You’d think custom envelopes have been around a while. True, but not as far back as you might think. Believe it or not, envelopes were developed over two thousand years after the Romans introduced the idea of a postal service. Before envelopes were designed, people would normally just fold their letters over and seal them with wax. People could easily (and often did) open and read letters, reseal them, and no one would be the wiser. Envelopes we would recognize started popping up in the 17th Century. By the middle of the 19th Century, advances in industrialization led to mass-produced envelopes. Since then, people have been customizing them each and every step of the way.

Almost any business concerned with their image would have their own customized envelopes as part of their brand identity. A good design will tell the receiver what the company is all about, and what kind of people run it- all without the envelope needing to be opened. A nice design will not only do these things, but give the receiver confidence in whoever sent it and is less likely to be ignored and chucked into the trash.

Designing anything can be difficult if you’re stuck in a rut, though. Here are a few envelope designs from all over the world to give you some inspiration. Enjoy!

15 Ideas that Push The Envelope! (of envelope design)

by Justin

By birds & trees

By Vânea

Junky Chicken

By Ingrid Nirve

By artsy-crafty babe

By Luhr Bravo

by efingo

by Rdotmonico

by STCroiss

by itmon

by abaq

by ~yasserdesigns

That’s it for our round up on envelope designs! Please feel free to comment! We’d love to hear from you! We print envelopes to custom specs. Just give us a call at 1-888-888-4211, or contact our chat support line at the top of our home page. We also offer free proofing and technical support, as well as a custom design tool to help you get started with your awesome design ideas!