COMMON REQUIREMENTS

2. Addressing

2.1 Address Format

2.2 Alternative Postal Code Locations

2.3 Bilingual Address Format

The following guidelines apply to all addresses whether they are on the item, on a label, or on an insert that shows through transparent wrapping or an address window.

2.1 Address Format

Example of the proper address format.

Address Order

•	Place the city, province and postal code together on the last line.

•	If there is not enough room for the postal code, place it on a line by itself. See 2.2 Alternative Postal Code Locations.

•	If you use both the street address and the postal box address, show each address on a separate line in the following order:

•	Street address

•	Postal box address

•	City, province and postal code.

•	Place keyline information, such as reader or subscription number, above the address information.

Spacing

•	Show the address information on at least three lines and not more than four.

•	In address blocks of more than four lines, show the information required for delivery only in the bottom four lines.

•	Leave the following spaces around the address clear and without any coloured borders or frames:

•	Presort Mail – 3 mm

•	Machineable Mail

•	Oversize – 10 mm below and on either side, and 6 mm above

•	Oversize with the address printed on a transparent covering – 10 mm on all sides

•	Short and Long – 13 mm on the left side, 6 mm above, all the areas below and to the right.

•	Leave the following spaces blank:

•	One space between the elements, such as the city name and province

•	Two to four spaces between the province and the postal code

•	One space in the middle of the postal code, between the third and fourth characters.

•	Left align the address.

Case

Show the address in upper case.

Punctuation

Do not include punctuation.

Address Terms

Use the abbreviations shown in the Canadian Addressing Guide (Section B – Chapter 03 of the Postal Guide) for:

•	street types and designations

•	unit designators

•	provinces and territories.

Background Colour

Use one colour, preferably white, for the background and the quiet area around the address block.

Labels

Use labels in light colours, such as white, pale yellow, or beige, and without any coloured borders or frames.

2.2 Alternative Postal Code Locations

If	Then locate the postal code
On Both Oversize, and Short and Long
the last line of the address has more than 40 characters	• on the last line by itself • with its left margin aligned to the other address lines.
it is not possible or desirable to have the postal code on the same line as the city and province.
On Oversize Only
the item has graphics	no more than a blank line away from the last line of the address
the item does not have graphics	no more that two blank lines away from the last line of the address
the postal code is to the right of the address block.	no more than four character spaces from the longest line of the address.