Commercial
The standard business envelope. Machine-friendly proportions, priced for volume — most of what crosses our inserters rides in one.
- Best for
- Letters · invoices · direct mail
Resource guide · The specimen drawer
Five constructions, sixteen standard sizes from the #6¼ to the 12" × 9" catalog, three stocks, five flap profiles — the reference our mailing floor works from, written down so you can spec the right envelope in one pass.
PDF · 2 pages · 1.26 MB
01 The types
Different jobs call for different constructions. The right one improves presentation, protects what’s inside, and keeps the piece easy to mail.
The standard business envelope. Machine-friendly proportions, priced for volume — most of what crosses our inserters rides in one.
Squarer than a commercial, more formal in the hand — the proportion sits between business mail and a true square.
An exact square, instantly noticed in a stack of #10s. USPS handles it as nonmachinable, so budget extra postage.
Opens on the long side, so flat contents slide in without folding — brochures, reports, presentation decks.
Opens on the short side and built stronger, for heavy or thick contents that need the sturdier seam.
02 The size chart
Sixteen standard sizes cover nearly every job that leaves the plant. Dimensions run height before width — which is why a booklet envelope reads 9 × 12 and a catalog reads 12 × 9.
| Size | Dimensions (H × W) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| #6¼ | 3½" × 6"3.5 × 6 | Small mailings, statements |
| #6¾ | 3⅝" × 6½"3.625 × 6.5 | Checks, statements |
| #7 | 3¾" × 6¾"3.75 × 6.75 | Folded documents |
| #7¾ | 3⅞" × 7½"3.875 × 7.5 | Business correspondence |
| #9 | 3⅞" × 8⅞"3.875 × 8.875 | Reply envelopes |
| #10 | 4⅛" × 9½"4.125 × 9.5 | Standard business letters |
| #11 | 4½" × 10⅜"4.5 × 10.375 | Larger documents |
| #12 | 4¾" × 11"4.75 × 11 | Brochures, expanded mailings |
| #14 | 5" × 11½"5 × 11.5 | Large flat documents |
| A-6 | 4¾" × 6½"4.75 × 6.5 | Invitations, cards, announcements |
| A-7 | 5¼" × 7¼"5.25 × 7.25 | Invitations, cards, announcements |
| A-8 | 5½" × 8⅛"5.5 × 8.125 | Invitations, cards, announcements |
| A-9 | 5¾" × 8¾"5.75 × 8.75 | Invitations, cards, announcements |
| A-10 | 6" × 9½"6 × 9.5 | Flat mailings |
| Booklet | 9" × 12"opens long side | Multi-page documents, reports, presentations |
| Catalog | 12" × 9"opens short side | Large-format materials, catalogs, marketing kits |
No sizes match your search.
Custom sizes are also available, depending on your project — send the finished piece and we spec the envelope around it.
03 The stock
Material decides how the envelope looks, how it prints, and what it says before it’s opened. The right stock depends on how much of the job is presentation.
Smooth, uncoated, and the default for a reason: it prints clean — especially text — and it’s the most cost-effective stock on the shelf.
A treated surface that holds ink on top of the sheet instead of soaking it in — sharper images, richer color, a more polished face.
Linen, felt, stipple — a surface you notice the moment you pick the piece up, from subtle finish to unmistakably premium.
04 The flap
The flap sets how the envelope seals and how it reads when it lands.
Angled — the standard business look.
Straight and narrow; a clean appearance.
Straight across; a balanced look.
Angled to the center; a more formal feel.
A deeper flap for added strength.
05 The extras
Past size, stock, and flap, three add-ons do most of the work:
06 The shortlist
Six patterns settle most projects:
If you’re sendingStandard business letters
UseA #10 commercial envelope
If you’re sendingInvoices with return envelopes
UseA #9 reply inside a #10 outer
If you’re sendingInvitations or cards
UseAn A-7 — or any A-style
If you’re sendingMarketing that has to stand out
UseSquare or coated envelopes
If you’re sendingMulti-page documents
UseBooklet envelopes (9" × 12")
If you’re sendingHeavy or large materials
UseCatalog envelopes (12" × 9")
The shortlist narrows it down fast; the final call rides on the piece, the volume, and the goal.
07 The PDF
The whole reference in two pages — keep it beside your next mailing plan, or forward it to whoever specs the print.
08 Your mailing
Send what you’re mailing, the quantity, and when it has to land. Our team comes back with the size, the stock, and a quote for the run — we’ve printed and mailed from one Mount Prospect plant since 1927.
Questions? Call 847.588.7600
