Envelopes and Self-Mailers

Task: Look at what arrives in your mailbox and think about whether it really needs or doesn't need an envelope. What kind of design changes might be needed to convert from envelope to self-mailing format? Do you currently produce materials for yourself or a client that could be self-mailers? What are the pros and cons from design, safety, and cost points of view? Think about it.

These tasks and examples are from "Daily Goals" posted in the DTP Classroom forum in connection with the Never Stop Learning Plan for 2003. They are presented here in a dual role as exercises for learning design and brainstorming material for developing new designs.

More Brainstorming & Analysis Exercises

Examples/Discussion: I subscribe to a monthly newsletter that always arrives in a nice white 10x13 envelope. It occurred to me that the sender could probably save costs by making the newsletter a self-mailer and save the cost of an envelope and possibly save postage costs as well.

Now not everything works as a self-mailer. You probably wouldn't want certain sensitive or personal information arriving in your mailbox in a folded or unfolded self-mailer that anyone could casually read (I'm not saying that the postal employees sit around reading unsealed mail but there's always that chance and opportunities for others to take a peek).

When designing a piece that will be enclosed in an envelope, it's important to consider size and shape of the document, not only for appearance but because if custom-sized envelopes are required it adds to the cost and complexity of the job.

When designing for window envelopes, "almost lined up" isn't good enough.

TASK: Look at everything you receive in a window envelope. Is the address fully visible? Is more than the address showing through the window? Look at how layout and folding affect what shows through the window.
Discuss It!

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This document is part of these Desktop Publishing learning tracks • How a Desktop Published Document is Created  ~ Design > Document Format  ~ Printing > Distribution • Never Stop Learning Plan  ~ Daily Goals > February • Brainstorming & Analysis Exercises  ~ Graphics