To quickly direct your mail to its destination, the Postal Service processing equipment must be able to locate the address and read it. The automatic equipment will be looking for the delivery address within an imaginary rectangle on each mailpiece. This imaginary rectangle should be located on the mailpiece as follows:

**Address Block Position**
Sides of the rectangle	1/2" from the right and left edge
Bottom of the rectangle	5/8" up from the bottom edge
Top of the rectangle	2-3/4" up from the bottom edge

Barcoding Area:

After the scanning equipment has read the address, a barcode will be sprayed in the 5/8" clear area between the bottom edge of the envelope and the address rectangle. This area must be kept clear of promotional messages and logos. As an example, the address, return address and barcode areas of a typical mailpiece look like one of the following (please note these examples are not to scale):

(Click for larger image)

Compliance with the above guidelines will assure that your mailing will arrive on time and on budget.

Address Panel and Barcode Positioning

Barcoding Area: