Letter-Size Mail Dimensional Standards Template

[KellyRae]

We're all about creating cards and sometimes we even create our own envelopes. If you plan on actually mailing your envelope instead of just handing it to your recipient, you need to know that the USPS does have some minimum requirements for mailing. There is a 13 cent surcharge added to a one-ounce first class postage if the piece being mailed falls outside certain guidelines. Using the attached Letter-Size Mail Dimensional Standards Template, you can measure your handmade envelope against a grid that will show whether you need to pay the extra $0.13 surcharge for an odd-size envelope that�s under one ounce. Basically, you'd place your envelope in the lower lefthand corner and if the envelope's top righthand corner falls within a shaded area, no surcharge would be applied. However, if the envelope is square or if the envelope is thicker than 1/4-inch, a surcharge would still be applied. Once you get into that second ounce, the surcharge goes away.

Please note this is a PDF file. You need to right-click and Save Target As... and save the file to your desktop.

Here is a link to the USPS web page that discusses the dimension requirements in greater detail.
http://postcalc.usps.gov/MailpieceDimensions.asp

[stampencamper]

KelliRae- thanks for sharing, good information to become familiar with, have a good week Carolyn in MN

[Sherlie]

Thanks so much for sharing this information,,, it is always a worry with the thickness of cards with embellishments,,, another thing my PO told me to do was put a piece of packing tape over the lumpy places on outside of the envelope. Even if it meets the thickness requirement, they can sometimes get caught and the tape makes them slide through.

[Sandy P]

Thank you for this information. Very helpful.

[stampkinz]

Great info! I always have to pay .13 extra if I have ribbon on my cards because the ribbon makes the card just that much thicker. In fact, I received a RAK the other day with .13 postage due because of this. The carrier still delivered it, though. Now I'm wondering how many of the RAKs I've sent have arrived postage due because I didn't know. Yikes! I just bought some .10 and .03 stamps. The guy at my P.O. always says, "when in doubt, bring it in".

[hgh]

Thank you so very much for the important info.