Have you ever noticed that when you go to the internet to find an envelope to fill a specific need that there are hundreds of “custom” envelopes but never the exact one you’re looking for? 

That is a lame attempt on the part of internet envelope suppliers to turn a custom print job into a commodity.  Sure those prices are tempting, but after you’ve folded and refolded several hundred letters or statement to make the address “fit” in the window you may reconsider the “value” of compromising the exactitude of your envelope specifications. 

And what about the colors?  Online envelope suppliers do offer many other colors besides white.  They have black, and pink, and rust, and gold, and yellow, and brown, and all the colors of Josephs Amazing Coat of Many Colors, but I have rarely found the right color to match or compliment the stationery, checks, policies, or other material that will go inside. 

And if I do find the right color, invariably, it will not be available in the size of envelop that I need.

It always seems like when I find the right window configuration then some other part of the specification aren’t right. For example, I need very specific double window envelopes, with peel and stick glue and a privacy tint on the inside of the envelope.  I’ve search the internet, spent hours checking one website after another, and I can find two out of three of these criteria but not all three in the same envelope.  Or I need a one way remittance envelope with an extended flap in a paper color that compliments my newsletter.  Then there are coin envelopes, policy envelopes, church donation envelopes, and non-tear envelopes for heavy content.  Each of these types of envelopes have unique specifications and I have rarely found an internet source to fill these needs, although I keep hoping and searching.  Unfortunately, if I do find the rare fit between my specifications and an internet supplier, then the supplier always seem to be located on the far side of the country, so whatever I save in production costs, I lose in freight.

So what’s the answer?  Personally, I think we would all be better served and the environment would benefit, if we’d take some time to identify a trusted local source for true custom envelope manufacturing and make a habit of buying locally.  You provide your envelope partner with your specs and time-line and let them price each job according to what it will truly cost to fill the order.  You’ll get the right envelop every time: the right size, paper, color, window placement, printing, glue, tint, die cutting and delivery. After all, they are custom envelopes made to your specifications.

Don’t try to fit your work into a poorly designed envelope.  Make the envelope fit your work.  I regularly receive mail with a letter inside the envelope that has been folded, refolded, and then a ¼” section of the letter is folded yet again, to make the address show in the window.  Another mailer sends their checks actually glued to the inside of the envelope and another one just shakes the content of the envelope down until the address shows through the window then they staple through the entire envelope to keep it there. Whaaaat?  Is that really their solution?

Every time I get one of these pieces of mail it just makes my head shake and I think, “Wouldn’t it be nice if they could just fold their letter or check, stick it in the right size envelope, with the window in the right place, and stop doing all the paper crafting and origami every time they use an envelope?”

Remember, you wouldn’t buy poorly fitting jeans and you shouldn’t settle for poorly fitting envelopes just because that’s all you could find on the internet. If you have specific needs for construction, paper, colors, window placement, or durability, then contact an envelope specialist and ask them to manufacture what you really need!

The money you save through efficiency will more than pay for the custom production.