When it comes to designing and creating custom envelopes you have those who want to do it themselves and others who know the value of having a professional doing the work. But if you run a comparison of DIY Envelopes vs Commercial Envelopes what really are the pros & cons and what are the use cases that cater to each method?

The truth is regardless of whether envelopes are created DIY or are done by a print company the goal is the same, having an envelope that is customized and fills the part of the recipient experience you are trying to create.

In this article we go into more detail on the differences between DIY Envelopes and Commercial Envelopes.

What is Commercial Envelope Printing?

Commercial Envelope Printing can be defined as having high quality customized envelopes professionally printed and finished by a commercial print company instead of a single individual who does it themselves.

In most cases a commercial print shop will want to print mid to high volume envelopes. But some will have no minimums depending on the print technology they use and their specific business model.

What are DIY Envelopes?

DIY Envelopes are defined as envelopes created by individuals that hand cut, craft, embellish, write on, color, stamp, or any other modification on their own and do not use a professional commercial print company.

Common Examples of DIY Envelopes

There are a number of use cases that you’ll find a lot of DIY Envelopes being created such as…

• Small Quantity Wedding Invitation Envelopes
• Graduation Party Envelopes
• Anniversary Thank You Card Envelopes
• And similar events that require a small quantity of envelopes

The lower the volume and the more intimate the occasion the more likely the envelopes will be done by hand and not a print company.

Pros and Cons of DIY Envelopes and Commercial Envelopes

It’s hard to pin down actual pros and cons to having envelopes created under a DIY scenario vs a commercially printed envelope because the use case is such a major factor and the decision could be an easy one as to which method to take, depending on each situation.

But we’ll give a pros and cons list that is reflecting more on the pros for each situation that is best for each method.

DIY Envelope Pros

• Lower Cost (at lower quantities)
• Total Creative Control
• Unique Embellishment Options

DIY  Envelope Cons

• Take Much More Time To Create
• Sometimes Amateur Design & Quality Shows Up

Commercial Envelope Printing Pros

• Lower Cost (at higher quantities)
• Very Low Time Commitment
• Perfect Prossionaly Design & Look

Commercial Envelope Printing Cons

• Higher Per Unit Cost (at lower quantities)
• Creative Limitations

Commercial Envelope Printing & Design

The great thing about having a commercial print company print and design your envelopes is that they will come out looking very professional, clean and consistent. Designs can include both the inside and the outside of the envelope and some embellishments can be added to give it a unique look. Most corporations for example will go this route because they not only have high volumes in most cases, but they also want that clean commercial look.

DIY Envelope Design

On the other hand you have the DIY Envelope side of things that essentially has an infinite world of creative options. What you’ll find with most DIY envelopes is that the designs are not very clean because they are done by hand, but they bring that intimate personal touch most DIYers are trying to achieve. Smaller quantities are typical because DIY takes so long.

We’re obviously biased towards commercial envelope printing but understand the value that DIY envelopes have for smaller needs. With that being said if you’re in need of custom envelope printing we’re here to help!