Your first impression doesn’t start with the contents of the envelope you’re sending, but with the envelope itself. Make sure that the first impression fits the reason for the mail with perfect formal address labels. When you run a business or are planning a large event like a wedding, you need to send out a lot of mail. That means ordering great address labels to help get you through all those envelopes and to communicate your return address to your clients and guests.
Pay Attention to Font
Typeface, color, and font size are all extremely important choices when it comes to making your address labels and return address labels. If you run a business or are creating address labels for a formal party, you don’t want to choose 12 point Times New Roman like what most word processors would print out for you. Your business’s website and logo probably use one or two fonts that have come to represent your business. Choose the most readable of those fonts and start there when building your return address label.
You also don’t want the font to be too big or too small. Depending on the font, anything below 10 points is probably too small to read easily, and anything above 14 is going to be awkwardly large. Typeface sizes vary, however, so this is something you’ll have to preview and test out before you find the perfect size. Consider making your business’s name a point or two bigger than the rest of the address so it stands out.
Depending on the type of business or the occasion, your font options will vary. A lawyer who works from home will want a simple, traditional font while a yoga instructor may want something a little softer to evoke relaxation. Address labels for a wedding, however, can get away with calligraphic or scripted fonts, as long as they’re still readable.
Modify Your Logo
In the case of making return address labels for a business, incorporating your logo is a good idea. Depending on what your logo is, however, it’s probably a good idea to modify it. A logo with a simple image is the easiest to modify: use the image on the left side of the address label, as long as it’s still readable sized that small. Otherwise, choose an element from your logo to focus on.
Your logo may be too complicated or may not look good represented on your address labels. In this case, put the name of your business in the same font and style as it is in your logo, excepting of course if the font you’ve chosen for your logo is extremely decorative. This way your labels are cohesive with your business without coming across as overwhelming or busy.
Size Matters
If your address is simple, you can get away with ordering labels that are small. If you’ve got more than three lines or your street name is particularly long, get a larger sized label. Instead of trying to squeeze all the information you want onto a tiny label, make room for margins and space between each line. Your address will be much more readable this way since each line of font will stand out on its own.
It’s All in the Background
Many address labels now feature patterns, designs, and solid colors in the background. They don’t have to be white, and they don’t have to match the envelopes you’re using, either. Be careful when making this design choice, however. An address label with a border is appropriate for, say, a bakery, but not as appropriate for an accountant. Your letterhead and your website design can give you clues on how fancy or funky you can get with your address label.
Similarly, if you’re throwing a traditional wedding you probably want to go with black font on a white background (or whatever color your envelopes are.) If the wedding is modern or has a theme, get creative with those address labels!
Personal, Professional, and Special Occasion
You don’t need to settle on a single address label design. After all, you don’t buy one type of card and send it for every occasion, both professional and personal. The same applies for your address labels. You want some options depending on what you’re sending, why, and when.
It’s always a good idea to have a set of both professional and personal address labels. That way, you keep the professional address labels as a business expense, and you don’t use up your professional labels when sending out personal cards and letters. Your personal labels can be more whimsical and fun than the professional design. Just remember not to use up your personal labels on special occasions like parties, weddings, or thank you notes.
During special occasions, especially the holiday season, you may want to order a third set of address labels. If you send out lots of cards every year, why not make it extra festive and order some address labels with a holiday theme? Plus, you know you’ll be using up a lot of your labels, so be sure you have enough to go around without worrying.
Depending on your needs your formal address label options will differ, but following the right guidelines will help you create the perfect labels.
Also, if you’re looking for a stylish seal for the envelopes of your holiday cards and letters, but without your address, our Christmas labels are the perfect choice. Choose from among our many design templates, upload a photo of your family and your family name or monogram, and you’ve got a great sticker to spread Christmas spirit.
