How To Address A Postcard: 6 Steps (with Pictures) - WikiHow

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Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Address a Postcard PDF download Download Article Reviewed by Tami Claytor

Last Updated: December 16, 2025 Fact Checked

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  • Positioning The Address Properly
    • |
  • Salvaging Mistakes
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
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  • Tips
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  • Warnings
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This article was reviewed by Tami Claytor. Tami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 585,234 times.

Figuring out where to insert an address on a postcard can be difficult. Although, it is one of the simplest things to do when corresponding by postcard, it's essential that you think about it before you write your message on your postcard. And for those times where you've forgotten to insert the address before writing a long and abundant message, there are still ways to address your postcard.

Addressing a Postcard: Overview

Address a Postcard Summary

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 2:

Positioning The Address Properly

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  1. Step 1 Look for signs of where to put an address. 1 Look for signs of where to put an address. The address is normally placed on the right hand side of a postcard and midway down the card. There is usually a printed vertical line denoting the left and the right of the postcard. If not, imagine a line in the centre of the postcard, Choose the right hand side to insert the address.[1]
    • Many postcards include pre-printed horizontal address lines to show you where to add the address. But not all will do this, so assume that the mid-right of the card is the best placement for the address.
  2. Step 2 Format the position of the address correctly. 2 Format the position of the address correctly. If you are making your own postcard out of a photo or picture, or you purchase a postcard without lines to fill in an address, you will need to format the back of the postcard yourself. Check with your local post office for specific postcard requirements. However, in general, most postcards will follow these requirements:[2]
    • The address side of the card must be divided into a right portion and a left portion, with or without a vertical rule. The left portion is the message area.
    • The destination address, postage, and any postal service marking or endorsement must appear in the right portion. The right portion must be at least 2-1/8 inches wide (measured from the right edge of the card, top to bottom inclusive).[3]
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  3. Watermark wikiHow to Address a Postcard 3 Draw a neat box around the address it to help it stand out. This is a good way to help point out to postal workers the address on your postcard. It makes their work easier and ensures no mistakes are made.
    • You can also write right up the edge of those lines without having your message clutter or overpower the address.
  4. Step 4 Place the stamp in the upper right hand corner. 4 Place the stamp in the upper right hand corner. This is the standard placement of all stamps. You may even need to place multiple stamps depending on where you will be mailing it to.
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Method 2 Method 2 of 2:

Salvaging Mistakes

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  1. Step 1 Consider writing the address on first. 1 Consider writing the address on first. In most cases, postcards will have lines designated for an address, but in some cases, a postcard can be completely blank.[4] Making it a habit to write down the address before writing your message is a good way to ensure you don't take over the postcard with your message, leaving no room for an address.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Address a Postcard 2 Pasting the address onto your postcard. You may have written the address wrong in pen, or completely forgot to write an address. Take a piece of paper and trace the outline of your postcard. Then replicate the back of your postcard within the box you just made. Address your postcard directly and cut and paste your make-shift postcard onto the actual postcard.
    • While the post office won't love you for making a mess of the address, most post offices will do their very best to help deliver your postcard.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question Does a postcard need a return address on it? Community Answer Community Answer It's not necessary, but if the postcard happened to get lost in the mail, a return address would enable it to be returned to you. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 18 Helpful 69
  • Question Do I have to put a stamp on the postcard? Community Answer Community Answer Yes, you do have to put a stamp on a postcard, but there are special ones that are a little cheaper than standard stamps for letters that you can buy at a post office. You can also use a normal stamp. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 14 Helpful 32
  • Question Are stamps required if the postcard was purchased from the post office? Community Answer Community Answer Unless it came with a stamp (or some kind of recognition of stamp payment), then yes. Postcards and postage are normally sold separately. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 12 Helpful 18
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Video

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Tips

  • Write neatly and clearly. If you make a mistake or the postal worker can't read your writing, you probably won't be receiving your postcard back unless you've included a return address.[5] Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
  • It's very rare to add a return address on a postcard if you're vacationing but if you're sending a postcard from home, write your return address in the upper left hand corner. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 0
  • Short and sweet is the rule behind postcards. If you stick to this rule, you won't have any problems fitting in the address. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement

Warnings

  • Every postal worker can read what you have written on your postcard. Don't put in extremely sensitive information that might put you or the person you're addressing the postcard to in danger. Thanks Helpful 19 Not Helpful 7
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References

  1. ↑ https://about.usps.com/publications/pub600/pub600_006.htm
  2. ↑ https://faq.usps.com/s/
  3. ↑ https://auspost.com.au/content/dam/auspost_corp/media/documents/postcards-fact-sheet.pdf
  4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypsyv1g5OQs
  5. ↑ https://www.modernpostcard.com/knowledge/preparing-materials/return-addresses

About This Article

Tami Claytor Reviewed by: Tami Claytor Etiquette Coach This article was reviewed by Tami Claytor. Tami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification. This article has been viewed 585,234 times. 1 votes - 20% Co-authors: 12 Updated: December 16, 2025 Views: 585,234 Categories: Addressing Envelopes Article SummaryX

To address a postcard properly, look for a space on the right-hand side of the card where you can fill in the address. There may be a vertical line separating the address area from the rest of the card, or a series of horizontal lines where you can fill in the address. If not, simply choose a spot on the lower or middle right part of the card and write the address there. If you plan to write a lot on the card, draw a box around the address to help it stand out from the rest of your message. Put your postage stamp in the upper right-hand corner of the card, above the address. If you make a mistake, don’t worry. To fix it, write the address again on a separate piece of paper and cut it out. Then, glue or tape the paper with the address on it over the address area on your card. For more tips for addressing a postcard, like how to avoid mistakes when writing an address, keep scrolling! Did this summary help you?YesNo

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Reader Success Stories

  • Anonymous

    Anonymous

    Jun 30, 2016

    "I could not remember which side to write the address on or if I needed to include the return address. Thank you."
More reader stories Hide reader stories Share your story

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Tami Claytor Reviewed by: Tami Claytor Etiquette Coach 1 votes - 20% Click a star to vote 20% of people told us that this article helped them. Co-authors: 12 Updated: December 16, 2025 Views: 585,234 Anonymous

Anonymous

Jun 30, 2016

"I could not remember which side to write the address on or if I needed to include the return address. Thank you." Ash Dhanraj

Ash Dhanraj

Aug 4, 2017

"I needed to know the format. It was provided. " Rated this article: Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories

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