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Envelopes Made Easy
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A standard diagonal seam envelope is the most common style envelope in use today. Its parts are basically the same regardless of its size or name. The corners, flaps, shoulders, throat, seal and seams may vary slightly in size, curvature or shape in different makes and models.

To help you understand the terms used by envelope manufacturers, we have illustrated a basic diagonal seam envelope showing the most common terms applied to its parts. These terms are used regardless of its style - diagonal, side or center seam - open end or open side.


Different Types of Envelopes
A-Style
A-Style envelopes are used for sending announcements, small booklets, brochures, greeting cards, and more recently for distinctive business stationery. A-sizes have side seam construction, with large, good-looking square flaps.

Baronial
Baronial envelopes are used primarily for invitations and greetings. Baronial envelopes have diagonal seams, and pointed flaps.

Booklet
Booklet envelopes are used for a wide variety of mailing and shipping functions. They have side seam construction with a wallet flap which is located on the longer of the two dimensions. The term "open side" is sometimes used when referring to booklet envelopes.

Catalog
Catalog envelopes are used for heavy duty mailing and shipping requirements. They have a center seam construction with a wallet flap which is on the shorter of the two dimensions. The term "open end" is sometimes used when referring to catalog envelopes.

Commercial
Commercial envelopes (sometimes referred to as Officials) are used for many business and personal correspondence purposes. They normally come with diagonal seams and a standard commercial flap. More often Commercials are offered with a pointed or square flap. Commercials are available with or without windows, and can be manufactured with remoistenable seal gum, Peel & Seel, or latex self-sealing closures. The No. 10 envelope is by far the most popular size in this grouping and is perfect for inserting a normally folded 8-1/2" x 11" letterhead.

Square
Square envelopes are used for advertising pieces, invitations, and other unique communications. Squares have side seam construction, with large, good-looking square

Common North American Envelopes

Short dimension precedes long dimension; Inch measurements are the finished envelope size; Metric measurements are approximate (calculated at 1 inch = 25.4 mm and rounded off). N.B. Except where noted, the envelope opening/flap is on the long dimension; Sizes identified as nonstandard do not conform to Universal Postal Union requirements for correspondence envelopes.
Name No. Inches MM Usage and Comments
Commercial 5 3 1/16 x 5 1/2 78 x 140 For correspondence; Nos. 5, 6, and 6 1/4 are nonstandard
6 3 3/8 x 6 86 x 152
6 1/4 3 1/2 x 6 89 x 152
6 1/2 3 9/16 x 6 1/2 90 x 165
6 3/4 3 5/8 x 6 1/2 92 x 165
Official 7 3 3/4 x 6 3/4 95 x 171 For correspondence; Nos. Data Card, 10, 10 1/2, 11, 12, and 14 are nonstandard
7 1/2 3 3/4 x 7 5/8 95 x 194
7 3/4
(Monarch)		 3 7/8 x 7 1/2 98 x 190
Data
Card		 3 1/2 x 7 5/8 89 x 194
8 5/8
(Check)		 3 5/8 x 8 5/8 92 x 219
9 3 7/8 x 8 7/8 98 x 225
10 4 1/8 x 9 1/2 105 x 241
10 1/2 4 1/2 x 9 1/2 114 x 241
11 4 1/2 x 10 3/8 114 x 264
12 4 3/4 x 11 121 x 279
14 5 x 11 1/2 127 x 292
Window 6 1/4 3 1/2 x 6 89 x 152 For invoices, statements, etc.; die-cut glassine-backed window permits name and address on enclosure to show; Standard window is 4 3/4" wide x 1 1/8" (121 mm x 29 mm); Window position is 7/8" (22 mm) from left edge, 5/8" (16 mm) from bottom (for No. 8 5/8, position is 5/8" [16 mm] from left edge, 13/16" [21 mm] from bottom); Nos. 6 1/4, 10, 11, 12, and 14 are nonstandard
6 3/4 3 5/8 x 6 1/2 92 x 165
7 3 3/4 x 6 3/4 95 x 171
7 3/4 3 7/8 x 7 1/2 98 x 190
8 5/8 3 5/8 x 8 5/8 92 x 219
9 3 7/8 x 8 7/8 98 x 225
10 4 1/8 x 9 1/2 105 x 241
11 4 1/2 x 10 3/8 114 x 264
12 4 3/4 x 11 121 x 279
14 5 x 11 1/2 127 x 292
Remittance 6 1/4 3 1/2 x 6 89 x 152 Extradeep flap (between 3 3/8" [86 mm] and 3 1/2" [89 mm]) can carry printed message; Nos. 6 1/4 and 6 1/2 are nonstandard
6 1/2 3 1/2 x 6 1/4 89 x 159
6 3/4 3 5/8 x 6 1/2 92 x 165
9 3 7/8 x 8 7/8 98 x 225
Banker's Flap
&
Wallet Flap		 10 4 1/8 x 9 1/2 105 x 241 For bulky correspondence; Heavy- weight paper and deep pointed flap (banker's) or squared flap (wallet); All sizes are nonstandard
11 4 1/2 x 10 3/8 114 x 264
12 4 3/4 x 11 121 x 279
14 5 x 11 1/2 127 x 292
16 6 x 12 152 x 305
Announcement Text A-2 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 111 x 146 Made with matching text paper; Flap often has deckle edge; Basically square in shape, hence all sizes except Slim are nonstandard
A-6 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 121 x 165
A-7 5 1/4 x 7 1/4 133 x 184
A-8 5 1/2 x 8 1/8 140 x 206
A-10 6 x 9 1/2 152 x 241
Slim 3 7/8 x 8 7/8 98 x 225
Baronial 2 3 3/16 x 4 1/4 81 x 108 For formal correspondence, invitations, announcements, greeting cards; Deep pointed flap; Because of broad variety in sizes, availability should be con- firmed with manufacturer/supplier; Basically square in shape, hence all sizes are nonstandard
4 3 5/8 x 4 5/8 92 x 117
5 4 1/8 x 5 1/8 105 x 130
5 1/4 4 1/4 x 5 1/4 108 x 133
5 1/2 4 3/8 x 5 3/4 111 x 143
6 5 x 6 1/4 127 x 159
Booklet
or
Open Side		 2 1/2 4 1/2 x 5 7/8 114 x 149 For booklets, folders, direct mail; Basically square in shape, hence all sizes are nonstandard
3 4 3/4 x 6 1/2 121 x 165
4 1/4 5 x 7 1/2 127 x 190
4 1/2 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 140 x 190
5 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 140 x 216
6 5 3/4 x 8 7/8 146 x 225
6 1/2 6 x 9 152 x 229
6 3/4 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 165 x 241
7 6 1/4 x 9 5/8 159 x 244
7 1/4 7 x 10 178 x 254
7 1/2 7 1/2 x 10 1/2 190 x 267
8 8 x 11 1/8 203 x 283
9 8 3/4 x 11 1/2 222 x 292
9 1/2 9 x 12 229 x 305
10 9 1/2 x 12 5/8 241 x 321
13 10 x 13 254 x 330
Catalog
or
Open End		 1 6 x 9 152 x 229 For catalogues, booklets, magazines, reports; Opening/flap on short dimension; All sizes are nonstandard
1 3/4 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 165 x 241
2 6 1/2 x 10 165 x 254
3 7 x 10 178 x 254
6 7 1/2 x 10 1/2 190 x 267
7 8 x 11 203 x 279
8 8 1/4 x 11 1/4 210 x 286
9 1/2 8 1/2 x 10 1/2 216 x 267
9 3/4 8 3/4 x 11 1/4 222 x 286
10 1/2 9 x 12 229 x 305
12 1/2 9 1/2 x 12 1/2 241 x 317
13 1/2 10 x 13 254 x 330
14 1/4 11 1/4 x 14 1/4 286 x 362
14 1/2 11 1/2 x 14 1/2 292 x 368
Metal Clasp
&
String and Button		 0 2 1/2 x 4 1/4 63 x 108 For mailing bulky papers; Heavy - Height paper; Opening/flap on short dimension; All sizes except Nos. 15, 25, and 35 are nonstandard
5 3 1/8 x 5 1/2 79 x 140
10 3 3/8 x 6 86 x 152
11 4 1/2 x 10 3/8 114 x 264
14 5 x 11 1/2 127 x 292
15 4 x 6 3/8 102 x 162
25 4 5/8 x 6 3/4 117 x 171
35 5 x 7 1/2 127 x 190
50 5 1/2 x 8 1/4 140 x 210
55 6 x 9 152 x 229
63 6 1/2 x 9 1/2 165 x 241
68 7 x 10 178 x 254
75 7 1/2 x 10 190 x 254
80 8 x 11 203 x 279
83 8 1/2 x 11 1/2 216 x 292
87 8 3/4 x 11 1/4 222 x 286
90 9 x 12 229 x 305
93 9 1/2 x 12 1/2 241 x 317
94 9 1/4 x 14 1/2 235 x 368
95 10 x 12 254 x 305
97 10 x 13 254 x 330
98 10 x 15 254 x 381
105 11 1/2 x 14 1/2 292 x 368
110 12 x 15 1/2 305 x 394