Guidelines For Printing Envelopes

Despite many people regularly hearing the sound from their computers announcing the arrival of their electronic mails, many printers who specialize in envelope printing actually counters that printing envelopes is still a very lucrative business even to this day.

People don't ignore custom envelopes because they have the Internet to send emails to their correspondents. According to envelope printing companies, there is still the attractiveness to sending and receiving mail enclosed in elegant envelopes. Sure, there is a consistent increase in the popularity of the electronic alternative to transmitting correspondences. But many still admits that despite the quicker route in email and fax machines, the portability of a mailed piece still gets to the consumer.

People want the actual feel of something they can hold in their hands. Unlike the electronic and digital mails, the custom envelopes provide that special feature for many users. When you open up a piece of mail, you see the effort and time it took for the mailer to create and write the letter. Hence, the more personal the mail becomes to the recipients.

So how do you add to the difference of having an envelope in the hands of your target recipients and make them want to keep it? By using these guidelines with your envelope printing:

Design Copy. Including a copy design to your envelopes might not be easy and simple. Such elements as the rules, text, graphics, and screens require thinking because of the limitations placed by the postal regulations. According to the mail rules, there are certain limits you have to follow if you want to add a copy design to any envelope. Limitations are specifically provided on the area where you can place your copy in your envelope.

When printing images for example, there may be fewer rules but limitations are still applied. You either can choose to print your envelope before or after the graphic to avoid having your copy being over your image.

Backprinting. If you would want to print any copy at the back side of the envelope then you need to remember to have the same design features as that of the front part. If you're going to print on the flap, be sure to print with the flap out. You can also print on both the flap and the front at the same time.

For Offset Printing. You have to allow a minimum of 1/8-inch bleeds to cover the variation produced by the converting equipment. There's also the rule on keeping the weight to a minimum of ½ pt. On the other hand, the reverse areas should be 1 pt. When it comes to the type, any point size is allowed but it is recommended that a minimum of 5 pt. be used; while a 7 pt. minimum is recommended for the reverse areas. Screens should be 133 to 150 lpi. But it also depends on the press equipment to be used.

For Thermography. The screens should be kept to 120 or coarser. It is suggested that when using a screen density, it should be a little higher than what you would want to see in the finished product. The reason for this is that screens can be filled in during the thermography process and they may appear a little darker than the usual shades.