Envelope Terms – Glossary
The Priority Envelope Glossary offers a comprehensive look at the terminology commonly used in envelope design and production. Whether you’re new to envelope customization or a seasoned professional, understanding terms like window placement, flap styles, paper grades, and sealing methods is essential for making informed choices. This resource simplifies the technical jargon, giving you a clear understanding of the various options available for your custom envelope projects. With insights into everything from materials to production processes, our glossary helps you confidently select the right envelope features to meet your business or personal needs.
Action Device:
Intended to generate interaction with the recipient and make them more likely to open the envelope.
Adhesives:
Back-gum: Also known as Seam Gum. This is an adhesive that cannot be remoistened. It is used to seal the seams of the envelope to form the envelope pocket.
Latex: Made from a rubber based material for self-seal envelopes. Latex is applied to the seal flap and the back of the envelope, and sticks only to itself.
Peel and Seal: Applied to the seal flap and covered by release paper; self-sealing.
Peerless Tac: A unique closure device designed for long life with repeated opening and closing.
Remoistenable: Adhesive activated by water or solvent. Applied to the seal flap of envelopes.
Resealable:(Latex) A latex adhesive designed to form a lighter bond, this is used for multiple sealing and resealing.
Bang-tail:
A style of envelope with a perforated coupon attached to the body of a return envelope. This portion must be torn off before the envelope is sealed. Used for remittance envelopes, order envelopes and other direct
Bar-Code:
See POSTNET.
Baronial:
A type of envelope recognized by large pointed flap.
Basis Weight:
See Substance Weight.
Blank:
A die-cut sheet of paper before it is folded into an envelope.
Bleed:
An image that extends beyond the edge of the page or envelope.
Blind Emboss:
A raised design stamped into paper without foil or ink, must be done before the envelope is folded to prevent the design from debossing onto the back of the envelope.
Bond:
A grade of writing or printing papers, often used for letterheads and matching envelopes. Characterized by strength, rigidity, relatively low opacity.
Booklet:
A large open side envelope used for catalogs, annual reports or brochures.
Brightness:
The light reflecting property of a paper. The more light it reflects, the higher its brightness. A bright sheet offers the best print quality and appearance.
Bulk:
Thickness of a sheet of paper in relation to its weight. A high bulk paper lacks compactness; a low bulk paper is compact, with less air space between its fibers. High bulk papers offer a heavier feel to the touch, but a lower mailing weight.
Business Reply Envelopes (BRE):
Specially printed envelopes that may be mailed without prepayment of postage. The postage and fees are collected from the permit holder when the mail is delivered back to the sender. Also see FIM and/or PostNet.
Caliper:
The thickness of a sheet of paper, measured in units of 1/1000th inch (points or mils).
Catalog:
A general term for any large open end envelope.
CD Envelope:
A precisely sized envelope to mail, store and protect CDs. Can be made with or without windows or printing in a variety of substrates.
Center Seam:
An envelope style where the sides are folded and glued over each other, forming a seam that runs down the center of the envelope.
CI Press:
A high speed, high quality 4-color process of flexographic printing.
Clasp:
A metal fastener sometimes used with remoistenable gum on booklet and catalog envelopes, allows for repeated opening and closing of the envelope.
