as clean and neat as possible.

But as was mentioned, clear block printing of the address is the best.

Edited October 27, 2015 by ac12

[Sasha Royale]

The current optical character readers, that read machine-printed type 100%, are experiencing a read rate of handwritten addresses in the 80+% range. There will always be "un-readables". Do you plan to make your address intentionally un-readable ? Such pieces are eventually visually read by humans and "automation-friendly" information encoded. There are delays.

 

Why not put your beautifully-written envelope inside a plain, white, type-written envelope ? The artistic work arrives un-blemished.

 

The United States Postal Service will make every attempt to deliver first-class mail. Be honest !

Is it a good idea to attempt intentional frustration of postal workers ?

[haruka337]

A fellow FPN member sent me a beautifully addressed letter in, I believe, Spencierian. Letter arrived without issue. Though, I would agree with most on, perhaps, forgoing stylized addresses when mailing a letter outside of one's home country.

[Freddy]

My post office carrier can....Yes..and French..Hindi..Farsi..Cantonese..

American..Spanish..Sloppy..et al..

 

Fred

You can take my shrimp and rice....BUT..don't take my coconuts..

[linearM]

I've sent letters to England, France, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Australia, and Japan. I use cursive handwriting, sometimes verging on copperplate and never had a problem. I've also received cursively addressed correspondence from all of the above countries with never a problem. I've also done postcrossing using a computer printed label and sent cards to China....two out of three never made it. To Russia it has taken six weeks also with computer generated address labels. So, from my standpoint cursive works better than computer generated labels.

 

If you look up, U.S. Postal Service (USPS) address standards for international mail, you would find that it is recommended that the address be typed or written legibly in all capital letters. I suppose here the operative word is recommended and we take chances writing addresses in cursive.

If you look at mail art and some of the envelopes you wonder how they ever made it. There is some very creative calligraphy and addressing. Mail art is a whole different animal and rather interesting.

Edited October 28, 2015 by linearM

[asnailmailer]

Yes! A letter from the Czech Republic arrived at my door in the UK in 3 days. The envelope was written in calligraphy in an orangey ink.

[BigBuddha76]

heck, you guys are lucky, my carrier can read the right house number, but not the right street. Same house number on Justice Cir, Pentagon St, and Congress St. Yep, they all look similar to me.