Skip Top Navigation
  • Who We Are

    • Leadership
    • Financials
    • Government Relations
    • Judicial Officer
    • Legal
    • Our History
    • Postal Facts
  • What We're Doing

    • Strategic Planning
    • Current Initiatives
    • Securing The Mail
    • Sustainability
    • Corporate Social Responsibility
    • Government Services
    • Postal Customer Council
    • Service Performance Results
  • Newsroom

    • National News
    • Local News
    • Testimony & Speeches
    • Broadcast Downloads
    • Events Calendar
    • Photo Gallery
    • Service Alerts
  • Careers

    • Career Opportunities
    • Working at USPS
    • How to Apply
    • Profile Login
  • Doing Business with Us

    • Suppliers
    • Licensing
    • Rights & Permissions
    • Auctions
    • Public Key Infrastructure
The image is the profile of an eagle's head adjoining the words United States Postal Service to form the corporate signature, along with the text About
Link to "1-2.2 Length and Height" Link to contents for "1 Letter-size Basics"      Link to "1-3 Address Placement for Letters"

1-2.3 Aspect Ratio

The aspect ratio is the length of the mailpiece divided by the height. For a letter-size piece to be machinable, this number must be between 1.3 and 2.5, inclusive. This ensures that the mailpiece travels properly on USPS machinery. Pieces that are too tall relative to their length tend to tumble during processing. See Exhibit 1-2.3.

Exhibit 1-2.3 

Examples of Aspect Ratio (Not Drawn to Scale)

Aspect ratio example




Link to "1-2.2 Length and Height" Link to contents for "1 Letter-size Basics"      Link to "1-3 Address Placement for Letters"
  • LEGAL

    • Privacy Policy ›
    • Terms of Use ›
    • FOIA ›
    • No FEAR Act EEO Data ›
  • ON ABOUT.USPS.COM

    • Newsroom ›
    • USPS Service Alerts ›
    • Forms & Publications ›
    • Careers ›
    • Site Index ›
  • ON USPS.COM

    • USPS.com Home ›
    • Buy Stamps & Shop ›
    • Print a Label with Postage ›
    • Customer Service ›
    • Delivering Solutions to the Last Mile ›
  • OTHER USPS SITES

    • Business Customer Gateway ›
    • Postal Inspectors ›
    • Inspector General ›
    • Postal Explorer ›
Copyright© 2025 USPS. All Rights Reserved.