[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":183},["ShallowReactive",2],{"guide-address-holiday-cards":3,"site-config":181},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":170,"extension":171,"meta":172,"navigation":173,"order":174,"path":175,"seo":176,"seoTitle":177,"stem":178,"summary":179,"__hash__":180},"guides\u002Fguides\u002Faddress-holiday-cards.md","How to address holiday cards",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":160},"minimark",[9,13,18,21,28,34,40,50,53,59,62,66,69,81,84,111,114,118,121,125,128,131,135,144,150,153,157],[10,11,12],"p",{},"Holiday cards are one of the few times a year most of us address a stack of envelopes at once. There are only a few rules worth knowing, and most of them come down to two questions: how does this person like to be addressed, and can a sorting machine read it?",[14,15,17],"h2",{"id":16},"the-name-line","The name line",[10,19,20],{},"The name line is the most personal part of the envelope, so it's worth a moment's thought.",[10,22,23,27],{},[24,25,26],"strong",{},"One person."," Use the name they go by: \"Jordan Ellis\". Add a title if it's someone you'd address formally, or someone who uses one professionally: \"Dr. Lisa Moreno\".",[10,29,30,33],{},[24,31,32],{},"A married couple with the same last name."," \"Sam and Elena Brooks\" is warm and current. The older formal style, \"Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Brooks\", is still correct for a formal card, but many people now prefer to see both first names.",[10,35,36,39],{},[24,37,38],{},"A couple with different last names."," Write both full names, joined with \"and\": \"Lisa Moreno and Dan Kessler\". If the names are long, they can go on two lines.",[10,41,42,45,46,49],{},[24,43,44],{},"A whole family."," \"The Hendersons\" covers everyone in the house. Make the last name plural by adding \"s\", or \"es\" when it ends in s, x, z, ch or sh: the Brookses, the Joneses, the Lynches. ",[24,47,48],{},"Never use an apostrophe"," for a plural. \"The Henderson's\" means something that belongs to one Henderson.",[10,51,52],{},"If you'd rather name everyone, put the parents first and the children after: \"Sam, Elena, Maya and Leo Brooks\".",[10,54,55,58],{},[24,56,57],{},"Family and close friends."," On a card going inside the family, \"Aunt Carol\" or \"Grandma and Grandpa\" is perfectly fine. The mail carrier only needs the address to be right.",[10,60,61],{},"When you're unsure, think about how the person signs their own cards. That's usually how they'd like to be addressed.",[14,63,65],{"id":64},"the-address-lines","The address lines",[10,67,68],{},"The Postal Service reads addresses by machine, and machines like a predictable shape. Put the address in the middle of the envelope, slightly right and below center, in this order:",[70,71,72,75,78],"ol",{},[73,74,17],"li",{},[73,76,77],{},"The street address, with the apartment or unit at the end: \"2201 Oak Hollow Dr Apt 12\"",[73,79,80],{},"The city, the two-letter state abbreviation and the ZIP code: \"Raleigh, NC 27606\"",[10,82,83],{},"A few details make a real difference:",[85,86,87,93,99,105],"ul",{},[73,88,89,92],{},[24,90,91],{},"Don't leave out the apartment or unit number."," It's the most common reason a card comes back. If you don't know it, ask before you mail.",[73,94,95,98],{},[24,96,97],{},"Use the two-letter state code"," (SC, not S. Carolina).",[73,100,101,104],{},[24,102,103],{},"Include the ZIP code."," The extra four digits (27606-1904) help but aren't required.",[73,106,107,110],{},[24,108,109],{},"Keep the bottom of the envelope clear."," The Postal Service prints a barcode along the bottom edge, so don't put stickers or decorations there.",[10,112,113],{},"You don't need to use capital letters or leave out punctuation. Those are the Postal Service's preferences for business mail, and ordinary mixed case is read without trouble.",[14,115,117],{"id":116},"your-return-address","Your return address",[10,119,120],{},"Put your own address in the top-left corner of the front, or on the back flap if you'd like a cleaner front. If a card can't be delivered, it can find its way back to you, and you'll know to update that address for next year.",[14,122,124],{"id":123},"handwriting-or-labels","Handwriting or labels?",[10,126,127],{},"Handwritten envelopes feel personal, and for a dozen cards they're lovely. For fifty or a hundred, printed labels or envelopes save an evening and are easier to read. Many people split the difference: a printed address and a handwritten note inside.",[10,129,130],{},"If you print, a clear serif or a simple sans-serif at a comfortable size is easier to read than a script font. Script fonts can look elegant, but they're harder for sorting machines and for anyone with tired eyes.",[14,132,134],{"id":133},"doing-it-with-labeltime","Doing it with Labeltime",[10,136,137,138,143],{},"Paste your list into ",[139,140,142],"a",{"href":141},"\u002F","Labeltime"," in whatever shape it's in: a spreadsheet column, an old email, a note on your phone. It formats each address the same way and asks you about anything that's missing, like an apartment number or a ZIP code, instead of guessing.",[10,145,146,149],{},[24,147,148],{},"Names print exactly as you typed them."," Labeltime never rewrites a name, changes capital letters, or adds titles. So if you want \"The Hendersons\" on the envelope, type \"The Hendersons\". If your list says \"Mom & Dad\", you can change it on the Review screen before you print.",[10,151,152],{},"When you're done, you can save the cleaned list with just your email, so next year starts from this year's addresses instead of a blank page.",[14,154,156],{"id":155},"mail-early","Mail early",[10,158,159],{},"Holiday mail is slower in December. The Postal Service publishes recommended mailing dates each year; checking them in late November, and mailing a little before, gives every card a good chance of arriving on time.",{"title":161,"searchDepth":162,"depth":162,"links":163},"",2,[164,165,166,167,168,169],{"id":16,"depth":162,"text":17},{"id":64,"depth":162,"text":65},{"id":116,"depth":162,"text":117},{"id":123,"depth":162,"text":124},{"id":133,"depth":162,"text":134},{"id":155,"depth":162,"text":156},"How to write names and addresses on holiday card envelopes: families, couples with different last names, titles, apartments, and the format the Postal Service reads best.","md",{},true,1,"\u002Fguides\u002Faddress-holiday-cards",{"title":5,"description":170},"How to address holiday cards (names, families, couples, labels)","guides\u002Faddress-holiday-cards","Names, families, couples, titles, and the address format the Postal Service reads best.","H3LiRVpi85UGWf635skxS4kRTwl22JCrvqX2nri9bvI",{"checks":182},"none",1793904664762]