Formats
Cite as: Jana Dambrogio, Daniel Starza Smith, and the Unlocking History Research Team. 2016–. Dictionary of Letterlocking (DoLL). Formats. Last updated: 23 February 2021. Date accessed: [Date]. Abbreviated on this page: (DoLL 2021). All images except when noted are courtesy of the Unlocking History Materials Collection.
We define the visual “format” of closed letterpackets according to their silhouette and orientation relative to the address.
The letterlocking formats chart shows 18 formats. This number is representative rather than exhaustive, since a letterpacket could conceivably have dozens or hundreds of edges depending on the intricacy of folding. Some letters can be rolled into scrolls or spheres, shapes without edges; these are counted as having infinite edges. Unlocking History has assigned a format number to each historic letterpacket we have encountered, but we have not encountered formats with 11 edges or more than 12 edges.
1+ Sphere
Locked historical containers with more than one edge. Examples include spheres (clay bullae) or rolls (scrolls).
1+- Scroll/sphere (1S)
Locked historical containers with more than one edge. Examples include spheres (clay bullae) or rolls (scrolls).
3 edges – Triangle (3T)
A letterpacket with three distinct edges.
4 edges – Quadrilateral (4Q)
A letterpacket with four distinct edges and no address information.
4 edges – Square (4S)
A letterpacket with four distinct edges.
4 edges – Square Diamond (4D)
A letterpacket with four distinct edges with the address oriented in such a way that when read, the shape of the packet is a diamond with equal length edges.
4 edges – Rectangle Diamond (4RD)
A letterpacket with four distinct edges with the address oriented in such a way that when read, the shape of the packet is a diamond with unequal length edges.
4 edges – Rectangle Tall (4RT)
A letterpacket with four distinct edges with the address oriented in such a way that when read, the shape of the packet has the long edges parallel with the vertical axis and the short edges oriented along the horizontal axis.
4 edges – Rectangle Wide (4RW)
A letterpacket with four distinct edges with the address oriented in such a way that when read, the shape of the packet has the long edges parallel with the horizontal axis and the short edges oriented along the vertical axis.
4 edges – Rectangle Extra Wide (4RXW)
A letterpacket with four distinct edges with the address oriented in such a way that when read, the shape of the packet has the long edges parallel with the horizontal axis and the short edges oriented along the vertical axis.
5 edges – Pentagon (5P)
A letterpacket with five distinct edges.
6 edges – Hexagon (6H)
A letterpacket with six distinct edges.
7 edges – Heptagon (7H)
A letterpacket with seven distinct edges.
8 edges – Octagon (8O)
A letterpacket with eight distinct edges.
9 edges – Nonagon (9N)
A letterpacket with nine distinct edges.
10 – Decagon (10D)
A letterpacket with ten distinct edges.
11 edges – Hendecagon (11H)
A letterpacket with eleven distinct edges.
12 edges – Dodecagon (12D)
A letterpacket with twelve distinct edges.