pictograms.info
Facts and data on pictograms Literature

Mail

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Post, Post Office, Postal Facilities, Post Box, Mail Box, Letterbox

Category

Services, Public Services, Public Facilities

Message / Function

To indicate the location of post or mail facilities (i.e. any type of facility from a post office to a mail box)

 

Source Description
Modley & Myers page 79: Pictogram Mail D/FW Outline of front view of envelope with stamp
Modley & Myers page 56: Pictogram Mail S/TA Outline of front view of envelope with stamp
Modley & Myers page 75: Pictogram Mail ADV Outline of front view of envelope
Modley & Myers page 82: Pictogram Mail IATA Outline of front view of envelope
Modley & Myers page 118: Pictogram Mail TC Outline of front view of envelope
ISO 7001 Public Information Symbol PI PF 016: Post / Post office / mail box ISO 7001 Outline of rear view of envelope
Tern Pictogram TS0653 Post or post service Tern Outline of rear view of envelope
AIGA Symbol Sign No 2: Mail AIGA Outline of rear view of envelope
Modley & Myers page 75: ADCA Pictogram Mail ADCA Outline of rear view of envelope
BSI 8501 Public Information Symbol No 6012: Post/Post office BS 8501:2002 Outline of rear view of envelope
UIC 413 Pictogram B.3.2 Post Office UIC 413 Outline of rear view of envelope
Experience Japan Pictograms: Post Office EJP Outline of rear view of envelope
Modley & Myers page 86: Pictogram Mail NPS Rear view of envelope
Pictogram SVA-04: Mail DER Rear view of envelope
Parks Canada Pictogram No 6-1-021 Postal Facilities Parks Canada Rear view of envelope
Modley & Myers page 90: Pictogram Mail O'64 Outline of rear view of envelope with postal symbol
Modley & Myers page 95: Pictogram Mail box O'72 Rear view of envelope dropping through slot
Modley & Myers page 84: Pictogram Mail KFAI Rear view of envelope dropping through slot
D'source Pictogram: Post Box or Letterbox D'source Mail box and rear view of envelope
D'source Pictogram: Post office D'source Stamp, rectangle with jagged line, rear view of envelope
SWISSTRAFFIC Pictogram 7 - 3: Letter and Parcel Drop Off SWISSTRAFFIC Rear view of envelope in front of parcel
Modley & Myers page 110: Pictogram Mail SSRS Rear view of envelope dropping through slot, post horn and crown below
Modley & Myers page 76: Pictogram Mail box ADV Front view of envelope dropping through slot of mail box with horn
Old UIC 413 Symbol: Post Office UIC 413 b Outline of rear view of envelope with post horn above
Swiss Traffic Sign Symbol 4.05: Mountain Post Road ASTRA Post horn
Swedish Traffic Sign Symbol G1: Post STA Post horn
Logo of the DP AG DP Post horn with arrows pointing left and right below
Traffic Sign Symbol G1: Post Office STA Post horn with crown above
Pictogram Post Office by McLaren & Braunstein McLaren & Braunstein Front view of post man plus envelope in outline
BTA 1989 page 3.18: Pictogram Post Office BTA 1989 Fat outline square with letters P and O

Discussion

Using the Production Method Gehringer (1979) explored which mental images or visual stereotypes exist concerning the message Post Office. About 70 % of the responses were covered by three concepts: an envelope (47 %), an envelope plus the postal symbol post horn (12 %), and an envelope plus mailbox (11 %). Another 15 % showed either a mail box or a mail box plus the postal symbol post horn. The remaining 15 % showed several other concepts. The manifold responses indicate that there is no single visual stereotype, but the often used envelope can be seen as dominant. In Brazil 95.6 % of the respondents of a Comprehension Test answered correctly when a pictogram showing rear view of envelope was presented (Fiori, 2008), but in Japan the corresponding comprehension score was 73.4 only (Eco-Mo Foundation, 2001).

The collection shown above is only a small selection of the wide variety of pictograms used all over the world to signify physical post or mail facilities, but it shows that symbols in use do not significantly differ from the results of Gehringer's study. Among the many logos of postal or mail services existing we included only a few based on the post horn. The huge number of icons concerning all aspects of electronic mail were not included in this table. More information on these specific topics can be found e.g. in Emojipedia®: https://emojipedia.org/search/?q=Mail. Many variants variants related to electronic mail include rear views of envelopes, often with the letter E or the special character @, as the @ symbol is a common element of email addresses.

Recommendation

ISO 7001 PI PF 016: Post / Post office / mail box

We follow the recommendations of ISO and the AIGA Symbol Signs Committee: both support the use of a pictogram showing the back of an envelope in outline. The AIGA Symbol Signs Committee stressed that 'the envelope should be white', which conforms to the general use 'of white or light colored envelopes' (AIGA, 1993).

Tests of pictograms of referent Mail / Post Office

Eco-Mo Foundation (2001): Test data of public information symbols in Japan - Procedure for the testing of public information symbols by the Study Committee. ISO: ISO/TC 145/SC 1 N 329.

Fiori, S. R. (2008): Mapas para o turismo e a interatividade - proposta teórica e prática. Tese de Doutorado - Depto. de Geografia, FFLCH-USP.

Gehringer, J. (1979): Untersuchung über die zeichnerische Gestaltung von Pictogrammen in Abhängigkeit von einigen Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen, sowie Überprüfung einiger Bildzeichen auf ihre Erkennbarkeit. Dissertation, Psychology Department, University of Vienna.

 

Updated 2023-07-15 by Ch.Brugger