You write addresses on an envelope in three main spots: return address at the top left, recipient address in the center, and the stamp at the top right.

Basic layout

  • Return (your) address: top left corner on the front.
  • Recipient’s address: in the center of the envelope, slightly left-aligned, with clear margins around it.
  • Stamp: upper right corner.

Think of it as a simple L‑shape: your address at top left, stamp at top right, recipient in the middle lower area.

Exactly where to write each part

1. Return address (you)

  • Location: Top left corner on the front of the envelope.
  • Lines (in order):
    1. Your full name
    2. Street address or P.O. Box (include apartment/suite if needed)
    3. City, state, ZIP code (or country if international)

Some postal guides say you can omit it, but it’s strongly recommended so undeliverable mail comes back to you.

2. Recipient’s address (who you’re mailing to)

  • Location: Lower center of the envelope, centered horizontally but text usually left‑aligned. Leave at least about 1–1.5 cm (½ inch) from all edges.
  • Write it parallel to the longest edge of the envelope, on the largest face.
  • Lines (in order):
    1. Recipient’s full name (with title if formal, like Mr., Ms., Dr.)
2. Business/organization name (if any)

3. Street address (apartment or suite on same line if possible)

4. City, state, ZIP code (and country if international) on one line.

Example format:

Taylor Robinson
1020 Pine Avenue Apt 3B
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Simple HTML “cheat sheet” table

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Area on envelope</th>
      <th>What to write</th>
      <th>Details</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Top left corner</td>
      <td>Return address (sender)</td>
      <td>Your name + full address in 2–3 lines; helps mail return if undeliverable. [web:1][web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Center / lower center</td>
      <td>Recipient address</td>
      <td>Recipient name, business (if any), street + apt/suite, city–state–ZIP; written parallel to the long side. [web:1][web:3][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Top right corner</td>
      <td>Stamp / postage</td>
      <td>Place stamp clear of writing so machines can read the address. [web:5][web:7][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Quick formatting tips

  • Use clear, block letters and dark ink; avoid cursive or fancy fonts.
  • Keep addresses away from the stamp and edges so sorting machines can read them.
  • Many postal guides prefer ALL CAPS and minimal punctuation for machine readability, but normal mixed case is fine for everyday domestic mail.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.