26:
84:
Businesses often use envelopes preprinted with a return address. Many individuals have sheets of adhesive labels preprinted with their home address to affix to their correspondence. Charities sometimes include such sheets in mailshots. Rolls of return address labels can be purchased from companies
123:
Still, the public did not widely use a return address until the 1960s when companies began to offer deals for preprinted return labels such as 2,500 labels for $ 2.00. They became more popular with the invention of label dispensers. With the invention of the
104:
The return address has been used on U. S. postage since the 1880s. As pressure printing became more commonplace during the early 1900s, labels became cheaper and more easily distributed. The profession involved with producing these labels was known as
41:
is an explicit inclusion of the address of the person sending the message. It provides the recipient (and sometimes authorized intermediaries) with a means to determine how to respond to the sender of the message if needed.
88:
The return address is not required on postal mail. However, lack of a return address prevents the postal service from being able to return the item if it proves undeliverable; such as from damage,
319:
187:
116:. With this rise in dead mail, the post office pleaded for people to use a return address. Even after this, the public still tended to neglect to add a return address. This prompted the
250:
286:
112:
During the 1950s in the United States, more and more mail was not arriving at intended recipients, and as a result of the lack of a return address, said mail ended up in the
311:
179:
371:
341:
217:
239:
157:
275:
85:
that sell personalized labels to provide individuals an easy way to peel and stick return address labels to their envelopes.
120:
to inform the public that mail without a return address would be less of a priority than mail with a return address.
19:
407:
81:, the return address is usually placed on the reverse of the envelope, after the words "Return address".
379:
349:
209:
74:
149:
8:
113:
125:
93:
25:
132:
began to overtake written mail, the return address became automatic in an e-mail.
53:
details in the same way as the delivery address should. In most countries such as
50:
78:
401:
54:
106:
89:
117:
69:, the return address is located in the upper left-hand corner of the
62:
70:
46:
312:"How to address mail clearly, guide to clear letter addressing"
66:
58:
129:
34:
92:, or invalid destination. Such mail may otherwise become
128:, software enabled people to print their own labels. As
73:, card, or label, which is also recommended by the
399:
29:Envelope with return address in top left corner
180:"Addressing mail accurately | Canada Post"
210:"Addressing guidelines - Australia Post"
24:
372:"The History of Return Address Labels!"
400:
45:The return address should include an
13:
322:from the original on 22 March 2024
292:from the original on 22 March 2024
256:from the original on 22 March 2024
220:from the original on 22 March 2024
190:from the original on 22 March 2024
160:from the original on 22 March 2024
150:"Return Address | Postal Explorer"
14:
419:
276:"Addressing and Postcode Manual"
20:Return address (disambiguation)
364:
334:
304:
268:
232:
202:
172:
142:
1:
135:
346:United States Postal Service
154:United States Postal Service
7:
10:
424:
99:
17:
240:"Guide pratique courrier"
283:Universal Postal Union
75:Universal Postal Union
30:
28:
382:on 21 September 2013
18:For other uses, see
408:Address (geography)
352:on 1 September 2013
342:"Business Mail 101"
114:dead letter office
31:
126:personal computer
415:
392:
391:
389:
387:
378:. Archived from
368:
362:
361:
359:
357:
348:. Archived from
338:
332:
331:
329:
327:
308:
302:
301:
299:
297:
291:
280:
272:
266:
265:
263:
261:
255:
244:
236:
230:
229:
227:
225:
206:
200:
199:
197:
195:
176:
170:
169:
167:
165:
146:
94:dead letter mail
423:
422:
418:
417:
416:
414:
413:
412:
398:
397:
396:
395:
385:
383:
370:
369:
365:
355:
353:
340:
339:
335:
325:
323:
310:
309:
305:
295:
293:
289:
278:
274:
273:
269:
259:
257:
253:
242:
238:
237:
233:
223:
221:
208:
207:
203:
193:
191:
178:
177:
173:
163:
161:
148:
147:
143:
138:
102:
23:
12:
11:
5:
421:
411:
410:
394:
393:
363:
333:
303:
267:
231:
214:Australia Post
201:
171:
140:
139:
137:
134:
101:
98:
79:United Kingdom
39:return address
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
420:
409:
406:
405:
403:
381:
377:
373:
367:
351:
347:
343:
337:
321:
317:
313:
307:
288:
284:
277:
271:
252:
249:(in French).
248:
241:
235:
219:
215:
211:
205:
189:
185:
181:
175:
159:
155:
151:
145:
141:
133:
131:
127:
121:
119:
115:
110:
108:
97:
95:
91:
86:
82:
80:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
56:
55:United States
52:
48:
43:
40:
36:
27:
21:
16:
384:. Retrieved
380:the original
375:
366:
354:. Retrieved
350:the original
345:
336:
324:. Retrieved
315:
306:
294:. Retrieved
282:
270:
258:. Retrieved
246:
234:
222:. Retrieved
213:
204:
192:. Retrieved
183:
174:
162:. Retrieved
153:
144:
122:
111:
103:
87:
83:
44:
38:
32:
15:
184:Canada Post
107:lithography
90:postage due
316:Royal Mail
136:References
118:postmaster
33:In postal
386:23 August
356:23 August
77:. In the
63:Australia
402:Category
376:Web page
326:22 March
320:Archived
296:22 March
287:Archived
260:22 March
251:Archived
247:La Poste
224:22 March
218:Archived
194:22 March
188:Archived
164:22 March
158:Archived
71:envelope
51:P.O. box
100:History
47:address
67:France
59:Canada
290:(PDF)
279:(PDF)
254:(PDF)
243:(PDF)
130:email
388:2013
358:2013
328:2024
298:2024
262:2024
226:2024
196:2024
166:2024
37:, a
35:mail
49:or
404::
374:.
344:.
318:.
314:.
285:.
281:.
245:.
216:.
212:.
186:.
182:.
156:.
152:.
109:.
96:.
65:,
61:,
57:,
390:.
360:.
330:.
300:.
264:.
228:.
198:.
168:.
22:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.