Does Size Matter? How Many Pages Are Your Letters?

[BBU]

Sorry to be somewhat OT, but are there any conventions that are influential when determining paper size for a letter? For example, a certain maximum number of A5 sheets before switching to A4 or if the size of one's writing (or line spacing) should be considered, etc. Or, does it simply boil down to personal preference? How about margin sizes? I expect to write approximately 1200-1500 words, with an x-height of 2 mm and 10-12 mm of space between baselines. Any thoughts on which size would be most suitable for me?

 

Thank you.

[alexander_k]

I have developed a certain notoriety concerning the size of my letters. Eight pages is the least I can manage and there have been letters of sixty pages, of course written in a period of several weeks (I am at my most productive when there's a lot of soccer on the telly: I sit at my desk happily writing through the evening, looking up whenever something interesting happens and they show it in repeats [yes, plural]). I freely admit that the main reason for writing is to play with pens and inks but nobody seems to mind. They actually tell me of their disappointment if it's a relatively short letter - sixteen pages, for example. That's the beauty of it, I guess.

 

As for my handwriting size, it depends on the paper size (A4 or A5) and the nib. I must count the words on different pages and compare - yet another little game I can play with pens and inks - many thanks for the idea.

[Just I]

Sorry to be somewhat OT, but are there any conventions that are influential when determining paper size for a letter? For example, a certain maximum number of A5 sheets before switching to A4 or if the size of one's writing (or line spacing) should be considered, etc. Or, does it simply boil down to personal preference? How about margin sizes? I expect to write approximately 1200-1500 words, with an x-height of 2 mm and 10-12 mm of space between baselines. Any thoughts on which size would be most suitable for me?

 

Thank you.

I am still new at this, so I hope others will please correct me if I am wrong, but from the letters I have received, these days it seems it is purely up to the individual. I know in the print world there are all sorts of guidelines about what makes a body of text more readable - how long a line should be before reader fatigue sets in and that sort of thing and I am guessing that in a more formal class than I live in, there are "correct" and "proper" ways of doing things but I tend to prefer a letter that is more self expression than formal rules. Another factor will be your comfort level in writing, I find that writing a letter with a long line width is more fatiguing than a shorter line. Same amount of words, but the flow is better.

 

I personally am still discovering my letter writing style and trying out A4 vs A5, narrow vs wide margins, paper brand, leading given my more dramatic decenders and how many colours I can use before give my reader a headache.

[Just I]

I have developed a certain notoriety concerning the size of my letters. Eight pages is the least I can manage and there have been letters of sixty pages, of course written in a period of several weeks (I am at my most productive when there's a lot of soccer on the telly: I sit at my desk happily writing through the evening, looking up whenever something interesting happens and they show it in repeats [yes, plural]). I freely admit that the main reason for writing is to play with pens and inks but nobody seems to mind. They actually tell me of their disappointment if it's a relatively short letter - sixteen pages, for example. That's the beauty of it, I guess.

 

As for my handwriting size, it depends on the paper size (A4 or A5) and the nib. I must count the words on different pages and compare - yet another little game I can play with pens and inks - many thanks for the idea.

I am not sure those are letters so much as novel

 

Seriously, I think letters that size are awesome and I hope to someday build correspondences that are that lengthy.

[Skyppere]

You could always PM me with your address and find out!

Actually it really depends on my correspondent. Some write very short letters,

a page at most, others write on and on. There's no one size that fits all.

 

I usually start with a card that I've made

from a photo I've taken. That's 3 5x7 inch pages. I write sort of cramped : )

Then if I'm feeling a bit windy I'll add a page or two or three out of my Rhodia

pad and then stick it into a home made envelope, stamp it and entrust it to

the USPO to deliver it for the paltry cost of 49 cents.

skyppere

[sharonspens]

This post prompted me to look on Wikipedia to sort out paper sizes. My stationery (from Papyrus) is probably about A5; I will generally write on two sheets, both sides, for a standard letter. If I am using A4 for a letter, most likely it will also be two sheets, 3.5 to 4 full sides. The size of my writing generally depends on the pen in use, as I have nibs from fine to broad.

 

All of my InCoWriMo mailings so far this month have been correspondence or note cards, however, not letters. I am using the opportunity to clear out my amazing stash of random notecards, or I have needed to send more professional correspondence. No extra sheets of paper, but also most all so far have included a bag of lovely spice tea.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[GabrielleDuVent]

I tend to write 3, 4 pages most of the time single-sided. My writing pad has 24 lines. There are times when I write some philosophical rant/diatribe that go on for a dozen pages, but those are rare... I tend to shy away from those topics, as I've had too many experiences where I get muted silence as a response. I'm not very outgoing as a person, so most of what I write has to come from my limited experience (music and books... not much else), social observations, or whatever thought that caterwauls through my head. As a result, I sometimes write flurry of letters, and then I fall into silence. (Yes, that's to all of you who are patiently waiting for my response. I've not forgotten...)

Edited February 20, 2014 by GabrielleDuVent

[Runnin_Ute]

I just wrote a letter today. Just a quick note. 1.5+ pages on A5.

[BBU]

I am still new at this, so I hope others will please correct me if I am wrong, but from the letters I have received, these days it seems it is purely up to the individual. I know in the print world there are all sorts of guidelines about what makes a body of text more readable - how long a line should be before reader fatigue sets in and that sort of thing and I am guessing that in a more formal class than I live in, there are "correct" and "proper" ways of doing things but I tend to prefer a letter that is more self expression than formal rules. Another factor will be your comfort level in writing, I find that writing a letter with a long line width is more fatiguing than a shorter line. Same amount of words, but the flow is better.

 

I personally am still discovering my letter writing style and trying out A4 vs A5, narrow vs wide margins, paper brand, leading given my more dramatic decenders and how many colours I can use before give my reader a headache.

 

Thanks for the response. I guess I'll just go with what looks pleasing and readable to me. As long as the margins are wide enough that the recipient's fingers wouldn't cover any letters while holding it the pages, I suppose it should be fine. Googling for margins and line spacing for handwritten letters gives some really weird results, though. Apparently, some people think those things say quite a lot about the writer.

 

Here's something I forgot to ask last time. How do you guys bind your pages together? It seems a bit unnatural to staple nice, textured paper for social correspondence as if it were a business document or school assignment. Do you leave the pages loose before folding them together?

[ridiculopathy]

Here's something I forgot to ask last time. How do you guys bind your pages together? It seems a bit unnatural to staple nice, textured paper for social correspondence as if it were a business document or school assignment. Do you leave the pages loose before folding them together?

 

I leave them loose and then fold them together. I put page numbers in the corner in case they get out of order.

[mrcharlie]

Please do not use staples. Just make a stack and fold them together. A lot of people dislike staples, and they will potentially rip or puncture the envelope as it travels through sorting machines.

 

I usually write page numbers in the bottom margin centered; lots of people use the top corner. Skip numbering page 1 if you use the top corner margin, and the final page is also obvious if you wish to skip it. It isn't really necessary to number less fewer than four pages.

Edited February 26, 2014 by mrcharlie

[migo984]

I think that the nicest thing about hand-written letters is that they are individual and are a personal representation of the sender. I get lots of lovely letters, all of them unique. They vary between senders, and each letter a pen pal sends to me is different in some way from previous one's they've sent. No two look alike, thank goodness.

 

So please don't worry about what other people do. Do what YOU want to do. Choose paper you like, the pen and ink combo you enjoy, use wide or narrow margins or none at all, number your pages or don't, write one side or twenry, doodle on the pages, enclose small tokens, articles or interesting snippets, use bog-standard office envelopes or posh lined ones that match the paper, or make your own. Re-write your letter until it's perfect or go with the flow and leave crossings out or blotches (like I do! LOL). Just be you.

 

To me the most important thing is that someone's taken the time and put thought into the letter they send to me. I love the idiosyncrasies of hand-written letters.

[GabrielleDuVent]

The proper method (Emily Post, I think it was) was numbering the pages in the upper right hand corner except the first page, since you date the first page and therefore it's kind of obvious. Then fold it in 3.

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Fold-and-Insert-a-Letter-Into-an-Envelope

 

(I had no idea you're supposed to put the spine toward the bottom of the envelope for cards! Oops...)

[Just I]

The proper method (Emily Post, I think it was) was numbering the pages in the upper right hand corner except the first page, since you date the first page and therefore it's kind of obvious. Then fold it in 3.

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Fold-and-Insert-a-Letter-Into-an-Envelope

 

(I had no idea you're supposed to put the spine toward the bottom of the envelope for cards! Oops...)

 

I had no idea that I have been putting cards into envelopes wrong all of my life . I never thought about it, but it totally makes sense. I wonder how common letter openers are outside of murder mysteries these days?

 

I remember one kind elderly aunt that wouldn't seal envelopes and would only write on them and the card lightly in pencil. She would make sure to let us know to reuse the card to save some money, I am not quite sure who she imagined I would give a card with "Happy Birthday to my favorite Niece", but she was a wonderful lady and it it likely comes from having very little when she was younger. It is the thought that counts.

[mrcharlie]

I never thought about it, but it totally makes sense. I wonder how common letter openers are outside of murder mysteries these days?

 

I have opened an envelope a little too quickly and enthusiastically and cut the paper of the letter into two pieces with a letter opener. Ever since then I've been inserting cards and single fold letters with the fold first for exactly that reason. And I'm a lot slower and more careful when using a letter opener or knife.

 

Not much you can do to stop something folded into thirds from getting slit while opening the envelope. I disagree with the z-fold advice though; fold the bottom up and then the top down such that all the writing is hidden by the backs of the paper is the way I was taught to do it. I'm sure whatever I was taught as a small child is what I'd prefer today; either way is fine.

 

Also do not get out a rule and use it to sharpen the folds of the paper; that is just not necessary.

 

Oh, and fwiw, I found some more cheap Greenbriar Intl writing pads that work with 70-80% of FP inks I've tried at Dollar Tree right next to the other brand that don't work with FPs at all. I just didn't see it the previous time because the stock was very low and I assumed they would not have two products that were nearly the same.

Edited February 26, 2014 by mrcharlie

[highlander1307]

Loose with header and page number.

[Skyppere]

 

I had no idea that I have been putting cards into envelopes wrong all of my life . I never thought about it, but it totally makes sense. I wonder how common letter openers are outside of murder mysteries these days?

 

I remember one kind elderly aunt that wouldn't seal envelopes and would only write on them and the card lightly in pencil. She would make sure to let us know to reuse the card to save some money, I am not quite sure who she imagined I would give a card with "Happy Birthday to my favorite Niece", but she was a wonderful lady and it it likely comes from having very little when she was younger. It is the thought that counts.

I would have to respectfully disagree. if the spine is on the bottom of the envelope then when you pull the card out the picture is upside down. Much is lost in the first impression... as far as i know, none of my correspondents has sliced my cards in half and i've been sending them out for years...

and I heartily agree it IS the thought that counts.

skyppere

[ac12]

I'm old fashioned, using today what I used as a kid.

My letter writing paper is essentially a letter size page 8.5 x 11 inches cut in half or 5.5 x 8.5.

I also have letter writing pads which are a tad bigger, up to 6 x 9.

I will use either, depending on what I feel like using.

 

I find the smaller paper is easier to fill (than an 8.5x11 sheet), if you can't think of a lot to say.

And I find it easier to write without the pressure of a huge empty sheet of paper to try to fill.

I also use only one side as the shadowing can be pretty bad, depending on what paper/pen/ink combo I choose to use.

I try to limit myself to about 2 pages, but I will go over if I feel wordy.

[ellen1991]

Typically my letters are between 4 and six sides of A4 but I have been known to send letters of 16 pages sometimes and I recently sent a 31 page letter to a Penpal.

31?? I am impressed! You must have a very interesting pen pal or are very interesting yourself

[ac12]

 

I'm old fashioned, using today what I used as a kid.

My letter writing paper is essentially a letter size page 8.5 x 11 inches cut in half or 5.5 x 8.5.

I also have letter writing pads which are a tad bigger, up to 6 x 9.

I will use either, depending on what I feel like using.

 

I find the smaller paper is easier to fill (than an 8.5x11 sheet), if you can't think of a lot to say.

And I find it easier to write without the pressure of a huge empty sheet of paper to try to fill.

I also use only one side as the shadowing can be pretty bad, depending on what paper/pen/ink combo I choose to use.

I try to limit myself to about 2 pages, but I will go over if I feel wordy.

 

Update to my earlier post.

I found that my FPN letter exchange was using up to 4 of the smaller letter pad sheets written on both sides. Geez I must be a motor mouth. So I switched to 8.5x11 letter size paper, to use less sheets. So volume of writing is a factor in what size paper I use.

 

For personal writing, I would go back to the smaller size paper, even if I have to cut a 8.5x11 sheet in half.

It is a personal note, not a business letter.

 

I am using Staples 20# Sustainable Earth sugar cane paper. It seems to be quite good about not shadowing, so I can use both sides of it.