How To Fold Your Letters

[TeeWee]

A very silly and elementary question which makes me feel like a complete lout, but still: is there a preferred (or even: correct) way to fold a letter?

 

My letters are in A4, with a standard "long" envelope which requires me to fold the letter in thirds (so two folds, parallel).

 

Assume personal correspondence, nothing even remotely business, if that makes a difference. Also: I live in the Netherlands, if cultural differences matter.

 

I don't quite think I've done it in a consistent manner. But just when I was finishing up my letter, I was thinking whether or not there was a correct way to do this. Fold in in exact thirds, or have one end come "short", is the "open" flap the top or the bottom, should a folded letter show letters or just the back, which way should I put the letter into the envelope... Once you start thinking about this, it just seems there are so many options (though some of these options just feel weird and wrong to me).

 

So, any suggestions?

[Guest Ray Cornett]

I am in my 40s and you do it the way I was taught in school and such. I never needed to experiment with another way.

[Guest Ray Cornett]

My personal preference is to have the end meet the edge when folded over although some leave a little distance between the end and the edge. Personal preference.

[Blade Runner]

Least # of folds to fit.

[Shaughn]

There is but one way to do it right: this way.

All for a reason of course.

You don't want the precious letter damaged by a letter opener. Thus the 'longer' end allows for one fold at the bottom at the envelope and the second fold far below the upper end where the letteropener comes.

Then courtesy requires that the addressee is immediately 'spoken to' when he or she opens the envelope, so the beginning of the letter up. We assume that the receiver first checks if he or she is the addressee, then turns around the envelope to see who is the sender and then opens the envelope.

Of course if the sender is revealed on the front side, the addressee will not turn the envelope and thus: the letter is inserted reverse. Pulling the letter out the addressee is immediately 'spoken to'.

It's easy as that!

Edited March 31, 2014 by Shaughn

[BBU]

It was also touched on briefly near the end of this thread:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/260828-does-size-matter-how-many-pages-are-your-letters/

 

There's still some disagreement, usually based on region. In Canada, I rarely see a Z-fold unless an address is suppose to show through a window in the envelope. It's usually the bottom folded up, then the top folded folded down (typically some millimetres short of touching the bottom crease) so that no text is visible until the top flap is lifted. I think the Z-fold method is supposed to be more common in Europe.

 

 

  On 3/31/2014 at 7:26 PM, Shaughn said:

 

Then courtesy requires that the addressee is immediately 'spoken to' when he or she opens the envelope, so the beginning of the letter up. We assume that the receiver first checks if he or she is the addressee, then turns around the envelope to see who is the sender and then opens the envelope.

 

I think that sounds a little arbitrary. Couldn't one also say that having the text on the inside is better for privacy, since it would be harder to read the text through the envelope?

[linearM]

I fold my letters the same way you do at least for the business sized envelopes. The for the smaller envelopes I fold the paper in half (smaller stationery). Then you can be creative. There are special folds if you want to send the letter without an envelope and use sealing wax. My letters have all gotten through the mail using that technique as well, Jane Austin or Regency style. If you look up letter folding on the web you will find all sorts of ways of folding letters. Of course, it depends on your country's postal regulations.

Edited March 31, 2014 by linearM

[Shaughn]

  On 3/31/2014 at 7:35 PM, BBU said:

 

I think that sounds a little arbitrary. Couldn't one also say that having the text on the inside is better for privacy, since it would be harder to read the text through the envelope?

 

Perhaps, but three layers of paper covered by an envelope - I can hardly imagine seeing legible text. And shouldn't it go without saying: a gentleman does not read other peoples mail?

[alc3261]

I seem to remember in school being told that A4 (or equivalent Imperial size) is for business correspondence ONLY!!

A lady would only use A5 (or equivalent Imperial size) paper for a personal letter!!

I assure you that I am joking (although I don't think my English teacher was!!).

[vossad01]

  On 3/31/2014 at 8:04 PM, alc3261 said:

I seem to remember in school being told that A4 (or equivalent Imperial size) is for business correspondence ONLY!!

A lady would only use A5 (or equivalent Imperial size) paper for a personal letter!!

I assure you that I am joking (although I don't think my English teacher was!!).

 

Interesting!

 

Do we have an equivalent standard paper size in Imperial sizing? The only sizes I am familiar with are Letter and Legal which certainly are not it.

[alc3261]

  On 3/31/2014 at 8:46 PM, vossad01 said:

 

Interesting!

 

Do we have an equivalent standard paper size in Imperial sizing? The only sizes I am familiar with are Letter and Legal which certainly are not it.

Well, we don't have Letter or Legal!!

[Sasha Royale]

I have never been able to keep track, by numbers, the size of paper.

When I use business-size, the fold is into thirds for the business envelope. I was taught that ij typing class.

For some of my personal letters, I use the Monarch size paper and envelope from Crane, folded by thirds.

Mostly, however, I buy resume paper by the realm. I use the full 8-1/2 x 11 paper for writing and fold it

into quarters to fit my "homemade" 6-1/4 x 4-1/2 envelopes.

[TeeWee]

Thanks for the many replies! I love you all for this

Anyway, my own feelings before asking the questions were:

  On 3/31/2014 at 7:26 PM, Shaughn said:

 

There is but one way to do it right: this way.

 

Great picture, explains everything in one go. But this, I would only use in business letters, primarily to accomodate those windowed envelopes. So I guess I'd fold a business letter with a Z-fold without much thought. And then, the letter goes in "backwards" compared to your picture, because the adressee has to be visible through the window.

For personal letters though, the Z-fold seems so... I don't know. Just not right.

  On 3/31/2014 at 7:35 PM, BBU said:

It was also touched on briefly near the end of this thread:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/260828-does-size-matter-how-many-pages-are-your-letters/

There's still some disagreement, usually based on region. In Canada, I rarely see a Z-fold unless an address is suppose to show through a window in the envelope. It's usually the bottom folded up, then the top folded folded down (typically some millimetres short of touching the bottom crease) so that no text is visible until the top flap is lifted. I think the Z-fold method is supposed to be more common in Europe.

 

Thanks for the link

Anyway, I think I do the same as you. Fold the bottom end up, then the top down to cover the letter. When you open the letter, you can start reading right away. I think I have just discovered I have a weak preference for the top end being "shorter" than the other two thirds of the letter.

 

  On 3/31/2014 at 7:35 PM, BBU said:

I think that sounds a little arbitrary. Couldn't one also say that having the text on the inside is better for privacy, since it would be harder to read the text through the envelope?

 

  On 3/31/2014 at 8:00 PM, Shaughn said:

Perhaps, but three layers of paper covered by an envelope - I can hardly imagine seeing legible text.

 

I think BBU means: if you fold it with a Z-fold, there must be a portion on the "outside" (see your original picture), not "protected" by the rest of the folds. And if the envelope is not opaque enough, you can then read the first part of the letter through the envelope, while if you fold it with a "U-fold", the text will be facing inwards giving you an additional layer of paper, and thus, privacy.

Edited March 31, 2014 by TeeWee

[Dickkooty2]

If I am writing a business letter with a name and horsepower at the top or I know I'll be writing a long letter, I use 8.5 x 11 with a matching business size envelop. This is with a three-fold.

 

If I'm writing a shorter personal letter, I use Clairfontaine A4 with the matching envelope. This is a two-fold.

 

If I am writing a short thank-you, invitation, personal observation, I use Crane notes 3 15/16 x 5 9/16 with the matching envelope. They are already folded! In fact, Most times I do a little something on the outside 1 before continuing the note on inside 2, 3.

 

I find that handwriting notes and letters produces more attention on the part of the receivers. I think this is true regardless of how many times they are folded. Of course, I'd stay away from the famous 'spitball' fold, or the Dick Cavett conical shape inserted where the sun doesn't shine.

 

Hopefully helpful.

 

Etta Kett

Edited March 31, 2014 by Dickkooty2

[alarickc]

  On 3/31/2014 at 8:46 PM, vossad01 said:

 

Interesting!

 

Do we have an equivalent standard paper size in Imperial sizing? The only sizes I am familiar with are Letter and Legal which certainly are not it.

Crane & Co, which is American, calls their A5 equivalent Half-Sheets(They are quite literally a half of a Letter sheet). I personally only use A5 for correspondence, A4 just seems too wide to read or write comfortably. The upside of that is that you only have to fold A5's in half to fit a C5 envelope.

[Blade Runner]

Monarch is my favorite size. Unfortunately Crane's discontinued it. Fortunately I have a few reams of it and matching envelopes (guessing this might happen).

[Blade Runner]

  On 3/31/2014 at 9:27 PM, Dickkooty2 said:

If I am writing a business letter with a name and horsepower at the top or I know I'll be writing a long letter, I use 8.5 x 11 with a matching business size envelop. This is with a three-fold.

 

If I'm writing a shorter personal letter, I use Clairfontaine A4 with the matching envelope. This is a two-fold.

 

If I am writing a short thank-you, invitation, personal observation, I use Crane notes 3 15/16 x 5 9/16 with the matching envelope. They are already folded! In fact, Most times I do a little something on the outside 1 before continuing the note on inside 2, 3.

 

I find that handwriting notes and letters produces more attention on the part of the receivers. I think this is true regardless of how many times they are folded. Of course, I'd stay away from the famous 'spitball' fold, or the Dick Cavett conical shape inserted where the sun doesn't shine.

 

Hopefully helpful.

 

Etta Kett

The way the notes are folded, the inside is the side where the watermark is reversed. I find that side different and less appealing when writing with fountain pens than the other side (where the watermark can be normally read) despite Crane's statement that both sides are the same. Have you noticed any difference?

[kiavonne]

Not sure I can describe this accurately, but here goes.

 

For business size envelopes (long envelopes), I was taught to fold the full page in thirds, first from the bottom edge up to the middle, then the top edge of the page down over to the fold edge of the bottom fold. Then, we were told to turn the folded letter around so the top edge would again be at the top, and flip the letter over to insert into the envelope from the back side of the envelope. This means the top edge of the letter is still at the top, and this top portion is also against the backside of the paper of the front side of the envelope. Hope that makes sense.

 

We were taught that in this manner, when the recipient opens the letter, they will usually turn the envelope over to the see the backside to see where to insert a letter opener under the flap edge to slit open the top of the envelope; then, they will use their thumb and forefinger to grasp just the top edge of the letter to pull the letter out, shake the letter open and immediately start reading, all in one fluid motion.

 

For personal correspondence, using half sheets (which was the norm for personal stationery in loose or padded sheets), we were taught to fold the page in half top to bottom, and use the appropriate size envelope which usually came with the stationery. If we didn't have the right size envelope, we folded to quarters or to fit the envelope we did have available, first from top to bottom, then from side to side.

 

Now, mind you, we were taught to do this in high school in the mid-1970s in a class called "Secretarial Co-Op," which also taught shorthand, the "proper" way to file, keep track of petty cash, etc., for a business. Even as late as the mid-1970s, women were still taught to believe that their work would be in the secretarial/personal assistant field, rather than in management or in other "non-traditional" fields. The boys were taking "Shop" and learning machining, woodworking, etc. I took and paid for a basic auto maintenance course at the local vo-tech school on my own to be able to learn about the basics of car maintenance when I started driving. At least I learned how to change a flat and trouble shoot simple problems, which we were not taught in mandatory drivers' ed in high school. Yeah, there used to be mandatory drivers' education.

[kiavonne]

double post

Edited March 31, 2014 by kiavonne

[wallylynn]

  On 3/31/2014 at 11:57 PM, kiavonne said:

Not sure I can describe this accurately, but here goes.

 

For business size envelopes (long envelopes), I was taught to fold the full page in thirds, first from the bottom edge up to the middle, then the top edge of the page down over to the fold edge of the bottom fold. Then, we were told to turn the folded letter around so the top edge would again be at the top, and flip the letter over to insert into the envelope from the back side of the envelope. This means the top edge of the letter is still at the top, and this top portion is also against the backside of the paper of the front side of the envelope. Hope that makes sense.

Do you have some pictures? Because i'm getting larger than one third and it's not fitting in my envelope. Do you mean fold up 2/3rds, instead of middle (half)?