In the past, sending a carbon copy letter was a time-consuming process. Today, copy machines and email have made the process much easier. Sending a carbon copy letter, also known as "cc'ing" someone, simply means that you intend to send the letter to multiple recipients. The most common ways to send a carbon copy letter are through email and traditional "snail mail."
Traditional Carbon Copy Letters
A traditional carbon copy letter is made using carbonic paper, more commonly known as carbon paper. This paper, inked on one side, is placed behind the paper on which the letter is to be written, and an additional sheet of paper is placed behind the carbon paper. When the writer writes or types the letter on the top sheet, the ink from the carbon paper transfers onto the back sheet, creating a copy of the letter to be sent to additional recipients. This process serves as an old-fashioned copy machine. Additional copies may be made by tracing over the original letter using the same carbon copy process outlined above.
Modern Carbon Copy Letters
Although using carbon paper to create a copy was once a useful and necessary process, the practice has mainly been replaced by typed letters printed from your personal computer and printer. Sending a typed letter to multiple recipients is easy when you can print as many copies as you want with only a click of a button. Address your letter to the intended recipient, but print enough copies to send to all of your intended recipients. In traditional business letters, it is proper to address your letter to the intended recipient, but also to list additional recipients at the foot of your letter using the notation "cc:" to indicate that they are also receiving a copy.
Electronic Carbon Copy Letters
Email has made carbon copy letters even easier. Most email clients will allow you to send a carbon copy of your email by entering email addresses into the "cc:" field - usually located above the subject line. These emails will be sent to the main recipient and to those recipients that you indicate in the "cc:" field. All the recipients will be able to see who has received a "cc:" of the email, so it is not necessary to include a list of carbon copy recipients at the foot of your email, but you may choose to do so.
Letters to Multiple Recipients
In addition to carbon copying, you can send letters to multiple recipients in several other ways. First, you can simply address a letter to multiple parties as the intended recipients. For example, if you wanted to send a letter to Charlie, Kiki and Susie, you could simply start the letter with three address blocks and the salutation "Dear Charlie, Susie, and Kiki." Finally, blind carbon copy, "bcc," is an email function that allows you to send an email to multiple recipients while hiding the email addresses and names of the bcc recipients. Use the "bcc" function when you don't want your main recipient to know that you have sent the email to other individuals as well.
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