About Address Labels
Address labels are separate pieces of paper on which you can handwrite or print addresses before putting them on an envelope or other piece of mail. You would use address labels most often when you have many pieces of mail to send or when you are sending a larger package. Commercial address labels are used to send direct mail pieces or ads.
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History
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Mailing labels have been around since the 1880s. They usually had a gum backing that would stick to the mailed object with some moisture. This commercial art was meant to draw attention to the mailer and was best known as lithography.
The first time these sorts of labels became useful rather than just decorative was in the 1930s. Although, the gum stick backing remained the source of adhesive used, it was about this time when R. Stanton Avery came up with the idea of a self-stick backing that is used most often today.
Function
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Address labels can be extremely useful for personal tasks when many pieces of mail, such as Christmas cards and wedding or party invitations, need to be sent. If you keep a mailing list on your computer, printing the labels out on blank self-adhesive labels is quick and easy.
For commercial use, a company would either have a mailing list or would purchase one. After the names and addresses are entered into their computer program, it is quick work to print labels out for mailing usage.
Features
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Information from many label companies, such as Avery, is now programmed into Microsoft Word and other word processing programs. All you have to do is match the label number on the product packaging to the one in the label section of the program. Other companies often will tell you that it is the same size and sequence as the Avery number that matches. In that way, you are able to use a less expensive label sheet.
Size
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Address labels can be purchased in many sizes, all the way up to a full-sheet label of 8 1/2 by 11 inches. However, the standard size meant to be attached to the front of a business-size or card-size envelope is 1 1/8 by 3 1/2 inches.
Potential
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With an ordinary sheet of self-adhesive mailing labels you can purchase online artwork to print on your labels for any occasion. This gives you the potential to instantly print "designer" labels from your sheets of white labels right at your computer desk. There is also software available to print "fancy" address labels.
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