Label 228

Label 228 is a sticker issued by the United States Postal Service for labeling Priority Mail packages with a mailing address. Label 228 is available free of charge at all USPS Post Office locations or delivered by mail when ordered online.^[1]

Due to the widespread availability of Label 228, and the relatively large areas of blank space within the design, it has been widely used in sticker art and graffiti more commonly known as "slaps". Unlike many other stickers and labels, Label 228 is free, and can be acquired in large quantities (up to 750 at a time through the USPS website). It can be drawn on using many different artistic media, including acrylic paints and simple pencils, as well as inkjet and laser printers. They can also be applied to many surfaces very quickly, reducing the risk of being caught.^[2]

History

The United States Post Office Department introduced Priority Mail service in 1968.^[3] The Post Office Department was replaced by the United States Postal Service in 1971, and when Special Delivery service ended in 1997, Priority Mail and its counterpart Priority Mail Express became the fastest services offered by the Postal Service.^[4]

Label 228, a Priority Mail address label, likely became popular for graffiti in the late 1990s. Hrag Vartanian of Hyperallergic argues that by 2002, "the culture of the postal sticker was well established in the world of grafitti,"^[5] and a 2002 compilation of graffiti stickers shows Label 228 slaps from 2001 from multiple locations in the United States.^[6]

Label 228 was redesigned in 2016. The 2016 design is a vertical format, intended to reduce misdirected packages due to unreadable labels.^[7]

References

^ Maćrōn. "How To Get Priority Mail Labels Through The Mail (For Free)" (2010). "Seagraffiti.tk". Archived from the original on 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2010-12-23.
^ Cooper, Martha (2009-03-28). Going Postal. New York: Mark Batty Publisher. ISBN 9780979966651.
^ Haimann, Alexander T. "About U.S. Stamps: 1968–1969". National Postal Museum. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
^ Nolen, Jeannette L. (2009). "Special Delivery". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
^ Vartanian, Hrag (2010-02-15). "Reading Martha Cooper's Tag Town & Going Postal". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2024-08-10.
^ Dorrian, Mike; Farrelly, Liz; Recchia, David, eds. (2002). Stick 'em up. London: Booth-Clibborn. ISBN 978-1-86154-247-2.
^ "Making the grade: Label redesigned for accuracy". United States Postal Service. 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2024-08-10.

External links

Label 228 at The Postal Store

This postal system–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Maćrōn. "How To Get Priority Mail Labels Through The Mail (For Free)" (2010). "Seagraffiti.tk". Archived from the original on 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2010-12-23.

[2] Cooper, Martha (2009-03-28). Going Postal. New York: Mark Batty Publisher. ISBN 9780979966651.

[3] Haimann, Alexander T. "About U.S. Stamps: 1968–1969". National Postal Museum. Retrieved 2024-08-10.

[4] Nolen, Jeannette L. (2009). "Special Delivery". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 2024-08-10.

[5] Vartanian, Hrag (2010-02-15). "Reading Martha Cooper's Tag Town & Going Postal". Hyperallergic. Retrieved 2024-08-10.

[6] Dorrian, Mike; Farrelly, Liz; Recchia, David, eds. (2002). Stick 'em up. London: Booth-Clibborn. ISBN 978-1-86154-247-2.

[7] "Making the grade: Label redesigned for accuracy". United States Postal Service. 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2024-08-10.

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Label 228

History

See also

References

Further reading

External links