Lyla Dejesus
Printing your own wedding envelopes is a great way to save time and money, and add a personal touch to your special day. With a few simple tools and supplies, you can give your envelopes a uniform look. This involves purchasing the right envelopes, choosing the right ink, and creating a professional-looking design. Before printing, it's important to measure your invitation cards to ensure a perfect fit and to check that the envelopes are compatible with your printer. You can then create an address template on your computer using programs such as Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, or mail merge, and print a few test samples to check for any alignment issues or smudging.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cost | Printing your own wedding envelopes can be a low-cost alternative to professional services. |
| Time | Printing your own envelopes can be time-consuming, but it can also save time compared to handwriting addresses. |
| Equipment | You will need a printer, envelopes, and a computer with word processing software. Optional equipment includes a bone folder, ruler, or clear labels. |
| Process | First, measure your invitation cards and purchase envelopes that fit. Create an address template on your computer, using a mail merge function to import addresses from a spreadsheet. Run test prints to check for errors and adjust printer settings as needed. Finally, print your envelopes. |
| Design | Consider the colour of your envelopes and whether your printer ink will show up well on them. The recipient address should be centred on the front, and the return address can be placed in the upper left corner or on the envelope flap. Avoid placing wording or art too close to the edge. |
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What You'll Learn
Choosing the right envelope and ink
Wedding invitations are one of the first impressions your guests will have of your special day, so it is important to choose the right envelope and ink to make a statement. Here are some tips to help you choose:
Choosing the Right Envelope
When selecting envelopes for your wedding invitations, consider the following factors:
- Colour: Do you prefer classic white or cream envelopes, or would you like something more vibrant and eye-catching? Choose a colour that complements your wedding theme and style. Ensure that your printer's ink shows up well on the envelope colour you choose.
- Size: Standard envelope sizes are available, such as 5.35" x 7.5" for a 5x7-inch invitation. However, you can also make your own envelopes if you prefer a custom size.
- Thickness and Weight: Opt for quality envelopes with a good thickness and weight. A minimum paper thickness/weight of 120gsm is recommended to ensure durability and a premium feel.
- Compatibility with Printer: Ensure that the envelopes you choose are compatible with your printer. Some printers may have specific requirements or limitations regarding envelope size, thickness, or type.
Selecting the Right Ink
- Colour: You can use any ink colour you prefer, whether it matches your wedding colours or contrasts with the envelope colour. Black ink is always a classic and elegant choice, and it is easy to read. Avoid shades of red, as these can be difficult for postal machines to read, potentially causing delivery issues.
- Printer Compatibility: Consider the type of printer you are using, such as an inkjet or laser printer, and choose ink that is compatible. For example, laser printers apply a layer of ink (toner) on top of the paper, which may flake off on certain paper types.
- Legibility: Ensure that the ink you choose is easy to read and does not smudge or fade. Test the ink on a sample envelope to ensure it meets your expectations.
- Address Format: Decide on the placement of the recipient's address. Centring the address on the front of the envelope with the names of the recipients above creates a clean and classic look. Alternatively, placing the address in the bottom right corner gives a contemporary style.
Additional Considerations
- Test Printing: Order a few extra envelopes for test printing and to allow for any mishaps. This will ensure that you achieve the desired result before printing a large quantity.
- Etiquette and Formality: Modern wedding etiquette embraces various honorifics and preferences, such as gender-neutral titles like "Mx." or "M." Respect your guests' preferred personal titles and use formal or informal language accordingly.
- Return Address: When addressing your return address, use your full names with or without courtesy titles. If your wedding is large, include both your first and last names, especially if some guests may not be familiar with them.
- Assembly and Sealing: Gather all the necessary materials and prepare your workspace before assembling your invitations. Use a bottled envelope moistener to wet the gummed edge of the envelopes, being careful not to use too much to avoid soggy envelopes. Place a heavy book on top of the sealed envelopes to ensure they stay securely closed.
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Preparing your guest address list
Finalise your guest list
Before you can start collecting addresses, you need to finalise your guest list. Sit down with your partner and anyone else involved in the decision-making process and decide on a total guest count. Brainstorm a list of invitees and edit it down to your final selection. It is recommended to start with a list of guests you are 100% confident about inviting, and then consider a secondary list of additional guests to invite if some of your initial invitees are unable to attend.
Collect mailing addresses
Once you have your finalised guest list, it's time to collect mailing addresses. This can be done in several ways, including reaching out to guests individually via phone, text, email, or social media. However, this can be time-consuming and challenging. A more efficient method is to use a digital form distributed via text message or email. Wedding-focused platforms like Text My Wedding offer address collection forms with mass texting capabilities, ensuring instant distribution and a higher response rate.
Create a sharable spreadsheet
To stay organised, create a sharable spreadsheet using tools like Google Sheets or Excel. This allows you to grant access to others involved in gathering addresses and keep all the information in one place. Ensure that the spreadsheet is formatted correctly, especially if you plan to have your stationer print the addresses on the envelopes. Include columns for guest names, address lines, city, state, and zip code.
Finalise the details
Once you have collected all the addresses, review your list to ensure that guest names are formatted correctly, especially if you are having a formal wedding. Consider whether you want to use full names or nicknames on the invitations. You may also want to include titles like Mr., Mrs., or Dr. before their names.
Choose a mailing method
Decide whether you will be mailing your invitations in stages or all at once. If mailing in stages, send your initial invitations earlier than usual so that the second round of invitations is not too close to the wedding day. Consider asking guests to reply online via email or your wedding website to expedite the process. Additionally, be mindful of any family or friends on separate lists who know each other to avoid any potential awkwardness.
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Creating an address template
Printing your own wedding envelopes can be a great way to save money and add a personalised touch to your special day. Here is a step-by-step guide to creating an address template for your wedding envelopes:
Step 1: Measure your invitation cards
Before purchasing envelopes, measure your invitation cards to ensure a perfect fit. This is an important step to ensure your invitations are not too loose or too tight in the envelopes. A well-fitting envelope looks more professional and helps protect your invitations during mailing.
Step 2: Choose your envelope type and colour
Select the type of envelope you wish to use, ensuring it is compatible with your printer. Consider the colour of the envelopes—do you prefer classic white or cream, or something more vibrant? Remember to choose a colour that allows your printer ink to show up well.
Step 3: Design your envelope layout
Decide on the placement of text and any additional design elements. Consider where you want to place the recipient's address and your return address on the envelope. You can use a text box and choose a font style that suits your theme.
Step 4: Create an address template
Open a word-processing program such as Microsoft Word and create a new document. Type your address or use an address from your contacts list. You can also import addresses from an Excel spreadsheet using the Mail Merge function. Format the text by selecting the text, right-clicking, and making changes to the font or paragraph style.
Step 5: Test print and adjust
Before printing all your envelopes, do a test print to check for any alignment issues, smudging, or other printing errors. Adjust print settings as needed, such as ink levels and how the envelope feeds through your printer. Check that the text is clear and legible and that all design elements are properly positioned.
Step 6: Finalise and print
Once you are happy with the test print, proceed to print your addresses on the envelopes. Remember to allow sufficient drying time for the ink to avoid smudging.
Creating your own address template for wedding envelopes can be a straightforward and enjoyable process, allowing you to add a unique and personalised touch to your wedding invitations.
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Test printing
To do a test print, set up your printer with the appropriate settings and load a blank envelope. Print a sample envelope with the text and design elements you plan to use. Check for any alignment issues, smudging, or other printing errors. Make sure that the text is clear and legible, and that the design elements are properly positioned. If you encounter any issues during the test print, don't panic. Troubleshooting is part of the process, and there are steps you can take to address common problems. For example, if the text is smudged, check the ink levels of your printer and how smoothly it is feeding through your printer, or adjust the print settings. If the alignment is off, adjust the placement of your design elements or consider repositioning the envelope in the printer. Use your printer's tray guidelines if needed.
It is important to get the settings and alignment right, which may involve some trial and error. It is recommended to have 5-10 spare envelopes just in case, but you can also test print on plain paper. Placing the envelopes upside down in the printer feed with the side you will print on facing you works well for the correct alignment. However, this may vary depending on your printer, so it is important to run a few test prints until you get the settings right.
Before printing, open the PDF and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+P or go to File - Print. This should bring up a dialogue box to select your printer settings. Under "Page Setup", ensure that your paper size corresponds to the envelope size you will print on, and always choose "no scaling" or 100%.
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Troubleshooting
Alignment issues
If the alignment is off, adjust the placement of your design elements or consider repositioning the envelope in the printer. Use your printer's tray guidelines if needed. Run a few test prints until you get the settings just right. It is recommended to place the envelopes upside down in the printer feed with the side you will print on facing you. However, your printer may vary, so it is important to experiment with a few test prints.
Smudging
To prevent smudging, check the ink levels of your printer and how smoothly the envelope is feeding through. Adjust the print settings if necessary. Flatten down all the edges of the envelope with a bone folder, the edge of a ruler, or your fingernail before placing it in the printer. This will help prevent smudging as the envelope runs through the printer.
Envelope jamming
Tuck in the envelope flap when possible to prevent jamming.
Incompatible envelopes
Before purchasing envelopes, measure your invitation cards to ensure a perfect fit. You don't want your invitations to be too loose or too snug in the envelopes. Also, be sure that your printer's ink shows up well on the envelope colour.
Incompatible printer
If you don't have a printer, or your printer is not compatible with envelope printing, consider using clear labels. You can buy these from stationery stores and print them at home.
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Frequently asked questions
Printing your own address on the envelope flap is a good idea if you want to make your invitations look more personal. You can do this by printing the return addresses first and then figuring out which way to insert the envelopes to get them printed correctly. It might take a bit of trial and error.
There are several ways to print addresses on wedding envelopes. You can print directly onto the envelopes, use a label, or handwrite the addresses. If you want to print directly onto the envelope, you will need to purchase envelopes that are compatible with your printer. You can then create an address template on a word document and adjust the size of the paper input and correctly format the document.
The recipient address should be centred on the front of the envelope. The return address can go in the upper left corner on the front or on the envelope flap. Make sure that there is no wording or art too close to the envelope edge, especially on the top or bottom right as this is where the postal barcodes will go.
