Address Envelopes With Attn
If you're mailing a letter to someone's place of business, addressing it with "Attn," short for "attention," will help ensure it falls into the right hands. Read this article to learn how to address envelopes with Attn.
Contents
10 Second Summary
1. Write Attn:
2. Write the recipient's name after the colon.
3. Write the business or organization name underneath.
4. Add the street address beneath the company name.
5. Fill in the city, state, and postal code on the bottom line.
Steps
Sample Envelope
Doc:Envelope with Attn
Addressing the Envelope
- Write "Attn" followed by the name of the recipient. The "Attn" line should always appear at the very top of your delivery address, just before the name of the person you're sending it to. Use a colon after "Attn" to make it clearly readable. This line signifies to the mail carrier exactly for whom the letter is intended.
- For example, write "Attn: John Smith," where "John Smith" is replaced with your recipient's name.
- As an alternative, you can write out the full word "attention."
- Write the business or organization name next. The name of the company where the person works goes underneath the "Attn" line. The company name should be written on the second line of the destination address.
- If the company is large and the person to whom you're writing works for a particular department, include the department name on a line of it's own before you write the company name.
- Not including the company name on the envelope will not usually prevent your letter from being delivered. However, your letter will look less professional, and may not get delivered promptly, if you don't include the company name.
- Add the street address beneath the company name. The full street address should be added in a single line. Make sure to include any directional signs (such as "east" or "west"), suite number, or unit number. Suite and unit numbers should not be placed on a separate line unless absolutely necessary.
- Make sure you know the exact street address where your recipient works. Many businesses that are located in multi-story or other large buildings will include a suite number in their address. Including this number is crucial.
- Fill in the city, state, and postal code on the bottom line. If you know the "ZIP+4" postal code, include it to further ensure that your letter reaches the correct address.
- Check your address to ensure it is correct. When you're satisfied that all the details are right, put a stamp in the upper righthand corner and send your letter.
Tips
- A similar convention to "Attn" is "c/o," which stands for "care of." This marking is used to designate an intermediary who is responsible for delivering the mail to the intended recipient. For example, imagine you need to mail an envelope to John Smith, but only have the address for his mother Mary Smith. To address the envelope, write "John Smith" on the top line, "c/o Mary Smith" on the next line, and Mary's full address on the remaining lines.
- Different countries have different preferred addressing standards. While the general format will be similar, you should check with your country's postal service for exact specifications.
- It is preferred by most postal services that you address your envelopes using all capital letters. This produces a more reliable result from the mail processing equipment.
Warnings
- Do not write the "Attn" line underneath the street address or city. Mail processing machines scan destination addresses from the bottom line up, so adding a line underneath the city may misdirect your letter.
Things You'll Need
- Envelope
- Pen
- Postage
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