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.
Closed Face:
An envelope without a window.
Closure:
General term used for the means of closing and securing an envelope. May be an adhesive, a clasp or other mechanical closure.
Commercial:
General term for the most common style of business envelopes. Open side, with or without windows.
Corner Card:
A term used to reference the return address and/or other identification of the sender usually located in the upper left hand corner of an envelope.
Courtesy Reply Envelope (CRE):
When a response is desired, such as with a bill or invoice payments, you pay only for the cost of envelopes. Your customer pays the postage, and no permit is required to send CRE mail. You can expedite returns by having pre-addressed and pre-barcoded envelopes.
Also see FIM and/or PostNet.
Credit Card Protector:
An open-end or open-side envelope perfectly sized to hold and protect credit cards, phone cards and hotel room keys. Available in paper or Tyvek®.
Deckle Edge:
Feathered edge on envelope flap, deliberately produced for decorative purposes.
Diagonal Seam:
Seam style frequently used in commercial open-side envelopes and announcement, invitation and baronial envelopes.
Die:
A precision tool used to cut out envelope blanks, windows or other shapes.
Double Inside Side Seam: (DISS):
Type of seam configuration on open-side envelopes where seams tuck beneath back panel.
Double Outside Side Seam: (DOSS):
Seam configuration on open-side envelopes where seams are glued on top of back panel.
Drive-Up:
(Also called Teller-Helper envelope.) Used frequently by financial institutions to return cash to customers at counters and drive-up windows.
Dummy:
An unprinted mock-up of a “to-be-printed” piece. A dummy serves as a reference for the client, printer, mailing house, or distributor.
Embossed Finish:
A raised pattern applied to paper.
Expansion Envelope:
Envelope with a gusset or box bottom and sides, allowing it to expand for bulky mailings.
Eyelet:
Small hole in a tag or envelope to receive a string or clasp. May be plain or reinforced with a metal ring, paper or cloth backing.
Face:
The side of the envelope without seams.
FIM:
(Facing Identification Mark) A pattern of vertical bars printed in the upper right portion of the envelope. Used to identify BRE (has 6 vertical bars) and CRE (has 5 vertical bars) envelopes. These marks are used by the Post Office for automated facing and canceling equipment.
Finish:
The surface properties of a paper, including smoothness or textured, coated or uncoated, soft or hard. Different finishes offer different printing characteristics.
First Class Envelope:
A catalog style (open-end) envelope printed with green “First Class” around the edges.
