How to Send a Letter Without a Printer (UK, 2026)

Printers are disappearing from UK homes. Ink is expensive, printers jam at the worst moment, and plenty of people simply never bought one after switching to laptops and phones for everything else. But some situations still demand a real, physical letter on paper in an envelope. Here's how to send one without ever touching a printer.

Why you might need a physical letter with no printer

Despite living most of life digitally, certain letters still need to exist on paper: a formal complaint to a company, a notice to a landlord or tenant, a letter to HMRC or the DVLA that specifically requires post, a resignation letter, or simply a handwritten-style note to someone who doesn't use email. Government departments, courts and some financial institutions still expect - or require - physical correspondence.

Option 1: Use an online print-and-post service

The simplest way to send a letter with no printer is to use a service that prints and posts on your behalf. You type your letter into a text box (or upload a document you've already written on your phone or laptop), enter the recipient's address, choose a Royal Mail service, and pay. A UK facility then prints your letter on proper paper, folds it, seals it in a windowed envelope and hands it to Royal Mail - all without you touching a printer, envelope or stamp.

This is the fastest option: the whole process takes a few minutes from your phone, and most services despatch the same working day if you submit before the early-afternoon cut-off.

Need to include separate attachments? Combine your PDFs and images before uploading. If your main concern is avoiding a branch visit, explore our alternative to the Post Office.

Option 2: Print at a library, shop or a friend's house

If you'd rather print the document yourself, UK libraries typically offer printing for a small fee per page, and shops like WHSmith, Ryman or a local print shop can print from a USB stick, email attachment or cloud link. You'll still need to buy an envelope and a stamp, fold the letter yourself, and either post it in a postbox or queue at a Post Office counter.

This works, but it's the most time-consuming route: printing, buying stationery and finding a postbox or counter usually means at least one trip out, and it's easy to get the postage wrong if the letter is heavier than a standard single sheet.

Option 3: Ask someone who has a printer

If you only need to send one letter and know someone with a printer, emailing it to them and asking them to print, sign and post it works, though it introduces a dependency on someone else's schedule and doesn't help if the letter is time-sensitive or private.

What to include so your letter looks properly formatted

• Your name and address in the top right (or top left, both are accepted in the UK)
• The recipient's name and address below and to the left
• The date
• A clear subject line if the letter concerns a specific matter, e.g. "Re: Account 12345678"
• A formal or friendly sign-off matching the tone of the letter

Most online letter services format this automatically once you've typed the content and the recipient's address, so you don't need to worry about margins, fonts or page layout.

Sending without a printer, from your phone

Type or paste your letter here at Send Letters Online, enter the recipient's address, choose Royal Mail Second Class, First Class, or a Tracked service, and pay. We print on proper 100gsm paper, fold it, seal it in a windowed envelope and hand it to Royal Mail the same working day if ordered before 2:30pm UK time - no printer, envelope or stamp required at your end.