Custom DL Envelopes

Getting Letters and Windows to Line Up

The most common problem with window envelopes is an address that slips out of view or shows half a line of something else. It happens when the letter template and the window position do not match. Before you order, print a test letter on plain paper, fold it into thirds the way your team usually does and hold it behind a sample window.

If the address does not sit cleanly in the window, adjust either the template or the window. We can position the window to suit your existing letters, which is usually easier than changing every template in your system. Tell us the distance from the top and left edges of the folded letter to the start of the address block.

Remember that folding is rarely perfect. Allow a few millimetres of space around the address within the window so small variations in folding do not hide part of it.

If several people in your office fold letters, a simple folding guide pinned beside the printer saves a lot of reprinted envelopes. For larger mailings, a folding machine set to the correct fold gives identical results every time and makes window alignment far more reliable. p3 Carbon-copy invoices that go in these envelopes are covered on our carbon copy letterheads page.

Printing Custom DL Envelopes

The front of an envelope has rules. Keep the area where the address and stamp or franking mark go clear, normally the right-hand side and the top right corner. Your logo and return address sit comfortably in the top left. A strip of colour along the bottom edge or on the flap adds brand presence without crowding the address area.

The back flap is often overlooked, but it is the first thing seen when the envelope is turned over to open. A short line, a web address or a pattern in your brand colours makes a difference. Some businesses print a message on the inside of the envelope, revealed only when it is opened.

We print in full colour or in one or two spot colours matched to your brand. One-colour print is the most economical choice for high-volume envelopes such as invoices. p2 The printed envelopes range page shows one-colour and full-colour fronts for comparison.

Paper Weight and Colour

Standard white envelope paper is right for everyday business post. A heavier paper feels more substantial and suits marketing mail and important letters. Coloured and textured papers, such as cream, laid or kraft, give personal letters and invitations a more distinctive feel.

Window envelopes use a clear film or a paper-based window, depending on availability.

If you plan to print addresses directly on the envelopes in your office, tell us the printer type so we can recommend paper that runs smoothly.

Paper colour also affects how well a window works. On coloured or kraft envelopes, check that the letter paper behind the window contrasts enough for the address to be read easily by the postal service. p3 Kraft and laid stocks are shown on our invitation envelopes in textured paper page.

Who Orders Printed DL Envelopes

We print DL envelopes for accountants, solicitors, estate agents, schools, charities, healthcare practices, trades and manufacturers, and any business sending regular letters or invoices. Marketing teams use them for direct mail campaigns, where the envelope's job is to get opened.

Small businesses often pair DL envelopes with printed letterheads and compliment slips, so every letter they send forms a matching set and looks properly professional.

Charities sending appeals and membership mailings also use printed envelopes, often with a short line on the front that gives supporters a reason to open the letter straight away.

Event organisers use DL envelopes for tickets and passes, and hotels and restaurants use them for gift vouchers, where a printed envelope turns a simple voucher into something that feels like a present. p3 Vouchers and tickets sent in these often come with a small gift card box for a more considered hand-over.

Fold a Test Letter Before You Fix the Window

The window position is the only detail on a DL envelope that can go wrong, and it goes wrong at the folding stage, not at the printer. Print one of your real letters, fold it into thirds the way your office does, and measure from the top and left edges of the folded sheet to the address block. Send those two figures with the artwork and we position the window to them, which beats changing every template in your system.

Decide self-seal or gummed from your volume: self-seal for a mailing run, gummed for a few letters a week. One-colour print keeps the cost down on invoice envelopes; full colour suits a marketing mailing. The custom quote arrives by email within one working day, from £0.25 an envelope, with the minimum set per job.

The free proof shows the front, the flap and the window outline, so hold it against your folded test letter before you approve it. Printing takes 4 to 7 working days after that, with free tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses. Offices that want the letter inside to match often order letterheads printed in the same colours in the same job.