Colorful, custom envelopes are a vibrant and attention-grabbing way of promoting your company. It’s important to remember that certain envelope designs may not be to the United States Postal Service’s (USPS) standards. Be sure that your direct mail campaign, business request, or call-to-action isn’t returned to sender. The design of your custom envelope is important, not only for the image of your company, but also to ensure that your mail piece isn’t returned due to unacceptable color, texture, ink, or shape.
Figure 1: Custom full-color envelopes
While dark or even black envelopes may seem chic or hip, keep in mind that the USPS’ automation process needs contrast to read addresses at high speed. This is why standard envelopes are white or light in color. Additionally, some textured or specialty paper envelopes, those with visible fibers, are not optimal. The fibers can interfere with the mailing address.
In addition to the color and the texture of the envelope, the ink color is also important to check. Red ink may look great in person, but it can be a problem when being run through mail automation systems. The same is true with certain metallic inks, so use those with caution.
Another consideration for custom envelopes should be given to the type face used. The USPS advises that a sans serif, uppercase typeface that's 10 to 12 points be used. Some recommended fonts that read well are Helvetica, Arial Black, Courier, and Lucinda Sans.
Since you want to attract your customer’s or recipient’s attention with your mail piece, you might consider making it a unique or unusual shape and size. Be careful. An oddly shaped mail piece may not only cost more to design and print, but also may not be something than can be mailed (such as a round postcard) or subject to a surcharge. You can check with the USPS online at www.usps.com for viable products. Additional USPS resources can be found at their “Postal Explorer” site at pe.usps.gov. Remember to check first with the mailing experts before designing your mail piece – it’s best to address any questions you might have before it gets in the mail.