NotATextHow to send a handwritten letter.
Everything between the written page and her mailbox: folding, the envelope, the address format, the stamp, how long USPS takes, and the way to skip all of it from your phone.
If you already have the letter written: fold it, put it in an envelope, write her address in the middle and yours in the top left, one First-Class stamp in the top right, drop it in any blue box. Two to five days. If you do not have it written yet, or do not want to do any of that, skip to the end.
1. Fold it
A letter-size sheet (8½ × 11) folds in thirds to fit a standard #10 envelope: bottom third up, top third down. A half sheet (5½ × 8½) folds once to fit an A2 or A6 card envelope. Fold with the writing inside.
2. Address the envelope
Her name and address go in the center. Your name and address go in the top left corner (so it can come back if something goes wrong, and so she knows who it is from before she opens it). Format:
USPS reads it by machine, so: no punctuation needed, state as two letters, ZIP on the last line. Apartment on the same line as the street or the line below it.
3. Stamp it
One First-Class Forever stamp covers a standard letter up to one ounce, which is about four sheets of paper plus the envelope. A square or rigid envelope costs extra. Stamps are at the post office, most grocery stores, and usps.com.
4. Mail it
Any blue USPS collection box, the post office counter, or your own mailbox with the flag up. Collection times are printed on the box.
5. How long it takes
USPS First-Class Mail is usually two to five days inside the United States. Same state is often two. Coast to coast is often five. Weekends and holidays do not count. There is no tracking on a plain stamped letter.
Or skip all of it
At NotAText you type the letter on your phone and pick a handwriting, a paper and an envelope. A machine with a real ballpoint pen writes it, one person folds it, seals it, addresses it, stamps it and drops it in the mail from Abilene, Texas within two business days. We check her address with USPS before you pay. Postage included. Send a handwritten letter.
Common questions
Can I mail a letter without a return address?
Yes. USPS does not require it for First-Class, but if the address is wrong, the letter is gone. Put it on.
How do I mail a letter to a military address?
APO, FPO and DPO addresses are USPS addresses with a different format: the unit and box number on the street line, "APO" or "FPO" as the city, and "AE," "AP" or "AA" as the state. One Forever stamp still covers it. If you are sending through NotAText, email us first. See letters to deployed military.
Can I send a letter to a P.O. box?
Yes. "PO BOX 123" on the street line.
Can I send a letter to a nursing home or a dorm?
Yes. The facility name on the first line, her name on the line above it, the room or box if she has one.
Questions
How many stamps does a letter need?
One Forever stamp for a standard envelope up to one ounce, which is about four sheets. Add a second for heavier or rigid mail.
How long does a letter take to arrive?
Two to five days by USPS First-Class inside the United States, not counting Sundays and holidays.
Where does the return address go?
Top left corner of the front, or the back flap. Her address goes in the center.
Can I send a handwritten letter without going to the post office?
Yes. Put a stamp on it and raise your mailbox flag, drop it in a blue box, or type it at NotAText and we write it with a real pen and mail it for you.