thumb | upright=1.5 | An unconventional delivery method is shown by this message in a bottle. This bottle and its contents (sample postcard and insert shown above) were launched into the Atlantic Ocean in 1959 by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and were found in 2013 at a beach on Martha's Vineyard. Here is how a letter gets from the sender to the recipient: Sender composes and writes letter and may fold the letter so that it fits in an envelope. For bulk mailings, a folding machine may be employed. Sender places the letter in an envelope on which the recipient's address is written on the front of the envelope, or often is visible through a transparent window of the envelope. Sender ensures that the recipient's address includes the ZIP or Postal Code (if applicable) and historically often included their return address on the envelope. For small volume private letters, the sender buys a postage stamp and attaches it to the top right corner on the front of the envelope. (For most commercial letters, postage stamps are not used: a franking machine or other methods are used to pay for postage.) Sender puts the letter in a postbox. The national postal service of the sender's country (e.g. Royal Mail, UK; USPS, United States; Australia Post in Australia; or Canada Post in Canada) empties the postbox and transports all the contents to the local sorting office. The sorting office then sorts each letter by address and postcode and sends the letters destined for a particular area to that area's local sorting office (sometimes called a delivery office). Letters addressed to a different region may go through more than one stage of transmission and sorting. The local delivery personnel collect the letters from the delivery office and deliver them to the proper addresses. In some areas, recipients may need to collect the letters from the local office.
thumb | upright=15 | an unconventional delivery method is shown by this message in a bottle this bottle and its contents (sample postcard and insert shown above) were launched into the atlantic ocean in 1959 by the united states coast and geodetic survey and were found in 2013 at a beach on martha's vineyard here is how a letter gets from the sender to the recipient sender composes and writes letter and may fold the letter so that it fits in an envelope for bulk mailings a folding machine may be employed sender places the letter in an envelope on which the recipient's address is written on the front of the envelope or often is visible through a transparent window of the envelope sender ensures that the recipient's address includes the zip or postal code (if applicable) and historically often included their return address on the envelope for small volume private letters the sender buys a postage stamp and attaches it to the top right corner on the front of the envelope (for most commercial letters postage stamps are not used a franking machine or other methods are used to pay for postage) sender puts the letter in a postbox the national postal service of the sender's country (eg royal mail uk; usps united states; australia post in australia; or canada post in canada) empties the postbox and transports all the contents to the local sorting office the sorting office then sorts each letter by address and postcode and sends the letters destined for a particular area to that area's local sorting office (sometimes called a delivery office) letters addressed to a different region may go through more than one stage of transmission and sorting the local delivery personnel collect the letters from the delivery office and deliver them to the proper addresses in some areas recipients may need to collect the letters from the local office