Osoiteviivat

Osoiteviivat (literally “address lines”) is a Finnish term for the lines of a postal address block on envelopes, parcels, and other mail. The concept refers to how the recipient’s address is printed in a compact, multi-line format to facilitate both human reading and automated sorting by postal services. The term is commonly used in Finnish postal guidelines and addressing manuals.

In Finnish practice, the address block is arranged from top to bottom in distinct lines. For domestic mail, three lines are typically used: line 1 contains the recipient’s name, line 2 contains the street address with house and apartment numbers if applicable, and line 3 contains the postal code and city or municipality. For international mail, a fourth line is added with the country name. The exact wording and line breaks can vary with service level and language preferences (Finnish, Swedish, or English).

Formatting guidelines emphasize clarity and machine readability. Address lines should be left-aligned and printed in a legible typeface with minimal punctuation. In Finland, the postal code is five digits, and diacritics in names are generally preserved. When using label printers or mail-merge systems, line height and spacing are set to optimize recognition by sorting machinery and postal staff.

Osoiteviivat thus define the standardized, human- and machine-readable presentation of Finnish mailing addresses, enabling efficient routing and delivery within both domestic and international contexts.