FORMS DESIGN STANDARDS FOR WINDOW ENVELOPE MAILING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP74-00390R000300050025-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 19, 2002
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: March 1, 1970
• Content Type: REQ

Approved Forlease 2002/03/20 : CIA-RDP74-003900300050025-3
FORMS DESIGN STANDARDS FOR WINDOW ENVELOPE MAILING
General Services Administration
National Archives and Records Service
March 1970
The Post Office Department's "Guidelines for Preparing U. S. Government
Mail" were promulgated under FPMR Bulletin B-22, December 12, 1969, by
the General Services Administration. Conformance with these postal
guidelines will require that agencies modify some practices formerly
used in designing inserts or in purchasing window envelopes for applica-
tions that do'not require a custom design. Some of these changes are:
3-7/8 by 8-7/8 inch window envelopes (commercial number 9) should
be used for most mailings. This size envelope will best fit folded
letter size inserts measuring 8 by 10-1/2 inches, and also inserts
measuring 8 by 7 inches (two-thirds size) or 8 by 3-1/2 inches, (one-
third size, unfolded). Many offices formerly used 4-1/8 by 9-1/2
inch envelopes (commercial number 10) for such items.
. The new postal guidelines require at least 1/4-inch clearance
between the left, right, and bottom edges of the window and the
address regardless of any shifting of the insert. Accordingly,
if you must accommodate up to five lines of address, a deeper
window size than formerly available will be needed. In all cases,
the-address must be positioned higher than previously, but must
still appear completely within the address read zone.
Address guidance lines or captions must not appear within the
window unless they are above the address or more than 5/8-inch
to the left of it. This requirement means that window corners
and "TO" lines used to aid in positioning the address cannot be
placed in their traditional location.
Window Envelopes
The Federal Supply Service (GSA) procurement schedules for window envelopes
provide a number of choices in envelope and window styles. The ordering
office should insure that the window envelope selected fully complies with
the postal guidelines.
A new, general-purpose envelope is now included in the FSS schedule ?(FSC
group 75, Part V, "Envelopes, Printed and Plain") which will permit up to
a five line address without substantially reducing the writing area on the
insert. It will accommodate any address line which is not more than 3-1/4-
inches long. This measurement accommodates 32 characters if the insert is
prepared on pica typewriters or most computer printers, and 39 characters
if produced on elite typewriters.
Approved For Release 2002/03/20 : CIA-RDP74-0039OR000300050025-3
 Approved Fo Iease 2002/03/20 : CIA-RDP74-0039(1W0030005O025-3
The new window is identified in the schedule as Size Number 22 and should
ordinarily be ordered with envelope Style Number 433 (3-7/8 by 8-7/8 inches).
Location of the window (1-1/4 by 4-3/4 inches) should be specified as
3/4-inch from the left and 1/2-innch from the bottom of the envelope. To
avoid clearance problems, slightly rounded corners should be ordered in
preference to full-arc (rounded) corners.
If the new envelope is used, it will permit standardization in the design
of most forms, letterheads, and other inserts. This window envelope should
not be used if system requirements or special considerations justify
another style of envelope or window which will comply with the guidelines.
The forms design guidance which follows assumes the use of this general-
purpose window envelope. Nevertheless, some of the suggestions may readily
be adapted to situations requiring the use of other envelopes.
Design Guide Sheet
On page four you will find a design guide. sheet which can be used in deter-
mining the correct placement and reserved areas for a typical 8 by 3-1/2
inch unfolded mailing piece or one that can be conveniently folded to that
dimension.
The shaded area on the guide sheet indicates the space that must be kept
clear on window envelope inserts. (See page 12 of the Postal Guidelines
for authorized exceptions.) Reserving this area will allow for shifting
of the insert without displaying any print in the window which is contrary
to the guidelines.
Parenthetically, it should be noted that if the insert is in the full, up-
shift position, the top line of the address will not show in the window.
The optical scanning machines of the Post Office Department, however, are
seldom concerned with the first line. In addition, there is much in the
mechanical processing of mail that tends to jog the insert to the bottom of
the envelope; thus insuring that the full address will be visible.
Notice that the space directly above the address and also a 3/10-inch segment
between the shaded area and left side of the insert.. are available for use.
Both of these areas may have print which could show in the window without
being contrary to the guidelines.
Address Location Marks
The open space above the address will usually be the most practical location
for any address. location marks or captions. In the guide sheet, a "window
dot" is shown, below which must appear the first letter of the address. This
dot is located 1-5/6 inches from the top and 1-1/20 inches from the left side
of the sheet. If desired, a second dot located 1-5/6 inches from the top may
be used to mark the right hand end of the address.
Some may prefer a horizontal line above the address in lieu of the dot, or
to use "TO" or other captions. Whatever your selection of guide marks or
captions, it is important that typists understand.their meaning. For example,
Approved For Release 2002/03/20 : CIA-RDP74-0039OR000300050025-3
 Approved Foi'1 lease 2002/03/20 : CIA-RDP74-003908 00300050025-3
if the dot were used as illustrated in the guide sheet, the typists should
know that it is positioned above the first line of the address -- not on the
line. The typist must position the sheet in the typewriter so that the
dot appears above the alignment bar on the machine, then space down one
line. The first character is then written one line directly below the dot.
It is theoretically possible to print guides for positioning the address
in the area which is more than 5/8-inch to the left of the address. The
disadvantages of using this location are: (1) the-area is only 3/10-inch
wide, (2) the guide will be visually distant from the beginning of the
address, and (3) the guide will be printed immediately against the left
hand printing margin or may preclude the use of such a margin..
Fold Indicator Marks
Since rather precise tolerances are needed, fold indicator marks are
required 3-1/2 inches from the bottom of the page.
Typographic Considerations
The postal guidelines provide for fon-patting addresses in prescribed
patterns, depending upon circt nstances. Addresses must be blocked to the
left and be in black or blue-black ink. Several methods of writing ad-
dresses are acceptable, such as typewriter, computer printer, addressing
machines, etc., provided they utilize standard nonartistic type fonts and
otherwise meet the typographic tolerances outlined in Appendix B of the
guidelines. The forms designer will be primarily concerned with these
matters in connection with preprinted addresses.
If all capital letters are used, the pitch and height limitations will
generally be met by type sizes ranging from 8 to 12 points (10 to 14 points
if condensed) in both gothic and text fonts. Since the preprinted address
in a window mailing insert is constrained within the se 3-1/4 inch line
limit, the 10 point heavy plate gothic condensed font (GP0 Case No. 173M10)
will yield approximately 13 characters per inch and should be used where
maxinann space utilization is needed. On the smaller type sizes, line
spacing must be leaded to 12 points to comply with line spacing limitations.
If lower case is used, probably the 12 point size of one of the text or
sans serif fonts will afford the best results. For maximum space utiliza-
tion, 12 point sans serif bold (GP) Case No. M412) will yield the full
limit of 14 characters per inch.
It should be noted that coxmion cold type composing machines do not currently
provide a type face large enough to meet the maximum 14 characters per inch
limitation when either 25 percent or 33-1/3 percent reduction is used.
.12ple "-,Colors
Paper colors for forms used as window mailing inserts are restricted to
white, light blue, or light green.
Approved For Release 2002/0/20 : CIA-RDP74-0039OR000300050025-3
 Approved For Release 2002/03/20 : CIA-RDP74-0039OR000300050025-3
DESIGN GUIDE SHEET
(For form sizes 8'! x 3-1/2", 81" x 7 ", and 8" x 10-1/2", to fit window envelope 3-7/8" x 8-7/8"
with 1-1/4" x 4-3/4" window placed 3/4" from left edge and 1/2" from bottom.)
IEE~'EiliiE,Elllilill
E11111E11
'lIII~11lI
lEl~llll
EIIIIIEII
I
,
TEN
THS
II
E
IEIE
IEE
WSNDOW DOT
(Abo.e first line
of address)
SHADED AREA
(Reserved to
accommodate shifting)
Approved For Release 2002/03/20 : CIA-RDP74-0039OR000300050025-3