The way something is packaged has a major effect on the person receiving it. You’d never give someone a loose birthday card without putting it in a nice-looking envelope, particularly if you expect it to be mailed. It’s especially popular for businesses to print envelopes with a custom design when they want to put forth a professional image. Envelopes do much more than ensure your mail reaches its destination—they let people know that you care about the presentation of your message.
Whether you’re sending invoices to clients or personal mail to friends and family, it’s important to have the right kinds of envelopes on hand. To that end, we’ve assembled the following collection of recommended products to help you find the best places to purchase envelopes online.
Envelopes by contents
Envelopes are generally categorized by what goes inside them; different types of envelopes are designed to hold certain types of documents or objects. When choosing an envelope to buy, it’s usually best to start by considering its contents.
Personal letters
When sending personal letters from your own household, cost-effectiveness is typically more important than looking “professional.” Inexpensive, all-purpose envelopes with hand-written addresses will suffice in most cases, especially when you only really need a single envelope as opposed to mass mailing.
Mead #10 White Envelopes
Plain 9 1/2″ x 4 1/8″ envelopes are a household essential and will serve most of your everyday needs.
AmazonBasics #10 Security Tinted Envelopes
A security tint ensures that nobody will read your personal letter before it reaches its destination.
Greeting cards and invitations
Since greeting cards and invitations tend to be roughly the same size, their envelopes are somewhat interchangeable. Both come in a variety of vibrant colors. Having an elegant envelope is especially important for formal events such as weddings or holiday banquets.
5×7 envelopes
This is one of the most common sizes for wedding invitations, but it’s popular for many greeting cards as well.
Envelope Gallery Assorted Greeting Card Envelopes
These colorful envelopes come in a wide variety of hues, letting you choose the ideal color for the occasion.
AllThingsAngelas Glitter Lined Envelopes
Glitter lines the inside of each of these envelopes, which makes them perfect for festive events.
4×6 envelopes
This style of envelope is sized to fit smaller invitations or cards.
Quality Park Greeting Card/Invitation Envelope
These white wove envelopes are highly versatile and include an adhesive strip for added convenience.
4×6 Metallic Gold A6 Envelopes
Metallic gold paper gives these fancy envelopes a luxurious sheen.
Business letters
Sturdy, professionally printed envelopes help you make a stronger impression when mailing letters related to your business. The most common type is a custom #10 envelope because it neatly holds letter-size paper folded into thirds.
#10 Digitally Printed Business Envelope
This popular 4 1/8″ x 9 1/2″ envelope is easy to customize with your business’s brand.
#10 Digitally Printed Windowed Business Envelope
A clear window helps save time when sending out personalized mail in bulk (especially for direct marketing).
Bills or invoices
Mail related to bills and invoices rarely needs a lot of embellishment; convenience and utility is key.
#10 Digitally Printed Business Envelope with Security Tint
A security tint reassures clients or colleagues that their personal information is safe from prying eyes.
#10 Windowed Business Envelope with Security Tint
This envelope features both a security tint and a transparent window on the front, making sending out personalized bills much more convenient.
Pre-stamped return envelopes
Include a return envelope with your bill or invoice to make it easier for recipients to send payment back to you.
Barn Swallow Forever #9 Window Stamped Envelopes
#9 is a very popular size for return envelopes; this one includes a charming barn swallow stamp.
Folk Art Eagle #6 3/4 Window Stamped Envelopes
This envelope is sized to fit a folded personal check and features a patriotic eagle emblem on its postage.
Large documents or folders
When dealing with large documents that cannot be folded or a lot of documents at once (such as those contained within a presentation folder), a portfolio-sized envelope is often the best choice.
Large Conformer Expanding Folder Mailer Envelope
With its expandable pocket and permanent adhesive strip, this envelope is great for sending large items through the mail.
Conformer Expanding Tuck Tab Portfolio Envelope
This envelope fastens shut with a tuck tab, making it better suited for hand-delivery.
CDs/DVDs
CDs and DVDs can be awkward to mail if you don’t have the proper packaging. These specialty envelopes feature slits or pockets specifically designed for discs.
Single CD/DVD Wrap Around Disc Mailer Envelope w/ Pocket
Along with a set of slits designed to hold a disc, this envelope also features a pocket so that you can include a folded piece of paper or other small documents.
Adhesive Strip Single CD/DVD Mailer Envelope
A smaller, compact size makes this square mini-envelope a good choice when you only need to mail a single disc with no other materials.
Unusually shaped objects
Sometimes you need to mail an object with an unconventional shape (like a pen or some other promotional gift) that won’t fit comfortably into a standard flat envelope. Padded bubble wrap mailers help to keep these objects safe during shipment.
Scotch Bubble Paper Mailer
A very popular choice for anyone who needs to mail thicker objects. Scotch mailers come in a neutral yellow-orange color.
Hot Pink, Teal, & Purple Bubble Mailers by wrappingmeup
Bright, feminine colors give these bubble mailers a fun and lighthearted appearance.
Church offerings or tithes
Envelopes often feature Bible quotes, inspirational illustrations, or other elements designed to put church congregation members in a giving mood.
My Offering Pew Envelopes
The design for this offering envelope is elegantly simple, with “My Offering” in a decorative typeface and an understated cross graphic underneath.
My Offering (Proverbs 3:9) Envelopes
An inspirational verse from Proverbs accents this offering envelope, along with an intricate pattern in the background and spaces for more detailed information.
Other envelope types
Sometimes instead of browsing by contents, it’s more helpful to seek out envelopes with a specific imprint, material, or cost. Here are some of the most common types of specialty envelopes that people look for.
Embossed envelopes
These envelopes have been imprinted with a unique textural pattern, making them a great choice when you want to impress recipients with an elegant personal touch.
Embossed Envelopes (Lavender)
The embossed design on these stylized envelopes resembles the petals of a beautiful lavender plant.
Embossed Envelopes (Romance)
This design covers more of the envelope and is also reminiscent of flowers, but in a more abstract and conceptual way.
Recycled envelopes
Kraft envelopes made from recycled paper allow you to help the environment while also giving your mail an earthy, natural look.
A7 Ribbed Kraft Envelopes
Suitable for invitations, the texture of these rustic envelopes resembles a paper bag.
Kraft Petal Mini-Envelopes
These unconventional mini-envelopes open from the center, like the petals of a flower.
Free envelopes for Priority Mail
There’s no better bargain than free. Not everyone knows that if you need to send something through Priority Mail, the U.S. Post Office (USPS) will provide you with the necessary shipping supplies free of charge. In addition to free envelopes, you can also request boxes or labels as needed.
Priority Mail Flat Rate Envelope
This should be your go-to choice for sending letter size documents through Priority Mail.
Priority Mail Padded Flat Rate Envelope
This Priority Mail envelope is lined with bubble wrap, for when you need to send unusual objects on a short schedule.
Where to get envelopes printed
Many printers sell physical products as well as printing services, and will allow you to have envelopes custom printed at the same time you order them. This is much more convenient and less complicated than purchasing envelopes in a store and trying to have them professionally printed after the fact. If you’re still at the design stage, Company Folders can even help with creating your envelope design as well as printing it.
Are you still having trouble finding the right envelope for your project? Feel free to ask for help in the comments below.
You included all the necessary information and presented the information in a one-page table that was easy to read. Your work made it really easy to make a decision. Great job! ThankYou!
Overall, when looking for envelope quality, it’s important to choose a product that meets your specific needs in terms of material, size, color, closure, window, and customization.