Custom Invitation Envelopes

Liners and Flap Details on Invitation Envelopes

A printed liner is the detail guests remember. When the flap is lifted, a pattern, a colour or an illustration is revealed inside, framing the invitation as it slides out. Florals, foliage, marble, stripes and simple solid colours are all popular. A liner can echo the invitation's design or introduce a contrasting colour.

Flap shapes vary. A pointed or V flap is traditional for invitations and shows off a liner beautifully. A square or straight flap looks clean and modern. A deep-pointed flap gives a dramatic shape that suits formal suites. Embossing or foiling a monogram on the flap adds a final touch, and a wax seal or seal sticker over the point completes the look.

Self-seal and gummed closures are both available; self-seal is easier when you have a long guest list.

Liners are cut to sit just below the gum line, so the envelope still seals properly. If you are adding a wax seal, remember that real wax adds thickness and may need hand-franking at the post office; seal stickers that imitate wax are a flatter alternative. Our guide comparing foil, embossing and print shows how a flap monogram looks in each.

Printing Addresses and Return Details

Handwriting dozens of guest addresses is a big job. We can print each guest's name and address directly onto the envelopes from a spreadsheet, using a font that matches your invitation, from elegant script to clean modern type. White ink on dark envelopes and metallic ink on coloured envelopes look especially striking.

A return address on the back flap is practical and helps undeliverable invitations come back to you. It can be printed in the same style as the guest addresses. Make sure the address area stays clear of heavy pattern and remains easy for the postal service to read; very decorative fonts should be used for names rather than postcodes. We check this on your free proof. Upload the guest list through the free proof request and we will show one addressed envelope at actual size.

Sizes to Fit Your Cards

Invitation envelopes are sized to the card with a little room to slide it in. C6 suits A6 cards and RSVPs; C5 suits A5 invitations; square envelopes suit square cards; DL suits slim, long invitations. If your suite has several layers or a belly band, allow a few extra millimetres for thickness.

Inner and outer envelopes are a traditional option for formal weddings: the outer envelope carries the postal address, while an unsealed inner envelope carries the guest names. RSVP return envelopes, printed with the host's address, make replies easier for guests.

Before ordering a full batch, slide a finished invitation suite into a sample envelope and check the fit. Cards that are too snug crease as they go in, while too much room lets them slide and catch the corners. If your suite includes an RSVP card and its own small envelope, test the whole stack together. RSVP cards at A6 usually go in C6 envelopes printed with the return address.

Stationers, Planners and Hosts

Wedding stationers order envelopes to complete their invitation suites, often with liners designed to match. Event planners use them for gala dinners, launches and private parties. Hosts planning milestone birthdays, anniversaries, christenings and baby showers order them to make their invitations feel special. Businesses order them for client events and VIP invitations.

We print without our branding, so stationers can present the envelopes as part of their own work.

Calligraphers are another group we work with closely. Many prefer to hand-letter the guest names themselves but want the envelopes, liners and return address printed professionally. We can supply envelopes in papers that take ink well without feathering, so their lettering stays crisp, and print only the elements they do not want to write by hand.

Planners organising corporate events often need a large batch at short notice, all addressed from a guest list that changes until the last minute. Sending the final list with your artwork lets us print addresses during production, so the envelopes arrive ready to stuff and post. Thank-you cards and place cards for the same event sit under printed stationery for events.

Test the Full Suite in One Envelope First

Before a batch is made, slide a complete invitation suite into a single sample envelope: card, RSVP, its small envelope, any belly band or vellum wrap. A suite that goes in easily and sits flat is right; one that creases on the way in needs the next size or a few extra millimetres. Choose the envelope paper before the card artwork, because paper colours are fixed and print can be adjusted to match them, and ask for a swatch pack if a deep shade matters.

Send the card size, paper, liner, flap shape, closure and quantity, plus the guest list as a spreadsheet if addresses are to be printed, and a custom quote comes back by email within one working day with prices from £0.25 a unit and minimums quoted per job. The free proof shows the liner, the flap detail and a sample address so the font and postcode legibility can be checked. Production takes 4–7 working days after approval and tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses is free, taking 2–3 working days. Creased or misprinted envelopes reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded. Stationers often have the wedding invitation cards printed in the same order so the papers match.