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Envelopes and Mailing Envelopes
are often overlooked as a (i)
DL – A4 in thirds (ii) C5 – A4 in half This is for an A4 document that is folded in half. A C5 envelope measures 22.9cm in width and 16.2cm in height. C5 envelopes are used mainly for A4 documents that are more than two pages long, and also quite commonly for mail shots and smaller brochures that cannot be folded. The need for only a single fold helps makes letters look more professional, but without being too large for common use. (iii) C4 – A4 This is for an A4 document without any folding. A C4 envelope measures 32.4cm width and 22.9cm in height. C4 envelopes are used mainly for important letters and brochures that cannot or should not be folded. Sealing (i) Gummed This is the traditional way of sealing an envelope. The glue on the flap of the envelope has to be moistened (usually by licking it!) and sealed. This is the cheapest way of sealing an envelope. (ii) Self Sealing This is now the most common way of sealing business envelopes. The flap and envelope have strips of glue, which seal when pressed together. This is more expensive than gummed envelopes (although the price difference is small), but is more convenient and forms a tighter bond. ‘Peel and Seal’ is similar, except the glue is protected by a plastic strip; which is removed on sealing. These envelopes cost about the same as self sealing envelopes. The bonding formed is the strongest type, as the glue is protected by the plastic strip. Windows / Plain A windowed envelope allows you to display the address printed on the letter: which looks great. Windowed envelopes look more professional, and should be used for almost all correspondence. A plain envelope allows you to write or print an address onto the letter, this is good if you wish a letter to have a personal touch (e.g.: A compliment slip with a short message), but can look unprofessional in more formal situations. Windowed envelopes are generally slightly more expensive than plain envelopes, but worth it. Weight Envelopes are weighed in the same way as paper, using ‘gsm’ (Grams per square metre). They start at 80-90gsm, which is suitable for most uses. For more formal or important documents you may wish to use 100-125gsm envelopes as they will feel like better quality to the person receiving the letter. Security and Privacy If your letter is private, or you are sending information that needs to be kept secure, you will need to use opaque envelopes. These have a pattern or colour on the inside, which means that the writing inside cannot be read from outside the envelope. Mailing & Franking Machines If your business frequently sends letters or parcels, you may be frustrated by the repeated visit to the Post Office to buy stamps or send parcels. However, the ideal solution would be to hire a franking machine (from around £25 per month upwards – depending on size). Franking machines range in size that can allow up to, say, 250 letters to be franked per minute. Parcels can also be franked by running franking labels through the machine (and then applied to the parcel). Franking machines can also incorporate your business name, slogan or message (advertising) into the postage mark for a professional look and excellent marketing opportunity. Commonly, payment (for postage) is usually pre-paid onto the machine and is re-credited when necessary. The payment for postage is paid in addition to the hire charge and is not inclusive. Businesses that send large quantities of mail on a regular basis may benefit from a larger franking machine if office space is not a constraint. For businesses that send letters and parcels on a less regular basis and in low numbers may benefit from smaller franking machines designed to fit on desktops. Smaller franking machines will usually frank letters and labels at a rate of say, 10 per minute. For businesses that send out high volumes of mail and parcels, a franking machine will be an essential piece of equipment and the cost of hiring will be more than justified. However, for businesses that send, say, 10 letters (or parcels) a day, the real (and perhaps, only) benefit is the time it saves. For those businesses that fall in between, it is a matter of weighing up the cost against the benefits.
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n
important part of business. Whenever a customer or supplier receives
a letter or mailing from you, the envelope is the first thing they see.
The following is the key points to buying envelopes.