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.

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We define the visual “letterlocking format” as a classification system for locked letterpackets according to their number of edges on the silhouette of a letterpacket, and orientation relative to the address panels.

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)

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Locked historical containers with more than one edge. Examples include spheres (clay bullae) or rolls (scrolls).

 

3 edges – Triangle (3T)

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A letterpacket with three distinct edges.

 

4 edges – Quadrilateral (4Q)

A letterpacket with four distinct edges and no address information.


 

4 edges – Square (4S)

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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)

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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)

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A letterpacket with five distinct edges.

 

6 edges – Hexagon (6H)

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A letterpacket with six distinct edges.

 

7 edges – Heptagon (7H)

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A letterpacket with seven distinct edges.

 

8 edges – Octagon (8O)

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A letterpacket with eight distinct edges.

 

9 edges – Nonagon (9N)

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A letterpacket with nine distinct edges.

 

10 – Decagon (10D)

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A letterpacket with ten distinct edges.

 

11 edges – Hendecagon (11H)

A letterpacket with eleven distinct edges.

 

12 edges – Dodecagon (12D)

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A letterpacket with twelve distinct edges.