This is the final episode of the business sized envelope liner. This is a fully lined envelope aka "The Lydia." The envelope is fully lined and is adhered to the top flap. Previously, I discussed the unattached liner that only covered the contents here. I then discussed the partial liner that was glued to the flap here. Today's envelope is the combination of both of these--a complete liner that covers the contents and is taped to the flap.
Measuring the liner
This is the same method as mentioned previously so I will just show you the current measurements for this liner below. The width of the liner is is 1/4 inch shorter than the width of your envelope. In my case the width of the liner is 9.25 inches.
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| Dimensions of the liner |
Assembling the envelope and liner
As mentioned in the previous post, the liner is actually adhered to the glue strip already on the envelope with regular (non-two sided tape). This caused some confusion so I decided to illustrate the step below.
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| Taping the liner to the envelope |
In the example above, the orange stripes are the area where I taped the liner to the glue strip. The red stripes are the glue strip (I know, I should have used more contrasting colors). The idea is that you want to hide the cellophane tape so don't extend the tape past the glue strip.
Preparing the envelope and liner for mailing
A couple of people asked me how well these envelopes travel and how do I address the envelopes without ruining the image/view. First of all, you need to use cellophane tape to close the envelope. Do not use the glue strip. I also reinforce the edges of the envelope because I put the address label on the reverse (flap side) of the envelope so that the front side is viewable without obstruction. The reason you add extra tape is because the sorting machine can tear the edges of the envelope in the processing because it is not used to sorting mail on the reverse side. Of course, you can spend a little extra money and get the envelopes hand cancelled.
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| Getting ready for the mail |
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| Ready for the Post Office |
I then place a label in the center of the envelope and make sure that it overlaps the flap. This adds extra strength to the flap. I then attach the stamp on the flap and make sure that it is far enough away from the edges. If I use a single stamp, I place it on the flap. Sometimes, I like to calculate postage and use multiple stamps. If I do this, I make sure that the stamps overlap the flap as well to add strength.
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| Unobstructed view from the front |
Final answers
Someone asked me about my mailing labels and why they were designed as they are. I like a simple address label and would prefer the addressed side of the envelope to be as sleek as possible. I clearly separate the return address from the mailing address because the post office on several occasions have mailed me my own envelope because they got the addresses confused. This is the main reason the labels are clearly designated "from" and "to."
Finally, you might want to know why this style is called "The Lydia." It is named after my mother. When mailing bills, she would become obsessed with people knowing that checks were included in the envelope. Even though the envelope would be addressed to a business, she insisted on wrapping her checks with whatever loose paper she could find (this was before the advent of the security business envelope). She would "wrap" her checks with pages from magazines, newspapers, etc.--any printed material she could find. In her later years, she explained to me that it wasn't so much that she worried that people knew she was including a check--it was so people wouldn't know if she was paying the full amount due or a partial amount when she was short on cash each month. So the idea of wrapping the contents of an envelope in paper was created in the back of my mind.
A couple of people asked me about the Duplex paper/card stock that I use. When I give away paper suites to people as gifts, I will usually give the 5 flats (unfolded cards cut to size) and I round the corners showing the extra effort. The flats are usually cut from Duplex card stock.
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| Front color |
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| Back color |
The colors are usually coordinated and contrasting. I try and match at least one side of the card to the envelope liners that I use. I also include printed blank address labels for the recipient to use. The entire suite is shown below. A gift paper suite usually includes 5 flats, 5 lined envelopes, and 7 labels. I suggest to people that they write on the label before they attach it to the envelope which is why I provide extra labels.
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| Full paper suite |
Someone asked me about my mailing labels and why they were designed as they are. I like a simple address label and would prefer the addressed side of the envelope to be as sleek as possible. I clearly separate the return address from the mailing address because the post office on several occasions have mailed me my own envelope because they got the addresses confused. This is the main reason the labels are clearly designated "from" and "to."
Finally, you might want to know why this style is called "The Lydia." It is named after my mother. When mailing bills, she would become obsessed with people knowing that checks were included in the envelope. Even though the envelope would be addressed to a business, she insisted on wrapping her checks with whatever loose paper she could find (this was before the advent of the security business envelope). She would "wrap" her checks with pages from magazines, newspapers, etc.--any printed material she could find. In her later years, she explained to me that it wasn't so much that she worried that people knew she was including a check--it was so people wouldn't know if she was paying the full amount due or a partial amount when she was short on cash each month. So the idea of wrapping the contents of an envelope in paper was created in the back of my mind.
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