If you’re going to send mail (and you should!), it must be built to be opened—and a curious or eye-catching envelope can be a wonderful tool to increase your opening rates. So I’ve compiled a list of a several envelope products that I think you should be aware of. Here’s a quick overview of the details:

AR Metallizing—Earth-Friendly Metallized Envelopes

AR Metallizing offers metallized and holographic envelopes for mail, in addition to metallized products for the premium packaging and labels industry. The designs and options are exciting, but what may be even more interesting is their focus on addressing the environmental concerns surrounding metallized products.

AR Metallizing’s product line is manufactured using a self-contained energy recapture system. It’s 100% compostable, sustainable, 100% plastic-free, and recyclable. It is also free of heavy metals, and uses 700x less aluminum than a foil laminate.

Involvement Opening Envelopes—Engaging Ways to Get In

Tension Envelope offers an entire line of products that utilize engaging opening mechanisms to pique curiosity and gain attention. In the video, I’m previewing the Hot•Note Envelope with embedded sticky note, the Sim-Pull Envelope, the Zip Strip Envelope, and the Reveal Envelope.

XPressEnvelopes.com—Looks Like Next Day Delivery

These colorful and sturdy envelopes are designed to look and feel like overnight or next day deliveries, with the intention of giving you priority attention for first class or standard mailing rates. There are two sizes—6 x 9 inches (seven designs in regular or window), and 9 x 12 inches (three designs). They also have a letter service to help with the contents of the envelope, and custom designs available for orders over 25,000.

EnvyPak—USPS-Approved Clear Envelopes

EnvyPak is the first plastic envelope to be eligible for USPS automation letter rates, and it’s designed to be fully automatable and able to work with nearly every kind of fulfillment machine. As expected, these crystal clear envelopes are considered non-machinable on USPS sorting equipment, so you will get the nonmachinable surcharge, but flats can achieve the USPS automation discounts.

The envelopes are made in the USA out of 100% recyclable polypropylene, and are also available with a biodegradable composition. EnvyPak prints and converts the envelopes inline in up to 10 colors, and they are available in a range of sizes from 2 x 3 inches to 22 x 15 inches.

Conformer Mailers—Stylish and Sturdy

The patented construction of Conformer Mailers offers a uniform expansion due to unglued overlapping corners and score lines on four sides. Great for thicker materials, this product is available in many different sizes and expansion depths—from .5 inch to 1.25 inches. The mailers are primarily offered in a premium paperboard material, which is a perfect base for press coatings, foil, embossing, and special print effects, however you can also get these mailers in corrugated.

BONUS: ecoEnvelopes—Two-Way Envelopes

My samples for this product didn’t arrive in time to be included in my video, but I still think this one is worth a mention. The reusable, two-way RECOCHET™ envelope promotes sending one envelope instead of two for response mail. They also have a product called ecoIndicia, which offers one envelope that combines both the outgoing and return indicias—eliminating the need for a separate reply envelope. 

In-line with their eco-friendly message, these are also sustainably manufactured and contain a minimum of 30% post-consumer recycled content.