Fold And Send Letters? Best 17 Answer

sizes for letters

You probably have an idea of ​​what a “letter” is. You may be using a standard #10 envelope for your letter, so it’s easy to imagine. However, if you decide to create a mailpiece with your own special envelope, or if you are designing a piece that will be folded to letter size, be sure to note the following letter size requirements:

Dimensions Minimum Maximum Height 3-1/2 in. 6-1/8 in. Length 5 in. 11-1/2 in. Thickness 0.007 in. 1/4 in

To be posted at letter rate, a piece must:

Rectangular

At least 3-1/2 inches high x 5 inches long x 0.007 inches thick.

No more than 6-1/8″ tall x 11-1/2″ long x 1/4″ thick.

A non-processable surcharge will apply to First Class Mail letters that contain one or more non-processable characteristics. Customers may be unpleasantly surprised that they have to pay additional postage when sending a square greeting card, for example. The Postal Service charges additional postage because rigid, square, or odd-shaped mail often clogs mail equipment and is difficult to process. This costs the post office time and money – and can also damage your mail piece.

Many mailers fold sheets of paper to form letters or circulars. Folded pieces or folded self-mailers can save time and money because you don’t have to pay for or stuff envelopes. Folded self-mailers must be sealed, otherwise the non-machine surcharge will be charged. We recommend using wafer seals or tabs to seal the open sides of folded mail.

Here are some tabbing tips: Place the fold on the bottom (the side below the address) and secure the opening at the top with a piece of tape, a tab, or a wafer seal.

Learn more about folding and attaching a mail piece

There are special size requirements for mailing letters at automation prices. Contact your Business Mail Entry Unit for more information.

TIPS

all the kids in my crew. This article has helped my letters look more professional and I will know that forever! 5/5 stars!”

…”

“I’ve just finished a week of Bible school over the holidays, and because I was a team captain, I had to write letters

Like standard letter-size paper, legal-size paper must be folded before it can be mailed in a standard legal-size envelope. However, folding the legal paper in the same way as folding letter-size paper results in a letter that does not fit in the envelope. This is because Legal paper, which measures 8 1/2 in. by 14 in., is longer than 8 1/2 in. by 11 in. letterhead. The extra length makes folding the letter considerably different than you might be used to if you normally use letter-sized paper.

Step 1.

Place the legal paper face up on a flat surface.

Step 2.

Fold the bottom edge of the paper up and fold it across, 5 inches from the bottom. Use a ruler to ensure the crease is exactly 5 inches from the bottom edge. This leaves the top 4 inches of the paper free.

Step 3.

Fold the top 4 inches of the paper down and crease where the bottom edge of the paper sits. This will give you a 5 x 8 1/2 inch folded letter.

step 4

Slide the folded letter into the envelope.

The folded self-mailer is one of the most eye-catching direct mailings you can send. It is created by folding a single sheet of paper into panels (tri-fold, double-fold, or oblong) and then sealing them along the edge. This promotional item does not require an envelope as it is attached with adhesive or tabs, allowing recipients to be immediately wowed with pictures.

This mailer has some qualities of a postcard and others of a letter, making it the perfect in-between solution for marketers. If you want a direct mailing tool that is less expensive than a packet but has a larger footprint than a postcard, a folded self-mailer offers room for design, creativity and the company’s message, while maintaining privacy and measurability.

Folded self-mailers offer six major benefits to any marketing campaign:

cost efficient

The self-mailer is cheaper than a letter package that has to be printed and handled in several parts. The folding can be done in-line from the press and there are no additional costs for stuffing envelopes. If your package requires coupons and other enclosures, these can be perforated into the self-mailer, which further reduces the workload.

However, self-mailers are slightly more expensive than postcards because they require more paper and ink, as well as the extra steps of folding and gluing. However, this increased cost is offset in many cases by an improved response, which when used properly offers a great ROI (return on investment).

Rather than just using the front and back of a postcard, designers have the freedom to be creative with more room to add images, graphics, and other visual elements.

Have an influence

Self-mailers offer a great way to use attention-grabbing visuals on the outside, where recipients will see them immediately. There is no envelope hiding a highly designed letter with pictures inside, allowing consumers to see the offer right away. For example, if you’re a clothing store promoting a sale, add a high-quality shot of a model in the latest trends with the caption “End of Year Sale” or “30% off entire store.”

Rather than just using the front and back of a postcard, designers have the freedom to be creative with more room to add images, graphics, and other visual elements. This is crucial as the design will have a huge impact on how you react. Data shows that 90 percent of the information processed by the human brain is visual, processing images 60,000 times faster than text. That means you need to make an impression right away, and the extended reach of a self-mailer is a great way to do that.

More space for the message

It may take up less space than some letter packages, but there is more space on a self-mailer than on a postcard. A three page self-mailer is typically 8″ x 15″ and a four page self-mailer is approximately 8″ x 20″, both of which fold down to 8″ x 5″ to help you choose the format that works best for you. Compare this to a postcard that ranges from 4.25 x 6 inches to 12 x 16.5 inches. Instead of a three-word headline and a short text below, you can expand your message with an additional six to ten paragraphs. A folded self-mailer smaller than 6 x 10.5 will be sent at letter rate. If you were using a large postcard, your postage charge would increase once you exceeded the 6.125 x 11.5 size.

In terms of content volume, a self-mailer rivals a small to medium-sized traditional letter packet, which comes in three sizes: 8.5 x 11 inches, 8.5 x 14 inches, and 11 x 17 inches. The only difference? The format. A self-mailer is divided into three to 12 fields, while a letter is full-page.

Self-mailers are best used in business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing to remind loyal customers of events, provide coupons, promote sales, or get customers to take a specific action, such as making a purchase. B. to call a phone number or visit a website.

Ideal for B2C companies

The combination of size and design of a self-mailer makes it ideal for business-to-consumer companies that want to make an impression. That’s because these applications usually require content that takes up more space, such as coupons, vouchers, or perforated reply forms.

They’re especially helpful when reaching loyal customers through events, or providing coupons, promoting sales, or getting customers to take a specific action, e.g. B. call a phone number or visit a website. Loyal customers are more likely to become active, which justifies the additional price of a self-mailer.

Self-mailers can sometimes be used in B2B situations, but usually a polished letter wrap is the preferred choice. When using a self-mailer, take extra care to ensure it looks professional and appeals to the target businessperson, while also taking advantage of superior design and content options.

More privacy

Many people don’t consider self-mailers to be private, but they are sealed on the edge, so they offer security similar to that of parcels. You can add personalized information to increase response or place coupons inside with the peace of mind that they won’t be easily seen or fall out. However, do not use a self-mailer for very private documents such as bank statements or insurance information, as these are not as secure as letters.

Measurable

Self-mailers are a great way to add an extra layer of tracking to the already excellent measurability of postcards and other direct mail. This is done through the use of perforated business reply cards or other physical reply devices.

This is powerful as it complements the physical nature of direct mail and can help your message stay in a home longer. Instead of visiting a URL immediately, your email can stay at a home indefinitely while the recipient waits for the right time to use a coupon. When this happens, your brand is effectively and repeatedly inserted into your recipient’s personal life in a way unrivaled by other forms of marketing.

Using the example of a clothing store sale, the self-mailer could include a perforated coupon advising the customer that they would receive an additional 15% discount off the retail price if they presented IT at the checkout. The number of redeemed coupons determines the success of the campaign.

In order to be able to use these self-mailer advantages, you should make sure that they actually reach the mailboxes.

To ensure customers receive self-mailers, the USPS has strict guidelines that must be followed. If you do not develop self-mailers according to regulations, additional fees may apply or they may never be sent.

To ensure your folded self-mailer complies with USPS regulations, you must:

Must be at least 3 ½ inches and no more than 6 inches high

Have a minimum length of 5 inches and a maximum length of 10 ½ inches

Must have a minimum thickness of 0.007 inch

Can be 0.009″ thick if height exceeds 4 ¼” or length exceeds 6″.

A minimum of 70 lb paper must be used

Can have a maximum thickness of ¼ inch

Can have a maximum weight of 3 ounces

Must be rectangular with four square corners and parallel opposing matrices

Must have an aspect ratio between 1.3 and 2.5

If you follow the requirements listed above and the latest USPS guidelines when creating your direct mail, you should reap the six benefits listed above.

Design Distributors can help you leverage the power of folded self-mailers.

Self-mailers combine the visual effect of a postcard with the security and content length of a letter packet. Additionally, this budget-friendly direct mail can be measured in many ways to give you the best possible ROI.

Each order of Design Distributors folded self-mailers is available in either tri-fold, bi-fold or oblong form, with full color printing options to create the attention-grabbing mailer necessary to entice customers to look inside. Personalize it with our variable image and text printing option to reach your target audience and increase sales by 10 percent.

Additionally, to relieve you of the burden of complying with USPS guidelines and to simplify the entire process, Design Distributors ensures that all orders are shipped with a paper weight of at least 70 pounds and offers in-house shipping and shipping options.

Contact us or request a quote today to start your folded self-mailer campaign.

When you get a message from someone these days, it’s likely to show up on your phone, email inbox, or social media apps. It is all too rare that you will receive an actual letter in your actual mailbox. This space seems to be reserved for invoices and catalogues/vouchers which you are likely to throw straight into the bin.

Receiving a real letter feels like a unique moment and there is a special excitement when you see who sent it and open it. In other words, there is a magic to handwritten letters that cannot be reproduced digitally. So when you send out a letter, it only makes sense that you take the time to make it extra special. You can use special paper, put a wax seal on the back, or in the case of this guide, learn how to add a bit of origami.

For this project we will use origami to turn your letter into its own envelope. It’s a special twist and a welcome bit of know-how once you’re coverless. We’re showing two designs here (the second is a little easier to do than the first), both of which should meet the US Postal Service’s requirements for standard letter sizes so you don’t have to pay extra postage to send them. Although these folds make remarkably strong little envelopes, it would probably be wise to reinforce them with some tape before mailing.

Let’s see how to do it.

standard envelope

Note: This folding method is usually done with A4 paper. A4 paper is standard printer paper in much of the world, including Europe and Asia. This paper is slightly longer and narrower, so we need to first cut a sheet of standard 8.5″ x 11″ to make this work.

Step 1: Crop

Remove half an inch of paper from the long edge of your letter.

Step 2: Fold in half

Fold in half from left to right, long side up, then unfold. The idea is to create a center fold.

Step 3: Fold the corners down

Fold the top right corner down to the center crease, then repeat with the top left corner.

Step 4: Fold from bottom to top

Fold the bottom of your letter up to meet the base of the triangle you just made.

Step 5: Fold from bottom to top again

Fold the bottom back up, along the line that separates your bottom rectangle from the top triangle.

Step 6: Fold the bodice down

Fold the top of your triangle down to meet the bottom edge.

Step 7: Fold the sides

Fold the sides in to create a square edge for your envelope. I added a dotted line on the right to show where the crease needs to be made.

Repeat on the other side.

Step 8: Fold up the tabs

Take the tab you folded in step 6 and fold it up so the fold line is roughly perpendicular to the line of your triangle piece.

It should be slightly less than perpendicular to the short edge of your envelope.

Repeat with the other side.

Step 9: Finish It

Lift your triangular flap, then fold it back down over your flaps and under the flap at the bottom of your envelope.

Envelope with beveled corners

Note: This style works well with regular 8.5″ x 11″ printer paper. No trimming is required.

Step 1: Fold in half.

With the long side up, fold your letter in half from left to right, then unfold.

Step 2: Turn and fold corners

Rotate the letter 90 degrees so the short side is facing you. Fold the top right corner almost to the middle of the page where your seam will be. The goal is for this crease to stop about half an inch from the center crease.

Repeat with the opposite corner.

Step 3: Fold sides

Turn so the long side is up again. Fold the top down toward the center, leaving a half-inch space between the edge of your folded corner and the folded side.

Repeat with the bottom edge.

Step 4: Fold in the corners

You should now have two square corners facing each other. Take a square corner and fold it over to the opposite side of the letter so the edge lines up with the center crease of your paper.

As you fold, lift the long flap and tuck the corner underneath.

Repeat with the other square corner.

You should have two hidden corners and you’re done!

Sending a letter through the post is easy! Everyone loves receiving a thoughtful card or letter from friends and family. You can send your own letter by being careful to enter the right information in the right places.

You need to put three simple things on your envelope:

A stamp: Stick a stamp in the top right corner of your envelope. Destination address: Who are you sending the letter to? The destination address, or the address of the person you are sending a letter to, goes in the center of your envelope. Return address: This is your address! Tuck this in the top left corner of the envelope.

Watch this short video to see how you can send your own letter.

Three ways to fold love letters

Remember that with all these instructions it is much easier to refer to our video. I’m a visual learner! If I can see it, the written instructions make more sense.

origami heart

We couldn’t show you how to fold love letters without giving you a heart option. That being said, here’s the first of our three ways to fold love letters:

Take a corner of the paper and fold it diagonally to the opposite side. You should see a triangle with an exposed strip of paper on one end. Unfold and repeat the first step on the other corner at the same end of the paper. Unfold everything and you’ll see a folded “X” at one end and a narrow rectangle at the other. Next, fold the paper hamburger-style where the two fold lines intersect. unfold. Now you have prepared the folds. Turn the paper over and fold the paper along the creases. It will naturally want to dip on both sides. Gently press the two sides into the center. You end up with a triangle shape with the other two sides neatly folded underneath. Notice that a rectangle is still sticking out at the bottom. Next, take the top layer of the triangle and fold the right flap over to the other side. Unfold and repeat for the other flap. You’ll end up with a nice seam down the middle of the triangle. Now take the right tip and fold it up to the top tip. Repeat for the left point. Next, take both outside edges and fold them in the middle. At this point, turn the paper halfway and fold the top flaps in half. Flip it back over and fold the bottom up until it meets the bottom point of the folded diamond section. Now turn it over again and fold the two bottom points into the middle. Now take the top flap of the diamond and fold it down. At this point, two sharp points should protrude from the top. Fold them down, angle them slightly and tuck them under the fold they are on. Flip it over and you’ll see the final shape of your heart!

hexagon

The second of our three ways to fold love letters is pretty simple. Here’s how:

First, fold your paper in half lengthwise or hot dog style. Unfold and fold both edges back into the center line you just folded. Now fold one of the edges outwards again. You should still have one edge folded in half. On this folded side, take the top corner and fold it down until the corner meets the edge that is folded in the middle. Now fold the top left corner down to the point where you folded the other edge, making sure the folded edge meets that intersection. Continue working your way around the paper, with the next successive peak folding into the middle. At the next fold, take the entire section of unfolded paper and fold it according to the pattern. Continue the pattern and fold one more time. You should now have a small lip of paper left over. Tuck this into the first crease of the hexagon and you’re done!

pull tab envelope

The last of our three ways to fold love letters is an origami envelope. It’s a classic and makes for a sweet little package to thrive on. This is how it’s done:

To fold love letters this way, fold the paper again hot dog style, then unfold it again. Now fold the two corresponding corners along the narrow edge so that they meet in the middle. Do the same on the other side. It now looks like your paper has two triangles on each end. Next, take the two outside edges on the long side of the paper and fold them over the center line. The next step is to take each end point and fold them neatly into the little triangles formed with the last few folds you made. At this point, turn the paper over and write your love letter on the back (the side with no exposed paper edges). Now fold the paper in thirds to hide the love letter. At this point there should be two nice little triangular pockets that slide into the corners of the top flap that you folded down. Finished! To open, just pull the small pull tab that appeared with the folds.

More inspiration

Loved this tutorial with three ways to fold love letters? Check out this post full of DIY crafts suitable for love day. And don’t forget our cute little DIY Painted Valentine’s Box – you’ll need something to put your valentines in, too. Bonus: you can help your kids make their own and they can take one to school. If you want a quick valentine that’s cute too, check out this post and our shop. We have endless options for adorable printable valentines! Need gift ideas? Try our Valentine’s gift guides for men and women. And if you want ideas on what to do on Valentine’s Day, here are some Valentine’s Day activity ideas to get you started. Last but not least: try our paper heart wreath!

When you get a message from someone these days, it’s likely to show up on your phone, email inbox, or social media apps. It is all too rare that you will receive an actual letter in your actual mailbox. This space seems to be reserved for invoices and catalogues/vouchers which you are likely to throw straight into the bin.

Receiving a real letter feels like a unique moment and there is a special excitement when you see who sent it and open it. In other words, there is a magic to handwritten letters that cannot be reproduced digitally. So when you send out a letter, it only makes sense that you take the time to make it extra special. You can use special paper, put a wax seal on the back, or in the case of this guide, learn how to add a bit of origami.

For this project we will use origami to turn your letter into its own envelope. It’s a special twist and a welcome bit of know-how once you’re coverless. We’re showing two designs here (the second is a little easier to do than the first), both of which should meet the US Postal Service’s requirements for standard letter sizes so you don’t have to pay extra postage to send them. Although these folds make remarkably strong little envelopes, it would probably be wise to reinforce them with some tape before mailing.

Let’s see how to do it.

standard envelope

Note: This folding method is usually done with A4 paper. A4 paper is standard printer paper in much of the world, including Europe and Asia. This paper is slightly longer and narrower, so we need to first cut a sheet of standard 8.5″ x 11″ to make this work.

Step 1: Crop

Remove half an inch of paper from the long edge of your letter.

Step 2: Fold in half

Fold in half from left to right, long side up, then unfold. The idea is to create a center fold.

Step 3: Fold the corners down

Fold the top right corner down to the center crease, then repeat with the top left corner.

Step 4: Fold from bottom to top

Fold the bottom of your letter up to meet the base of the triangle you just made.

Step 5: Fold from bottom to top again

Fold the bottom back up, along the line that separates your bottom rectangle from the top triangle.

Step 6: Fold the bodice down

Fold the top of your triangle down to meet the bottom edge.

Step 7: Fold the sides

Fold the sides in to create a square edge for your envelope. I added a dotted line on the right to show where the crease needs to be made.

Repeat on the other side.

Step 8: Fold up the tabs

Take the tab you folded in step 6 and fold it up so the fold line is roughly perpendicular to the line of your triangle piece.

It should be slightly less than perpendicular to the short edge of your envelope.

Repeat with the other side.

Step 9: Finish It

Lift your triangular flap, then fold it back down over your flaps and under the flap at the bottom of your envelope.

Envelope with beveled corners

Note: This style works well with regular 8.5″ x 11″ printer paper. No trimming is required.

Step 1: Fold in half.

With the long side up, fold your letter in half from left to right, then unfold.

Step 2: Turn and fold corners

Rotate the letter 90 degrees so the short side is facing you. Fold the top right corner almost to the middle of the page where your seam will be. The goal is for this crease to stop about half an inch from the center crease.

Repeat with the opposite corner.

Step 3: Fold sides

Turn so the long side is up again. Fold the top down toward the center, leaving a half-inch space between the edge of your folded corner and the folded side.

Repeat with the bottom edge.

Step 4: Fold in the corners

You should now have two square corners facing each other. Take a square corner and fold it over to the opposite side of the letter so the edge lines up with the center crease of your paper.

As you fold, lift the long flap and tuck the corner underneath.

Repeat with the other square corner.

You should have two hidden corners and you’re done!