The rectangle is a geometric form which occurs infrequently, perhaps never, in nature, but has been long and widely used by mankind in the shaping of materials. By producing machine-made paper as properly rectangular sheets they are intrinsically compatible with printing and duplicating machines - which have always been primarily designed to process flat rectangular sheets, beginning with the Gutenberg press and continuing through to the present-day PC peripheral sheet printer.
Consequently, when mechanically reproducing graphics or text on an envelope the approach best compatible with printing technology is to print on the flat and then cut to shape, crease, gum and fold. In fact when producing a pictorial envelope from a diamond-shaped sheet, or any other geometrically-complex sheet, there is no option but to print before cutting and folding.
A first distinction: envelope, pockets
Correspondence envelopes
The shape and size of the flaps define the different envelopes: Straight or pointed closing flaps, elongation of closing or bottom flaps for certain purposes or special flap configurations for easy opening, mechanical insertion, etc.
Envelopes with straight seal flaps
straight flap wallet
Special straight flap envelope for inserting machines
Envelopes with pointed flaps
Common name for the pointed seal flap which gives the shape of a rhombus
Envelopes with innovative solutions for opening and inserting:
Special envelopes for inserting machines Special envelopes for inserting machines
Inserting machines require special shapes, paper and seals in order to optimize production. The most usual ones are: 1 Trapeze, 2 Straight, 3 Circular, 4 Teide, 5 Teide 2000.
Interior of the TEIDE envelope
Exterior of the TEIDE envelope
The TRAPEZE wallet
STRAIGHT FLAP pocket
CIRCULAR FLAP envelope
The V shaped wallet
Pockets The way of constructing and folding the product makes a difference between a wallet and a pocket. As with envelopes, the shape and size of the flaps and the combinations which can be and are usually made with them differentiate the different pockets.