envelope EXCHANGE *rules*

YES - there will be a monthly exchange in 2026 and probably 2027.
If you have any questions, please contact me
PTEnvleopes-at-aol-dot-com
There will be 12 exchanges in 2026 - and also 12 in 2027 (assuming nothing drastic happens).
Sign-up starts on the first of each month. Details below.

IMPORTANT - READ THE SECTION BELOW

 

For about 10 years, people would find the exchange, usually through Pinterest and they would sign up with an email. Most people just sent their name and address. A few people introduced themselves. But, everyone always managed to send their 5 envelopes. 

Then in 2025, there were two different people who signed up and one of them never sent anything and did not respond to emails. Based on their address, they might be a college student. But, there are a couple college students who exchange and they have always gotten their envelopes in the mail. 

A second person has not mailed anything and was kind enough to send an email apologizing for lateness - but as of this date (Nov 22, 2025) nothing has arrived.

Because of these two people, when people sign up, I will still put you on a list - but I will also mention that we have had a couple non-performers and that it is disappointing to send envelopes and to not receive anything. 

So, be forewarned that when you sign up, we expect you to put 5 envelopes in the mail. You can look at examples on the blog and see that we are not asking for masterpieces - we just want you to put something fun on the envelope to show that you are interested in mail art. 

The rules:

TIMELINE  - 

I post the invitation to join the monthly envelope exchange on the first of the month.  The deadline for signing up is the 4th day of the month. I send the lists on the 5th (or 6th). If you sign up and do not hear from me within 2 or 3 days acknowledging your request to exchange, send me another email. 

Please follow this 5 line format.

John Doe
123 Oak Street
Town, State ZIP
Country
john.doe@gmail.com
(BIRTHDAY) (2 LISTS)

Lists will include 5 other people + your name.

You may add the word BIRTHDAY - under your email - to indicate if you have a birthday in the upcoming month. It is optional for exchangers to do a birthday themed envelope.

You may offer to be on 2 lists. I do not guarantee that you get on two lists - but, I may add you to a second list if I need to make the lists come out even. Offer to be on two lists by adding (2 LISTS) under your name

The exchange is no longer open to people outside of the US.

Too many envelopes were not making it to their destination.

We are all sad to lose that option - but times change.

At least everyone, except Denmark, still has the option to exchange mail locally.

YOUR NAME WILL BE ON THE LIST YOU RECEIVE  

Your name will be on the list, but you do not need to send anything to yourself. Send something to the other people on the list and they will send to you. Or, if you want a record of your design, it might be fun to make an envelope for yourself.

ARTWORK

There is no theme, do whatever you want.  Any medium is fine - ink, markers, ballpoints, watercolor, typewriter, rubber stamping, and digital art are all acceptable.  Calligraphy is welcome, but not required.  Please decorate the envelope.  While some people enclose a card or note, that is not required. Enclosing blank paper or recycled paper IS REQUIRED - to give the envelope enough heft to make it through the processing machines.

ALL THE SAME DESIGN -or- EACH ONE DIFFERENT
It is entirely up to you. Some people create one design and use it for everyone on the list. Other people make each envelope unique.

QUALITY AND SKILL LEVEL

We have a wide range of skill levels, we welcome beginners, and we do not judge the quality of the artwork.  Don't worry about where you are on the bell curve of creativity. Explore possibilities, experiment, and have fun.

EMAIL ADDRESSES

Emails will be included on the list. If you are missing any mail, please contact the sender of the missing mail directly. You may want to open a separate email account just for exchanging if you do not want your personal email going out to strangers.

MISSING ENVELOPES - PHOTOGRAPHS OF ENVELOPES

Please try to track them down yourself. If you are getting no response, please let me know.

We ask everyone to take a photo of their outgoing mail. If your mail does not arrive, you will have a photo of what you sent to pass along. 

LATENESS

Sometimes things happen and your envelopes will be late. Please email the others on your list and let them know.  In the event that you are unable to complete your envelopes, let me know and I will try to do them for you.

WHAT DO I PUT ON THE BLOG

Pretty much anything and everything.  Most exchangers are happy to see their work on the blog. If you are shy and don't want your work on the blog, please try to get over it. There are a bazillion images on the internet, and I don't think anyone is going to notice one more decorated envelope. This blog is all about sharing, and it will be a better blog if you join in the sharing.

POSTING PERSONAL ADDRESSES

I block or blur all the street addresses on the photos of the envelopes that I mail. I do not block my own address. My address has been all over the internet for so long, there is no point in blocking it now. I request that any of you who have blogs also blur addresses that are not your own. I have asked people to put return addresses on the back of the envelope...which in theory, would make it unnecessary to blur the return addresses, but it seems that a return address on the back sometimes confuses the scanning machines.

So.....

WHERE TO PUT THE RETURN ADDRESS

We do not have any perfect solution for this. If the return address is too large on the back, the scanner might pick it up, add the bar code, and return the envelope to the sender. This happens when the return address is in the landscape orientation.  One option to make it less likely the scanner will pick up the return address, is to put it along the right or left side, vertically, on the back of the envelope.

OPEN or EMPTY + NOTE ON THE BACK
OPEN means that there is something to look at inside the envelope.

EMPTY means that whatever you put in the envelope is just blank paper or recycled paper to give the envelope enough heft to make it through the processing machines. 

Envelopes that are thin with nothing inside are often chewed up by the machines.

It is also helpful to write PTEX and the month on the back. 

Some people participate in more than one exchange and it is helpful for them to know when it is a PTEX envelope.

MAKING THE ADDRESS HARD TO READ

There are times when a design is so cool that you want to put the address into the design in a very artistic way that is also very hard to read. If you choose to do this, and your return address is very easy to read, that may cause the scanner to pick up the return address. In general, I recommend making the street and zip code pretty easy to find and read.  

Clear penmanship is encouraged.

We have calligrapher who continue to use cursive which is fine. It seems like cursive makes it harder for the. scanners to read the address and some of the mail with cursive seems to take a couple extra weeks to arrive. 

I have switched to clear block printing on the addresses.

I also keep my designs away from the bottom of the envelope where the barcode goes.

WHEN DOES IT COST EXTRA

The post office will charge extra if you have a square envelope or one that is addressed in the portrait orientation. The address should be level with the bottom of a landscape orientation if you want the standard one-ounce rate. You can find the current information on the non-standard rates at usps.com

ANY QUESTIONS?

Just email me at ptenvelopes(at)aol(dot)com