Custom Mailer Envelopes

Common Uses for Board Mailers

Offices and professional firms use them for contracts, legal documents, diplomas and reports that should arrive pristine. Schools, colleges and awarding bodies post diplomas and diplomas in them. Photographers and artists send prints, and online sellers use them for flat items such as art prints, stickers, patterns, greeting card packs and clothing labels.

Event organisers use board mailers for tickets, invitations and passes. Membership organisations send welcome packs with cards and diplomas, and marketing teams use them for direct mail campaigns where a flat, sturdy item makes a stronger impression than a standard letter.

Each use shapes the specification slightly. A solicitor posting original documents wants a plain, professional mailer with a return address and a secure seal. An illustrator selling prints online wants something that looks good in an unboxing photo, often kraft with a stamped logo and a thank-you message inside. An awarding body posting diplomas needs a large, stiff envelope with a clear address panel that copes with high volumes through a franking machine.

Printing and Branding

Board mailers are usually printed on the front with a logo, a return address and sometimes a short message such as 'Please do not bend' or 'Photographs enclosed'. Full colour printing on the front and back turns the mailer into a branded piece, and inside printing can add a pattern or a thank-you message that appears when it is opened.

Keep the address area clear. Postal services need a clean space for the address and postage marks, so we lay out your artwork with that in mind. If you use a window, the address on the document inside shows through, saving you printing labels.

Kraft board looks natural and suits creative businesses, while white board gives sharper colour and a more corporate feel.

A printed return address on the back flap also helps undeliverable post find its way home rather than being lost.

Choosing the Right Size

Mailers are usually sized to standard paper formats: A5, A4 and A3, plus C-series sizes that fit them. Size the mailer slightly larger than the contents so items slide in without catching on the flap, and allow extra room if you include a backing card or tissue; our guide to measuring your product covers the clearance.

For prints and photographs, measure the largest print you post. If you post several sizes, a single mailer for the largest size with a backing card for smaller prints keeps things simple. Remember that postal pricing depends on size and thickness, so choosing the right format can keep postage costs down.

If you post very valuable or irreplaceable items, consider a mailer one size up with a separate backing board inside. The extra margin around the edges means a knocked corner on the envelope does not reach the contents, which is how most damage in the post actually happens.

Do a test post before ordering in volume. Send a mailer with your typical contents to yourself or a colleague and see how it arrives; it is a quick, cheap way to confirm the size and board are right.

Closures and Opening

Peel-and-seal strips are the most practical closure for business use. They seal firmly, do not need moistening and stay sealed in the post, and the same strip is used on our printed C5 envelopes. Some customers prefer a tear strip on all-board mailers, which makes opening easy and tidy, and reduces the chance of the recipient cutting into the contents.

For security, a tamper-evident closure or a printed seal sticker shows if the envelope has been opened. That is useful for diplomas and sensitive documents.

Self-seal flaps, where two gummed strips press together, are an alternative for high-volume mailings where staff seal hundreds of envelopes at once. They are quick and need no backing paper to peel off and throw away.

Check the Mailer Against the Letterbox Rule Before You Print

Board mailers live or die on the postal size bands, so start there. Put your thickest typical contents, a brochure with a backing card say, inside a plain envelope of the size you have in mind and measure the thickness; a few millimetres decides whether an A4 mailer goes as a large letter or a small parcel, and that difference adds up across a mailing. Then decide board-backed or all-board, because a print wants a stiff back while a slim book needs a gusset. Keep the address area clear of artwork and say if you want a window instead of labels.

Let us know the format, construction, print and quantity, and a custom quote comes back by email within one working day, board-backed envelopes from £0.25 each, with low minimums quoted per job for small offices and creative studios. A free design proof shows the layout and the address area. Production runs 4 to 7 working days after approval and free tracked UK mainland delivery follows in 2 to 3 working days. Studios that send smaller prints often add printed DL envelopes for the covering letter.