What is the standard UK envelope for wedding invitations?

C5 (229 x 162 mm) is the most popular for UK wedding invitations, fitting an A5 card. DL (220 x 110 mm) is standard for letters. Square envelopes (155 x 155 mm) are popular for informal invitations but cost more to post.

Where should I position the address on an envelope?

Royal Mail recommends the address in the lower-centre to right area of the envelope, clear of the stamp and any return address. For calligraphy, slightly left of centre and vertically centred looks balanced.

How many address lines should I allow?

A typical UK address has 5-6 lines: name, house number and street, locality (optional), town, county (optional), postcode. Always include the postcode on its own line or clearly separated.

Should I include a return address?

Yes — Royal Mail recommends a return address on the back flap or top-left corner of the front. For calligraphy envelopes, the back flap is traditional for formal correspondence.

What x-height works best for envelopes?

For DL and C6 envelopes, 3-4 mm x-height works well. For C5 and C4, you can go to 4-5 mm. The text should not look cramped or overwhelm the envelope. Always do a test layout before your final batch.

ArtCalcs

Envelope Calculator — Calligraphy Envelope Layout

Work out text positioning and layout for addressing calligraphy envelopes.

Envelope Size

X-Height

Address Lines

Return Address

How We Calculate This

How Envelope Layout Works

Line spacing = X-height x 2.5 (includes ascender + descender + gap)

The address block is positioned in the lower-centre area of the envelope. Line spacing includes the full letter height plus interline gap. The calculator provides precise X/Y positions for address start, return address and stamp area based on the envelope size.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates. Always verify quantities before purchasing materials.