We believe snail mail is the second most personal form of communication so why not add a little pizzazle to your deliverables? We have downloadable templates for sale in our shop, or you can use one of these nifty ideas.
Just remember, when you make a custom envelope, it still has to meet the USPS guidelines to be considered a letter. Since the Post Office processes letters through automated machines, your flat will need to be manually processed if:
Your envelope is not a standard size (i.e. square).
The contents or the outside of your envelope are uneven. Letters with clasps, strings, buttons, or similar closure devices will not be accepted.
The envelope is too rigid.
The delivery address is placed parallel to the shorter side of the mail piece.
The envelope is made out of a poly-bag, poly-wrap, enclosed in any plastic material, or has an exterior surface made of a material that is not paper.
The address on the envelope is not legible (especially the zip code/country code).
If your piece must be manually processed, you will pay the non-machineable surcharge which is currently an additional $.30 on top of the letter postage rate.
Here are a couple ways you can add some flair to your envelopes:
Custom fonts and images. Are you proficient with calligraphy or do you have fun handwriting you can use on your envelopes? If not, you can print your envelopes using fun fonts and images right from your computer. See samples here.
Doodle it up with hand drawn designs. Cover your envelope in your custom artwork or, if mailing, draw on the back and add a small doodle to the front of the card. Remember the envelope needs to remain legible for the post office machines to read the address (or you can plan to send your card with extra postage!).
Stamp on it. Purchase bold and colorful stamps offered by the post office to send your card! You can also use a rubber stamp to decorate the envelope with fun colors, patterns or embossing.
Stickers! If you have a stash of stickers, put them on your envelopes. No such stash? Print your own!
Return Address Stickers or Stamps. You can purchase or print some really fun return address labels to support a cause, share a photo of your pet, or send a punny message!
Have fun and be creative - that little extra detail will not go unnoticed!
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