Custom Printed Manila Envelopes

Choosing Size and Format

Envelope sizes follow the C series, which is matched to A-size paper. A C4 envelope takes an A4 sheet flat, a C5 takes A4 folded once or A5 flat, and a DL takes A4 folded into thirds. A C6 takes A4 folded twice or an A6 card. Choose by how you want the document to arrive: flat for contracts and signed agreements that should not be creased, folded for routine letters.

Payslip envelopes are usually a smaller, self-seal format designed for payroll printers and sealers, often with a window positioned to match the payslip layout. Gusseted or pocket envelopes with a wider base suit thick reports and bound documents. If you use a folding and inserting machine, tell us the model, because flap style and window position need to match it.

If you are unsure, take a typical letter or pack, fold it the way your team normally does and measure it. Add a few millimetres on each side for easy filling and pick the nearest standard size. Standard sizes are cheaper to produce and fit standard trays and franking machines without fuss. Folded A4 packs that outgrow DL move to C5 envelopes with a window in the same design.

Windows, Flaps and Seals

Window envelopes save time because the address printed on the letter shows through, so there is no separate addressing. The window position must line up with where your software prints the address, and a standard position is offered for each size. If your letters use a non-standard layout, send us a sample sheet and we will position the window to match.

Self-seal flaps with a peel strip are the most popular choice for offices, as they seal cleanly without moisture and stay closed. Gummed flaps suit machine sealing. Pocket envelopes open on the short side and wallet envelopes on the long side; wallets are easier for hand-filling bulky documents, pockets for machine-filled mail.

Window film is usually a clear plastic, but a paper window made from translucent glassine is also available if you would rather keep the whole envelope paper-based. Our guide to paper weights and stocks explains where manila sits against white wove.

Printing on Brown Paper

Manila is a coloured paper, so print behaves differently from white stock. Dark colours such as black, navy, dark green and burgundy print crisply and read well. Pale colours and yellows lose their strength against the buff background. Full-colour photographs tend to look muddy, so a one or two colour logo and address is the usual choice and keeps costs down.

Common print positions are the top left corner for a logo and return address, the back flap for a return address only, and a franking or postage paid area at the top right. We can also print "If undelivered please return to" lines, barcodes for tracking returned mail, and confidential markings.

Keep artwork simple. A small logo, a clear return address and one handling line is easier to read through a sorting office than a busy design that covers the whole front, and it leaves plenty of space for the address label or window. Upload the logo through the free proof request and we will show it in black on the buff paper.

Planning Your Envelope Stock

Most offices need two or three sizes: a DL for routine letters, a C5 for folded A4 packs and a C4 for flat documents. Keeping the print design the same across all three gives a consistent look and makes reordering simple. Store envelopes flat in their boxes in a dry place, as damp can activate gummed flaps and warp self-seal strips.

If several departments order separately, a shared design with the department name changed is easy to run. We keep your artwork on file so repeat orders go through quickly without a fresh proof unless something changes.

Payroll teams often ask for envelopes to match the timing of a pay run. Tell us your next payroll date with your enquiry and we will plan the proof and production around it. Compliment slips and letterheads to go inside are part of our printed stationery for offices.

Send a Folded Letter and Your Machine Model

Manila envelopes are specified by what goes in them and how they are filled, so two things settle most orders: a sample letter folded the way your team folds it, and the make and model of any folding, inserting or franking machine. The letter fixes the size and the window position; the machine fixes the flap style and seal. If payslips are involved, send a printed payslip so the window lines up with the address block, and give us the next pay date so production is planned around it.

Most offices settle on DL, C5 and C4 in one design, kept on file for reorders. Send sizes, quantities, window and flap choices and the artwork, and a custom quote comes back by email within one working day, with low minimums quoted per job. The free proof shows where the print sits on each size. Production takes 4–7 working days after approval and tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses is free, taking 2–3 working days. Misprinted or damaged boxes of envelopes reported within 10 days are reprinted or refunded. Teams that post routine letters in volume often add DL envelopes printed in white stock for customer-facing mail.