DIY Envelope
The first thing to do with posting a hard-copy letter is to source an envelope. The easiest way is to head over to accessories shop and but a pack of them. However, around this new era, sometimes, you only need just 1-2 envelopes a year but the shop sells you a pack of them. That's a lot of them. Also, using those envelope, you need to do custom printout.
What if there is a way to print a customizable envelope out on an A4 paper and you can just Do-It-Yourself (DIY) with double-sided tape, making it looks superbly professional? This post will guide you through different kinds of envelopes.
A4/Letter-Sized Letter Envelope
I obtained and customized this template original from a Singapore artist and now from Template Lab.com. Some modifications I did was porting to Google Drawing for scalability, removal of "scissors", reduces the embedded text to a shorter length without removing its meaning, and color striping the ribbon for indicating the confidentiality level / styling. Here's how it looks like after the editing:
Make A Copy
- head over to: https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/193MtSbFWxgHTmg57sSo041rIj3WjtmS47sHX9M2RxC0/edit?usp=sharing
- Go to
File > Make A Copy
. - Go to
File > Share
.- Adjust the necessary access so that you protects the personal identification data (Name + Address)
- Press
Done
- Use the envelope by changing the recipient name and address according to the guide.
Editing
- Apply any changes (e.g. graphics etc) according to the dimension as it is (both the grey solid and dotted line).
- TIP: Each leaves are "parts". You can make use of Google Drawing's Top-Bottom layering to easily adjust the overlapping graphic pieces.
- Print it out as FULL page on A4 (recommended and tested) or letter sized (untested) hard paper.
- If you're using a blank-color only printer, it is better to change those colored stripe into black and attach a label to it.
Crafting
- Cut the dotted line using a scissor to form the body. Leave the solid line alone.
- Fold the parts into an envelope formation. Use double-sided tape (recommended) or other sticky and strong enough adhesive material to glue them together in sequence:
- The left side (short) leaf goes inside.
- The bottom (without word) goes inside.
- The top (with word) goes next.
- The right (close to colored stripe and stamp) is the last piece where it acts a letter cover.
Filling and Seal
- Fold your letter contents and fills the envelope.
- Stick the cover leaf and you have a fully-ready, professionally printed out envelope with contents.
- If you're a classical person, you can apply your wax seal at the letter opening at the poing where all 3 leaves met. Now that's cool around this era.
- Stick a stamp and post it!
That's all about DIY an envelope using computing system. All you need is a suitable printer, a scissor, and a double-sided tape.