The first thing your reader sees
An envelope decides whether a mailing is opened. A plain, well-addressed envelope suits confidential or formal letters; a printed message, image or teaser line can lift an appeal or promotion. The envelope also has to work with what goes inside it and with the postage format you are paying for. A useful brief includes the size, whether you need a window, the quantity, any printing on the front or back, and whether the envelopes will be filled by us or by your office.
DL
The everyday business size, holding an A4 sheet folded into thirds. A window version shows the address printed on the letter.
C5 and C4
C5 takes an A5 sheet or an A4 sheet folded once; C4 takes A4 flat. Use them for brochures, reports or packs that should not be folded. A thicker or heavier pack may move into a higher postage format.
Window and plain
A window envelope saves addressing the outer, while a plain envelope can be printed with the address and barcode. Our envelope sizes guide sets out each size and what fits inside.
Paper & finishes
Envelopes are usually made from white or manilla paper, in a range of weights. Many campaign envelopes are made from paper with recycled content or FSC certification; ask us to suggest options that suit your pack and sustainability goals.
For a branded stationery suite, envelopes can be colour-matched to your letterheads and compliment slips. For direct mail, a printed teaser or full-colour outer can be specified, and we will check that the design leaves space for the address and postage marking.
Printing on envelopes
Envelopes can be printed with a logo, return address, message or full-colour design. The right method depends on quantity, colour and the envelope style, so send us the specification and we will advise on the best route.
Addressing is handled in-house: our Astrojet address printers print outer envelope addresses and barcodes at high speed. That suits plain envelopes in direct mail, where the address does not show through a window.
Litho or digital printing?
Colour-matched corporate envelopes are part of the stationery suite we print to FOGRA-certified colour standards. For campaign envelopes, outer printing and personalisation are planned with the rest of the pack.
Personalised outers can carry a name, a message or a code in the same production run as the contents. Our variable data printing and Astrojet addressing work from the same cleaned data file, so the outer and its contents match.
Mailing & trade print
Our mailing house runs three Buhrs enclosing lines with 4-way Taurus camera matching and Driver Southall checkweighers on every machine. Each pack is checked against the intended contents before sealing, which matters most when the envelope and letter are both personalised.
We are a Royal Mail approved mailing house and Mailmark-accredited supplier, so we manage sortation, barcoding and postal handover in-house. Telling us early about the envelope size and pack weight helps keep the mailing in the most cost-effective postage format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a print specification in mind?
Tell us about the format, quantity, artwork and how you plan to use the finished piece, and we will come back with a recommendation and a clear quote.
- Print, data and mailing under one roof in Keighley
- ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001 and FSC certified
- Royal Mail Mailmark and PostAim (Ireland) mailings
- Family-owned and producing since 1980