Subject: Envelopes

It is commonly stated that it’s what’s on the inside that counts. In this same vein, while what goes inside them always gets a lot of attention, envelopes are often ignored. They are viewed in the same way as cardboard boxes. They are simply a vessel to carry what is inside them. Why spend time on something that will simply be ripped open?

However, that is a gross misconception. The envelope is the first thing a recipient sees. Before they can open it up and get to the card inside, the envelope can be what determines their level of excitement. A beautifully decorated envelope will build anticipation and enhance the recipient’s entire experience.

Easy Ways To Decorate An Envelope

Most people would think to decorate a million other things first before decorating an envelope. As such, it may be tough to even begin the process of envelope decorating. You may be at a complete loss as to how to go about it. While envelope decorating can be done literally any way you would like, here are some easy ways to create a decorative envelope.

If you are sending a Mother’s Day card, use fine-tipped markers to draw an arch of flowers alongside the recipient’s address. Just make sure not to obscure any part of the address so that the card can safely make it to its destination.

Perhaps you’re sending a birthday card to someone who loves all things vintage and enjoys thrift shopping as a pastime. Simply take a tea bag and let it seep in boiling water for a few minutes. Then, take the teabag, tap it against the glass so it’s not dripping too much and use it to paint the envelope. You may need to re-dip the tea bag a few times in order to have enough color to stain the entire envelope.

Allow the envelope to fully dry before writing anything on it. When it has dried completely, use a black calligraphy pen to write both the return address and recipient address. If you want to get really authentic with the vintage vibe, you can carefully drip some red colored wax onto the envelope’s flap and use any coin to press down and create a seal.

Cute Ways To Decorate An Envelope

If you’re looking to add a touch of cute whimsy to your envelope, some ribbon can do the trick. Use a pair of scissors to cut strips of ribbon to fit each edge of your envelope. Glue the strips onto the sides of your envelope to create a truly unique border design. Make sure to also paste the ribbon along the edges of the envelope flap. For a truly original look, combine different prints and colors of ribbon.

If you don’t want to create a border around your envelope, you can also use ribbon to create a rectangular box around the recipient’s address. Don’t have a bag full of ribbons at your disposal? Have no fear, you can use a sheet of light colored paper to cut out a luggage shaped tag that is large enough to write the recipient’s name and address on. Simply glue it onto the center of the envelope and draw a string coming out of the tag.

Want another cute way to further decorate your envelope? Simply take a colored sheet of paper and cut it into a house-sized shape so that it fits inside the envelope, with the triangular portion fitting against the inner side of the envelope flap. Next, use markers or paint to draw small designs all over the cut-out piece of paper. Alternatively, you can use a metallic sheet of paper for a really eye-catching visual.

When you have finished decorating, carefully glue the paper inside the envelope and against the envelope flap. Now, when your recipient opens their envelope, they will be greeted with a cute and unexpected design.

Decorating Christmas Envelopes

One of the most popular seasons for card giving is Christmas time. Holiday cards are in abundance during the holiday season. Make your cards stand out from the crowd with beautifully decorated Christmas envelopes.

Red and green are the two optimal color choices when it comes to decorating Christmas themed envelopes. Begin by printing mini Christmas trees and cutting them out. If you’re more artistic, you can draw the trees by yourself. Once you have written the recipient’s address, paste the Christmas trees all around it. Use tiny pieces of red ribbon to decorate the trees. Alternatively, use fine-tipped markers to draw mini ornaments.

Also commonly associated with the Christmas season are candy canes. The red and white diagonal stripes immediately bring to mind all types of festive activities. To incorporate this idea onto your envelope, begin by writing the recipient’s address. Make sure to write it more towards the right side of the envelope. Once you have done so, use a pencil to draw a horizontal line right above the recipient’s name. Leave about half an inch of space and draw a second horizontal line above the first one.

Next, draw a vertical line to the left of the recipient’s information. Again, leave approximately half an inch of space and draw a second vertical line parallel to the first one. Use a fine-tipped marker to begin drawing diagonal red lines. The space you leave between each red line will act as the white lines.

When you have finished, you will have an envelope that looks as if it’s been wrapped with candy cane ribbon. To make it even more of a statement piece, use red or green ribbon where the lines intersect to create a small bow. If you prefer, you can also draw the bow.

Additional Envelope Decoration Ideas

The options are truly endless when it comes to envelope decoration. To create something truly unique, you can take dried flower petals, break them apart into smaller pieces and glue them onto your envelope to recreate a flower image. You can also use them to create a heart. This delicate feminine decor would be perfect for Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day.

If your envelope is black or any other darker color, you can use a whiteout pen to carefully draw any design directly onto your envelope. You can draw snowflakes for a holiday themed card, stars for a child obsessed with outer space, or little ghosts for the lover of all things spooky. This unexpected contrast will be sure to make a statement.

Whatever your design choice may be, you cannot go wrong if you cater it towards your recipient’s likes and interests. Just imagine their faces when they receive the envelope in the mail. With its beautifully decorated exterior, they won’t even need to get to the card to already be delighted with its arrival. Allow your friends and family to take joy in the little moments and get creative with your envelope decorating.

When you need to send out letters, invitations, or any other correspondence en masse, you want to make sure that you get the envelope size(s) right. While you can make most kinds of printer paper fit in standard envelope sizes, you might have to use some creative folding techniques, especially if you’re sending more than one document in each envelope. Moreover, if you’re using cardstock or similarly thick paper for invitations or announcements, you’ll need to make sure that you get the envelope size exactly right.

In today’s guide, we’re going to look at the dimensions and common uses for different kinds of envelopes. And remember, if you’re currently in need of envelopes for business or personal use, be sure to check out all we have to offer at Fine Cardstock today!

Standard Envelope Sizes

In the United States, standard envelope sizes are designated by numbers ranging from #5 to #14. The lowest numbers on the scale refer to envelopes with smaller dimensions, while the highest numbers on the scale refer to envelopes with larger dimensions. You can find the precise dimensions for these standard envelope sizes in the table below:

Number	Height/Width (in)	Height/Width (mm)
#5	3.125 x 5.5	79 x 139
#6-1/4	3.5 x 6	89 x 152
#6-3/4	3.625 x 6.5	92 x 165
#7	3.75 x 6.75	95 x 171
#7-1/2	3.875 x 7.5	98 x 191
#8-5/8	3.625 x 8.625	92 x 219
#9	3.875 x 8.875	98 x 225
#10	4.125 x 9.5	105 x 241
#11	4.5 x 10.375	114 x 264
#12	4.75 x 11	121 x 279
#14	5 x 11.5	127 x 292

 

#5 Envelopes #5 is the smallest among the standard envelope sizes in the United States. Measuring 3.125 inches tall and 5.5 inches wide, the #5 envelope is ideal for personal stationery and small notes. But as previously mentioned, if you’re using thin paper or special folding techniques, you can still use #5 (and many other sizes) for a wide range of purposes.

#6-1/4 Envelopes #6-1/4 is the next size up from #5 envelopes. Measuring 3.5 inches tall and 6 inches wide, this size envelope works well for standard letters or greeting cards.

#6-3/4 Envelopes #6-3/4 is another standard envelope that you will commonly see in your mailbox, particularly if you run a business. Measuring 3.625 inches tall and 6.5 inches wide, this envelope is often used for checks, invoices, and official documents.

#7 Envelopes #7 is slightly larger than the #6-3/4 envelope. It measures 3.75 inches tall and 6.75 inches wide. While #7 can be used for many different kinds of letters and messages, it is ideal for announcements and greeting cards.

#7-1/2 Envelopes #7-1/2 is another envelope that is commonly used by businesses of all sizes. The #7-1/2 measures 3.875 inches tall and 7.5 inches wide. The additional width makes it ideal for larger invoices, memos, and financial reports.

#8-5/8 Envelopes Generally, as the size increases among standard envelopes, they become more beneficial for commercial use and less beneficial for personal use. The #8-5/8 envelope is no exception. Measuring 3.625 inches tall and 8.625 inches wide, this envelope works well for checks or documentation that requires larger pieces of paper.

#9 Envelopes The #9 envelope is another size that works very well for businesses. Measuring 3.875 inches tall and 8.875 inches wide, this size is most often used for business reply envelopes. These envelopes can easily fit inside a #10 envelope, making it easy to send out notifications to consumers so that they can quickly respond by mail.

#10 Envelopes The #10 is the most popular size for standard business letters. Measuring 4.125 inches tall and 9.5 inches wide, this envelope can fit most types of commercial documentation — from credit card offers to promotional announcements.

#11 Envelopes #11 measures 4.5 inches tall and 10.375 inches wide. This makes it a good fit for large documents or correspondence that have multiple pages, like product catalogs.

#12 Envelopes #12 is one of the largest standard envelopes for business use. Due to its large size (4.75 inches x 11 inches), #12 is perfect for mail that has more than 2-3 folded pages inside. This might include contracts or legal forms.

#14 Envelopes Finally, #14 is the largest of the standard-sized U.S. envelopes. The #14 measures 5 inches tall and 11.5 inches wide, and is generally reserved for larger packets of paper, brochures, or other documents that need to be folded to fit properly.

 

Invitation Envelope Sizes

In addition to the standard personal and commercial envelopes outlined above, you can also choose from various sizes designed specifically for things like special announcements, greeting cards, and invitations. You can find the dimensions for these envelopes in the table below:

Number	Height/Width (in)	Height/Width (mm)
A2	4.375 x 5.75	111 x 146
A6	4.75 x 6.5	120 x 165
A7	5.25 x 7.25	133 x 184
5×5 (Square)	5 x 5	127 x 127

 

A2 Envelopes A2 is the shortest of the invitation envelopes, but not necessarily the smallest. Measuring 4.375 inches tall and 5.75 inches wide, the A2 is a good size for thank you messages, RSVP cards, and smaller invitations.

A6 Envelopes The A6 invitation envelope measures 4.75 inches tall and 6.5 inches wide. This height-to-width ratio makes it ideal for most kinds of invitations and announcements, as well as special photos.

A7 Envelopes A7 is the largest of the invitation envelopes, measuring 5.25 inches tall and 7.25 inches wide. This is a very popular option for wedding invitations, baby shower invitations, and other important event messages that typically require a response.

5×5 (Square) Envelopes As the name implies, the 5×5 is a perfectly square invitation envelope. It can work for many different announcements and invitations, but it is specifically designed to be paired with square paper or cardstock.

Standard Catalog and Booklet Envelope Sizes

If you need to send out large packets of information, booklets, or brochures, you may need to rely on envelopes that are specifically designed to handle the extra size and weight. You can either choose booklet envelopes, which have a flap on the longer side, or catalog envelopes, which have a flap on the shorter side. In the sections below, we will take a closer look at the three standard catalog and booklet envelope sizes:

6×9 Envelopes As the name indicates, this envelope measures 6 inches by 9 inches (152 mm x 229 mm). As the smallest among the catalog and booklet envelopes, this size works best for relatively small brochures and documents. 6×9 can also be used for direct mail campaigns and promotional materials.

9×12 Envelopes The 9×12 envelope measures 9 inches by 12 inches (229 mm x 305 mm). Since it is roughly 33% larger than the 6×9 envelope, it can handle much larger documents and packets. These envelopes are frequently used to send presentation material, as the envelopes are large enough to contain a lot of paper without the need for excessive folding.

10×13 Envelopes The 10×13 measures 10 inches by 13 inches (254 mm x 330 mm). As the largest of all the catalog or booklet envelopes, the 10×13 can fit larger documents with just one fold or no folds at all. The size helps make 10×13 good for contracts and other important documents that cannot be disfigured in transit.

Ready to start your next project? Check out our high-quality cardstock today, and let us know how you put our cardstock to good use!

While the most obvious use of cardstock is generally some type of birthday card or greeting card, there are so many other ways in which cardstock can be used. One very important one, especially if you have already made a card, is a homemade envelope. What good is a gorgeous handmade card if you do not have an envelope to place it in? There is no need to run out and buy an overpriced box of envelopes. As long as you have cardstock paper at home, you can make your own DIY envelope.

Make An Envelope For Any Size Card

Envelopes are not one size fits all. The envelope you need will depend on the size of the card that you have. You do not want an envelope that is so big the card is swimming around inside. On the flip side, you also do not want an envelope in which you have to jam the card inside, ruining its edges in the process.

Gift cards are a popular present. They are pretty much guaranteed to be enjoyed by their recipients and are foolproof when it comes to gift-giving. Making a cardstock envelope to fit a gift card is easier than you think. All you need to begin is a sheet of cardstock paper.

1. Choose the favorite color of the gift card recipient to give the envelope a personalized touch.
2. With a scissor, cut out four circles. Each one should have a diameter of approximately four inches.
3. Tape the circles together to create a symmetrical clover shape.
4. Fold each circle in half inwardly towards the middle of the clover. Use the back of a knife or a letter open to score the cardstock and create an even fold.
5. Place the gift card in the center and fold the circle flaps into each other to close the envelope.

What if you want an envelope that holds something larger than a gift card? A5 cards are the most popular sized cards and require bigger envelopes. Have no fear. It is still very simple to create a cardstock envelope for a card that is larger. All you need is the cardstock paper of your choice, scissors, and a bottle of glue. Then, follow these step-by-step instructions.

1. Place your card on an upright 8.5”x11” sheet of cardstock paper. Center the card in the middle of the paper horizontally but a little closer to the bottom vertically.
2. Fold the sides of the paper over the card. As before, use the back of a knife or a letter opener to create neat folds. Do not fold too close to the card. Leave a drop of extra space for wiggle room so that the card can slide in and out of the envelope easily.
3. Fold the top and bottom of the cardstock paper over the card in the same exact way.
4. Open up the folded cardstock and remove the card.
5. With a scissor, cut out all four corners of the cardstock paper. The bottom corners will be square shaped whereas the top corners will be more rectangular shaped since more space was left at the top of the paper.
6. Now fold in the sides of the cardstock paper and place glue on the bottom edge of each folded side. Fold up the bottom portion of the cardstock and press down so that the bottom portion gets glued to the sides.
7. Take a new sheet of cardstock paper and cut it out to match the size of your current cardstock paper, minus the top flap.
8. Place glue along the sides and bottom of your envelope and glue the new rectangle down to create your completed envelope.
9. Simply place your birthday card inside the envelope and glue or tape the top flap down.

Make An Envelope For Money

When in doubt, the easiest present is always money. It is even more foolproof than gift cards. Who does not appreciate some extra cash in their pocket and the freedom to spend it on whatever they fancy? However, just handing someone a crisp bill does not seem that personal at all. Even when giving a more generic present, there are still ways to add that unique touch. Making your own cardstock envelope to place the money inside is an easy way to still show thoughtfulness for that person who is impossible to shop for.

Making money envelopes is quite simple. All you will need is cardstock paper, scissors, and a bottle of glue, and you will be able to create not just any ordinary money envelope but a shogun envelope.

1. Cut a sheet of cardstock paper in half to create an 8.5”x5.5” size of paper.
2. Holding the paper vertically, fold up the bottom third of the paper.
3. Then fold down the top third of the paper. With each fold, make sure to use a scoring tool in order to create neat folds.
4. Unfold the paper and place glue along the sides of the middle section of paper. Fold up the bottom portion of the cardstock and press down so that the bottom portion gets glued to the sides, creating the envelope pocket.
5. Fold down the top third of the paper and use a scissor to cut out a decorative pattern along the flap’s edges.
6. Decorate the money gift envelope with metallics and stick-on beads of your choice.

Make An Origami Envelope Without Glue

All of the envelopes described above are easy to make, but sometimes we require mega easy. Sometimes we do not want to deal with glue or anything remotely sticky or messy. The good news is that you can still make your own cardstock envelope with no glue whatsoever. Here are the step-by-step instructions.

1. Take your chosen piece of cardstock paper and fold down the top right-hand corner until it meets the edge of the left side of the paper. Press down to secure the fold.
2. Cut off the remaining paper that is on the bottom so that you are left with a perfect square.
3. Fold down the top corner of the triangle until its tip meets the bottom of the triangle.
4. Now fold in the two sides of the triangle towards each other. Fold them in enough so that each folded tip slightly overlaps each other.
5. Place one folded tip into the other tip in order to create your envelope pocket.
6. Fold down the top triangle to create the envelope flap.
7. Place whatever you like inside, whether it is a birthday card, thank you card, gift card, or money.

As you can see, the options are really endless when it comes to making handmade cardstock envelopes. You can go fancy or simple depending on the look you are going for. You can make smaller envelopes or larger ones depending on what you want to place inside. Lastly, you can use glue or not use glue depending on how much you hate sticky fingers. Whichever option you choose, its recipient will be sure to enjoy the personalized touch.

Whatever your business or the marketing message you would like to put out there, you might be wondering what the best way is to reach your customers. What is the best method to get the most return on your investment? Well, today most business have gone digital, and their marketing is based heavily online. This includes email marketing, social media advertising, paid search marketing, and sponsored ads.

But what of Direct Mail Marketing? Is it gone completely, or is it possibly still a great way to disperse your message?

Keep reading to find out.

Does Direct Mail Marketing Still Work?

The simple answer is, yes. Direct mail advertising is still very much alive and thriving. But to do it right and get the most return on your investment, and turn potential customers into hard sales, you must have the right strategy.

Interestingly, direct mail has a high ROI- only slightly behind social media and email. Direct mail is also more likely to turn into sales than email marketing. Direct mail connects to people on a personal level.

The best marketing campaigns combine direct mail with digital marketing to get the best results and encourage action. But direct mail on its own is still very powerful.

Here, we discuss the best ways to utilize direct mail campaigns for your business.

10 Reasons to use Direct Mail Marketing

1. Direct mail can reach a wider audience. Older people are more likely to get mail than to have email, and younger people these days feel that physical mail is personal, and see email as mainly spam. Direct mail also reaches a whole household instead of just one person, and is more likely to be seen and talked about among groups of people or family members.
2. People like getting mail and reading letters. 57% of people said that getting mail makes them feel valued. By adding a personal touch like a handwritten note or even just a written signature, people are more likely to read it.
3. Direct mail is a physical reminder, especially if it includes a special offer, and people will save it for future use. They may hang it on their fridge or put it in a pile with other offers, and will recall it when the need arises. It is memorable.
4. People use emotions when making purchases, so be sure to create an emotional connection with your customers to get a sale. If you are selling pet supplies, using a picture of a cute puppy will draw people in. Think of ways to trigger emotions.
5. Since less people are doing direct marketing these days, you can stand out from the crowd. Imagine an email inbox inundated with email, but not many friendly postcards or brochures filling up a mailbox. Among all the spam and bills, your mailing will definitely jump out and cause people to look.
6. You can have fun with it, be creative and interesting, using compelling or humorous visuals to accompany your message. Some examples of this are: to promote World Water Day, a marketing company sent out a direct mailer with a hidden message that only became visible when held under water. Another clever company, ADT Security, executed a campaign with cardboard boxes that had rubber bands inside which popped up into a box when triggered. They slipped these flat boxes under people’s doors, and when someone walked to their front door (inside their house) they saw a box that said, “Breaking into your apartment is easier than you think.” Scary, but effective.
7. Keep it trackable- use unique phone numbers and landing pages for each specific campaign, with a very direct call to action so you can easily track how many customers followed through and how many sales you made.
8. Direct mail is physical, which makes it more likely that people will remember your brand through visualization. Even if they don’t follow up right away, or they throw the mailer out, in the future they will more easily recall your brand name and logo.
9. Direct mail can be very targeted and effective with the right tools, and by knowing your audience. But be precise and personal, and target the right audience. Don’t just send junk mail, but do a lot of research and send out treasures, not trash.
10. Keep the text brief, use clean and modern layouts that are easy to read, and be sure to include eye-catching photography. Limit your campaigns to keep it special, like follow-ups for first time customers, or special offers for birthdays.

You can use USPS Every Door Direct Mail program to identify the demographics of the people you want to reach. You can even do different campaigns targeted to different groups of people.

But whatever you do, make sure it is memorable, fun and interactive, personal, and evokes emotions in your customers.

Which brings us to our next point.

The Best Colors for Direct Mail

There’s actual science behind what colors appeal to people more. When it comes to colors that increase sales, read the guide below to find the best color envelope for direct mail campaigns, or for postcards and brochures.

Ever watched a courtroom drama TV show where the lawyer tells the defendant to wear blue to court? That’s because blue stands for security, peace, and reliability, and promotes trust in company’s products and services. Blue is also the color most preferred by males.

Green is a soothing color, and evokes feelings of power, nature and tranquility. Green is a great color to promote health, environmentally friendly products, and spas.

Red is a very bold and powerful color, and should be used sparingly. It is also a color associated with romance, and can be used to promote deals that target couples.

Yellow evokes feelings of joy and optimism, but it can be hard on the eyes. Use it as an accent rather than the main focus.

Purple is best associated with problem solving and creativity. It is also known to represent royalty, and is most often used to appeal to women.

Orange grabs attention, and represents warmth, energy and enthusiasm. But it can also be seen as aggressive, so use it minimally.

If you’ve been wondering about the connection between color meaning and how people make decisions, now you know which direct mail colors will best stand out, and the optimal envelopes that get attention for the type of campaigns you are running.

Printing Direct Mail Postcards

Postcards are a highly effective and very affordable way to get your message out there. It is a quick and easy way to share important information, and a catchy way to reach new customers. Postcards are great for many industries, especially business postcards, and custom postcards and invitations. With postcards, you’ll want to use striking visuals on the front, and keep your message short but powerful. It also helps to highly personalize your postcard printing, using as specific customer information as possible. To maximize the effectiveness of your direct mail printing, it is best to send multiple campaigns. Combined with email marketing, it may take between 3-9 times to turn a potential customer into an existing customer. So don’t give up after one try, or you won’t see results.

We offer 4×6, 5×7 and 6×9, which is considered small, medium and standard size postcards. The 4×6 is considered an actual ‘postcard’ size by the USPS, and is most effective for simple and straightforward designs. The 6×9 is very popular for campaigns, and can be printed vertical, horizontal, or both. It is also larger than a standard envelope so will stand out among the rest of the mail.

Whichever size you choose for your campaign, we use fine cardstock and the highest quality ink to make your design stand out.

Envelope Marketing

Envelopes are the first thing your customers will see when mailing invitations, announcements, photos, letters, statements, invoices, bills, business memos and many more. When sending out direct mail marketing, you can use the envelope as an advertisement itself, to increase the likeliness of it being opened. While business envelopes are blank white and generally have nothing but the address printed on it, direct mail envelopes are more personalized, and customizable. Custom printed envelopes deliver ready-made branding, and printing on envelopes such as your company logo or slogan is a great way to stand out at first glance. For extra fancy personalized envelopes you can add embossing or a foil stamping to emphasize something special is inside.

You can also add a hook or a teaser message on the outside of the envelope, to encourage recipients to open it up and read what’s inside. It’s great to use colorful envelopes instead of white, and our variety of colored envelopes will stand out more in your campaign. Include a clear call-to-action on the back flap, by including a discount code or a link to your website.

There are many original ways you can stand out in your direct mailing, and this includes the type of paper you use, the envelopes you pack it in, the cardstock you use for your postcards, and so many more choices. FineCardStock is here to ensure your marketing campaign is a raging success.

Stationery envelopes are elegant, but they’re just not the right choice for a business that needs to send a mailing to more than a hundred people, or a business that wants to send out billing statements.

In those cases, you’re going to need something more functional but equally sleek and professional: business envelopes.

Even so, business envelopes aren’t a single type of envelope, but an umbrella term for a huge array of envelope options. Here’s everything you need to know to ensure you order the right envelopes for your purposes.

What is a Business Envelope?

Before we talk about the ins and outs of a great business envelope, it helps to understand what a business envelope actually is.

A business envelope is a lightweight, simple envelope designed to handle your business’s everyday mailings to customers, vendors, partners, and everyone else you frequently mail. That could mean anything from sending a billing statement to a partner to sending a catalog to a customer.

Business envelopes these days get less usage than they did in the era before computers and email, in that they’re no longer used for everyday correspondence. These days, email has taken over the role of rote correspondence and business envelopes are reserved for two occasions: official business, such as sending a billing statement, and mailings that help establish your brand.

What Makes a Great Corporate Envelope?

Before you order a batch of corporate envelopes for your business, you need to know what makes a great corporate envelope for your specific business, in this specific case.

Remember that these days, envelopes are typically used for official correspondence (usually in cases where the recipient has opted to receive paper mail, such as paper billing statements) and branding opportunities (such as sending a promotion in the mail). The envelopes used for those two broad categories can be quite different.

Official correspondence like a billing statement uses formal, understated business envelopes. Customers don’t care about branding when you’re sending them a bill.

On the other hand, marketing opportunities like sending a catalog or an event invitation are a great opportunity to turn the envelope itself into a branding tool. After all, it’s the first thing a customer will see, so it’s your first chance to convince them to open the envelope.

Business Envelope Sizing

Once you know what you plan to use the envelope for, choosing the right size is considerably easier. Standard business envelope sizes include:

• Number 10 envelopes (4 1/8 x 9 1/2)
• 3/4 regular envelopes (3 5/8 x 6 1/2)
• A2 envelopes (4 3/8 x 5 3/4)
• A6 envelopes (4 3/4 x 6 1/2)
• A7 envelopes (5 1/4 x 7 1/4)
• 6 x 9 envelopes
• 9 x 12 envelopes
• 10 x 13 envelopes

Most envelopes that travel by snail mail are number 10 envelopes, especially transactional mail such as monthly statements, bills, direct mail, and even policy renewals from insurance companies.

6 x 9, 9 x 12, and 10 x 13 envelopes may be booklet or catalog envelopes (booklet envelopes have the flap on the long side, while catalog envelopes have the flap on the short side).

A good rule of thumb when choosing your envelope size is to find an envelope about 1/4 inches wider along each edge of the document. If you have a mailing that could fit multiple ways (i.e. the choice between a booklet and a catalog envelope) think about the item you’re mailing. A subscriber magazine, for example, might be easier to remove from a catalog envelope.

Standard vs. Custom Business Envelopes

Once you have sizing in mind, you can start to think about whether you want standard envelopes or custom printed envelopes.

Why Get Standard Envelopes?

Standard envelopes are plain envelopes–a blank canvas, if you will. Because the whole envelope is blank, what goes on the envelope is up to you. If you want an address printed on the envelope or if you use a sticker to apply the labels, these envelopes are pretty forgiving. Note that standard envelopes can include typical plain envelopes or plain envelopes with a window. Standard envelopes are a good choice for transactional mail, especially in cases where you’re ordering one large batch of envelopes to be sent out by multiple departments in your business. That way, individual departments can apply the relevant return address rather than everyone having to sort through each other’s mail.

Why Get Personalized Business Envelopes?

On the other hand, personalized, custom printed envelopes are a great way to save time, ensure consistency, and, of course, deliver a bit of ready-made branding. If your business sends out correspondence and other mailings under a single mailing address, ordering personalized, pre-printed envelopes with the return label already printed can save your employees a lot of time later. That way, employees only have to add the address of the recipient and, of course, the stamp. Personalized business envelopes are also a great opportunity for branding. Let’s say that you’ve got a simple business logo that you use on all your branded items. In this case, you can order that logo pre-printed on your envelope batch. This will ensure every envelope looks clean and professional.

Express Yourself with Colored Business Envelopes

Of course, who says that mailings have to be boring? In fact, if you’re using envelopes as an extension of your branding, envelopes are a perfect opportunity to express yourself with color.

Business envelopes usually aren’t as bright as other envelopes, so the standard colors are white and plain brown. However, our parchment envelopes offer an array of beautiful yet understated color options, including: Smoke gray Pewter New white Natural cream Natural (think lightly aged parchment paper) Ice pink Aged (a darker version of Natural, halfway between parchment paper and butcher paper)

If you’re ordering colored business envelopes that are also pre-printed with your return address and business logo, make sure that the envelope color doesn’t clash with the logo before placing your order. Also, think about the colors of the branded items that will go inside the envelope–when you’re providing a complete marketing experience, the details matter.

Some envelopes also include a security tint option, which is especially important for business envelopes when you’re sending bills or other confidential information via snail mail. It’s not always necessary, but when it is, it’s one of the little ways you can show your customers you care about their privacy.

To Seal or Not to Seal?

One way or another, you’re going to seal your business envelope. But you do have a few options where sealing is concerned. Traditional envelopes have a sealing strip along the lip, which is where you would lick the envelope or (in most cases for a business) use sponge tongues, a glue stick, or an envelope moistener. These are perfectly fine for sporadic, one-off mailings where sealing the envelope doesn’t require much extra effort. Self-sealing envelopes are a more practical option for bulk mailings. In those cases, where you’re sending out a hundred or more envelopes at a time, it’s unrealistic to seal envelopes one at a time with a glue stick. You could ask your intern to do it, but there are more useful ways to spend the intern’s time.

Looking for the Perfect Business Envelope?

Your business has worked hard to build its professional image. Your envelopes are just one more small (but important) reflection of that image. Isn’t it time to order the right ones?

If you’re in the market for business envelopes, you’ve come to the right place. Our business envelopes are elegant and professional, with a wide array of options to suit almost any mailing. Check out our business envelope options today!

#10 Envelopes	#6 3/4 Envelopes	A-Envelopes A2 Size   |   A6 Size   |   A7 Size	Catalog Envelopes 6″ x 9″   |   9″ x 12″   |   10″ x 13″

You’ve got a stack of envelopes taking up your dining room table. They’re already stuffed and ready, but there’s one step remaining: sealing the envelopes. But with so many envelopes to get through, you’re on a mission to seal envelopes quickly.

These days, you may be wondering: is it safe to lick an envelope, what with germs going around? Even if you’re not worried about licking per se, you’re still interested in figuring out how to seal envelopes without using your tongue for the sake of expediency (and avoiding that nasty paper taste in your mouth).

Here are three easy ways to seal envelopes without licking a single flap.

Do You Have To Seal An Envelope?

First, a basic question: do you actually have to seal an envelope?

The short answer: yes.

The U.S. Postal Service processes more than 180 billion pieces of mail each year, and it does it with the help of automated mail sorting machines. Unsealed mail pieces can get caught in the machines and jam them.

This creates a whole host of issues, from mail content security to mail damage to mail delays. It also messes up the equipment, contributing to poor mail service.

What’s worse is that many unsealed mail items are special items, like wedding invitations, holiday cards, and letters. They’re items you send in bulk and forget to seal an envelope or two, but they’re also more fragile than the average mail item and you want them to arrive in good condition.

So, you need to seal your envelopes. The question is how. There are several ways to do it, but most people choose between one of three categories: sealing with water, sealing with wax, and self-sealing envelopes.

Seal Envelopes With Water

If you want to seal a lot of envelopes, you don’t need a glue stick or your tongue. In fact, an envelope water sealer is perfect for a quick, simple seal.

How to Seal with Water The easiest way to seal with water is by using an envelope moistener, which is basically a small bottle of water with a sponge at the end. To use an envelope moistener, simply flip the bottle so the sponge side is facing down. Squeeze the bottle lightly and run the adhesive on the envelopes. The key here is a light touch. Don’t go overboard with the bottle, as your envelopes can quickly turn to paper pulp with too much water (or at the very least, become wrinkled and ugly). The same thing is true of applying the sponge. Go lighter than you think you need to–it’s better to go back at it a second time than ruin an envelope.

Creative Ways to Seal with Water

That said, there are a few ways to seal envelopes with water if you can’t get ahold of an envelope moistener or aren’t keen to ruin your envelopes by trying one.

One way to do it is to take a Q-tip or cotton swab and a cup of water. Dip the Q-tip in the cup of water (just the tip). Then, gently swipe the water along the edge of the envelope. This is a great DIY method if you’re worried about ruining delicate envelopes and don’t want to break out messy glue sticks for fancy invitations.

You can seal with a clean sponge and water in a pinch, but it isn’t recommended. You may release too much water too quickly and ruin the envelopes, potentially even dampening the contents of the envelope.

Seal Envelopes With Wax

Do you ever look at your envelopes and imagine a time when letters were a prettier affair, sealed with wax and sent off with flair? Okay, a wax seal may not lend you the drama of a period movie, but you have to admit, the effect is pretty striking.

What if we said you could seal handmade envelopes without glue? All you need to seal wedding invitations like a period heroine is a wax seal.

What is Sealing Wax? When you wax stamp an envelope, you’re using what’s called sealing wax. We mention this obvious name because it’s important to distinguish between sealing wax and, say, candle wax. Wax seals were traditionally used to seal envelopes, ensure they indeed came from the supposed sender (since many people had unique seals), and ensure the letter hadn’t been tampered with. They were also used to save on postage as travel became widespread and an envelope would have doubled the cost of postage. Traditional sealing wax was made with 2/3 beeswax and 1/3 resin with coloring, typically black or vermillion. Modern sealing wax is made to withstand the modern machinated mailing process, but the common ingredient is resin, which is why you can’t use any old wax.

The difference between other types of wax and sealing wax is that sealing wax is designed to stick to the paper and quickly harden after melting to form a bond around the paper. This makes it difficult to separate without noticeable tampering. Candle wax, on the other hand, won’t stick to the paper and won’t hold up to very much handling.

How to Use Wax Seals

The most economical form of wax seal is bead wax, which is useful for big projects like wedding invitations. To do it, you’ll need a candle, a melting spoon, a wax seal stamp, and a heat source like a small tea light.

Once you have your supplies, figuring out how to do wax seals on envelopes is pretty straightforward.

To do it, simply place three beads onto the melting spoon and hold the spoon over the tea light flame until it’s almost completely melted. The wax should resemble cold honey. Don’t over-melt the wax–if you melt it completely, the wax may be too thin to hold together and it could ruin your envelopes.

Pour the melted wax on your envelope and emboss it with your wax seal stamp. It can help to wait a few moments before embossing, as it can create a better definition and prevent the wax from thinning. Make sure to dab the seal with non-sticking treatment before embossing.

If you don’t use a non-stick product and the seal sticks to the wax, simply wait for the wax to cool before gently removing the seal. If you’re working with a strong wax, rest the seal in ice before embossing, as this will quickly set the wax.

Self Seal Envelopes

Finally, there are self stick envelopes, also known as peel and stick envelopes.

With this type of envelope, you don’t need to apply an adhesive. The adhesive is already on the envelope when you buy it. All you need to do peel a piece of material off the flap of the envelope to expose the adhesive before pressing the flap and the envelope together. This is a fast, easy way to seal multiple envelopes, especially if you’re worried about the fuss of wax seals and the Goldilocks method of water sealing. Plus, these envelopes are quite widespread, so you won’t have any trouble finding them. The standard size is A7 self seal envelopes, which can fit 5″ x 7″ cards.

Looking for Self Seal Envelopes?

If you’re in the market for self seal envelopes, we’re here to show you how easy enveloping sealing can be.

Our regular business envelopes are a great option to make everyday mail quick and easy. They look great, they come in a wide variety of colors, and the seal like a dream. What’s not to love? Make sure to order yours today!

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Quick Size Guide for A-Envelopes

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Want to send out Greeting Cards, Thanks you cards, Holiday Cards or Invitations? Fine Cardstock’s A-Envelopes are just what you need! Pick our versatile white A Invitation Envelopes to suit every occasion; whether you’re handing out holiday cards or flyers for your business! Personalize the envelopes to fit the theme of your event for an added flair. Our A-Envelopes are a popular choice because their gummed top allows you to conveniently seal your invitation and greeting cards. These are perfectly sized envelopes which makes it easy to insert and retrieve the contents as you need. Grab a pack of our high quality A-Envelopes or buy them in bulk at our wholesale prices! Take your next project to new heights with our premium quality A Envelopes! There is a color for everyone for every project! You have your choice of a wide variety of fun and exciting colors, all of them equally as eye-catching as the next. Made from high quality medium weight 60lb Paper (24lb Bond) Works great in a variety of laser and inkjet printers at home and professional printers at the office. The ink prints on the paper clearly without it bleeding or fading. Durable and acid and lignin-free – This ensures that your envelopes won’t become brittle and dull looking over time.

Measures 4 3/8 x 5 ¾” in and fits A2 size cards 4 ¼ x 5 ½ – Available in a wide variety of fun and exciting colors!

Measures 4 ¾ x 6 ½” in and fits A6 size cards 4 ½ x 6 ¼ – Available in a wide variety of fun and exciting colors!

Measures 5 ¼ x 7 ¼” in and fits A7 size cards 5 x 7” – Available in a wide variety of fun and exciting colors!

We offer a wide variety of premium quality envelopes and mailing materials.