Periods after directional abreviation in address?

Question

I am creating a business card, and I need to put the address of the company on it. What is the proper way to write this address? > * 555 14th St NW, Atlanta, GA 55555 * 555 14th St NW., Atlanta, GA 55555 Or should "14th St" be spelled out or "NW" be "N.W." or should "St" be "St." or should I spell out "Street"?

Answer 1

Hi, great question.

Address-format for business cards, resumes, and emails is definitely a field that has changed a lot in recent years. Rules are not as rigid as they used to be. In most cases, the objective of your business card should be to provide the necessary information in a format that makes finding you or your business as easy as possible.

I argue including periods abbreviations on your card are absolutely not necessary. Omitting them reduces ink and clutter on your card and may allow you to make the address larger and more visible. Besides, periods are not necessary when typing addresses into search engines and map applications. Same rules apply for typing out numbers (probably not needed).

That being sad, if the brand of your company is more "traditional" and "classic," like Brooks Brothers or the federal government, including proper punctuation for abbreviations may be better.

If you have any questions, send me a message.

Thanks

Thomas