Envelope Maker

How to make the envelope

1. Pick the card size, or choose Custom and type the card’s width and height. The envelope’s inside comes out 3 mm bigger each way, so the card slides in without a fight.
2. Print page 1 at 100% (“Actual size”, never “Fit to page”) on the paper the envelope will be made of. Hold a ruler to the black bar in the legend: it must measure 20 mm. Print page 2, the liner, on any paper: it is a separate piece.
3. Score every dashed line with an empty ballpoint pen or the back of a butter knife along a ruler, pressing firmly.
4. Cut along the solid line, then cut the liner out the same way.
5. Fold. No-glue tuck: fold the side flaps in, the top flap down over the card, the bottom flap up over that, and push its tab through the slot (the numbered pictures under the envelope show each step). Diamond: fold the two side flaps in, put glue on the edges of the bottom flap and press it up over them. Pocket: fold the two narrow strips in, put glue on them, fold the lower panel up and press. The address is now on the outside, upright, with the opening at the top.
6. Glue the liner inside the top flap, its edges about 3 mm in from every fold. Put the card in and seal the flap with a glue stick or double-sided tape.

Questions

Is this envelope template maker free?

Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no paid version, and the file is made in your browser, so nothing you type is uploaded. It works as an envelope template generator for any card from 40 mm to 400 mm on a side: the template, the liner and the cut file are all drawn to your size, rather than picked from a fixed set.

How do I make a 5x7 envelope template?

Choose A7 (that is the name of the envelope for a 5 × 7 in card). The inside comes out 130 × 181 mm, about 5⅛ × 7⅛ in. A shop-bought A7 envelope is 5¼ × 7¼ in, so this one is a little snugger. The catch is paper size: a diamond-fold A7 template is 235 × 275 mm and the pocket is 210 × 302 mm. Neither fits on A4 or Letter once 6 mm is kept clear at the edges, which is why most 5x7 templates you find online are drawn on bigger sheets. The page tells you this and offers A3 or 11 × 17 in. You can also cut it from 12 × 12 in card stock with the SVG on a cutting machine.

Which envelope template prints on A4 or Letter?

A2 envelopes (for 4¼ × 5½ in cards) and A6 envelopes (105 × 148 mm cards) fit on both A4 and Letter in either style: the A2 diamond template is 186 × 235 mm. A C6-sized pocket envelope fits on A4 (192 × 272 mm) but not on Letter, which is 18 mm shorter. Everything bigger, including DL and the 15 cm square, needs A3 or 11 × 17 in, or a cutting machine. When the template is too big, the page names the next sheet that fits and whether the other style would fit on yours.

Which envelope fits an A5 card, or a card made from A4 folded in half?

Fold A4 in half and you get an A5 card, 148 × 210 mm. Choose C5: the envelope folds to 213 × 151 mm, its inside 3 mm longer and 3 mm wider than the card once the paper's own thickness is taken out of each fold, so the card has 1.5 mm to spare on every side. A shop-bought C5 envelope is 229 × 162 mm, roomier, so this one is snugger and will not let a thin card slide about. The template is the problem: the C5 diamond-fold net is 277 × 320 mm, the pocket 245 × 351 mm and the no-glue tuck 252 × 329 mm (pointed flap). None of them fits on A4, which leaves only 198 mm across once 6 mm is kept clear at the edges. All three fit on A3. The pocket and the tuck also fit 11 × 17 in, but the diamond does not, because it is 277 mm wide and 11 × 17 in leaves 267 mm. The page never shrinks a template to make it fit, since a shrunk envelope no longer takes the card; it tells you which sheet to use instead. Without an A3 printer, cut the SVG on a 12 × 24 in cutting mat, or have the A3 PDF printed at a copy shop.

In the US, the same card is 5½ × 8½ in, half a Letter sheet, and its envelope is called A9 (5¾ × 8¾ in in the shops). Choose A9: this envelope comes out 8⅝ × 5⅝ in with the same 1.5 mm of ease. Its templates are 285 × 302 mm (diamond), 251 × 332 mm (pocket) and 259 × 311 mm (tuck): the pocket and the tuck print on 11 × 17 in, the diamond needs A3.

Where does the address go on an envelope template?

The page prints the address and return address on the front panel, which is the one part that never moves while you fold. That way they come out upright, with the opening at the top, the way post offices read a letter. On a diamond envelope the front is the middle rectangle. On a pocket envelope it is the panel joined to the flap. The return address goes top left and the address sits a little right of centre, under a dotted stamp box. Leave the boxes empty to get light lines to write on instead.

Is there an envelope template for Word or Google Docs?

Yes. Make the envelope here, then press Download Word (.docx). You get an A4 or Letter page with the envelope drawn at its true size. The address and return address sit on the front panel as ordinary text, one line per paragraph. In Word or LibreOffice, open the file and click on the address to retype it. In Google Docs, choose File → Open → Upload, or upload the file to Drive and open it with Google Docs. Leave the address boxes empty on this page and the file has grey sample lines (Name, Street and number…) that you can type over. To print, choose Actual size or 100 %, not Fit to page, because fitting usually shrinks the envelope by 3 to 6 % and the card no longer fits. The 20 mm bar at the bottom of the page lets you check the scale with a ruler. If you picked a liner, it is on page 2.

The limits: only the words can be edited. The outline, fold lines and stamp box are one picture, so you cannot change the envelope's size or flap in Word; change them here and download again. Word has no copy of this page's lettering, so the text is set in Georgia, and a very long line wraps inside its box. Google Docs may move the picture in front of the text when it converts the file, and its print dialog sometimes scales the page, so check the bar. If the outline shifts, use the PDF instead, which always prints at the right size. The Word file is offered for card envelopes on A4 or Letter, and on A3 or 11 × 17 in for the envelopes too big for those, such as C5 and A9. Cash envelopes come as PDF, PNG and SVG. An envelope that only fits sideways comes on a landscape page in Word, so the address still reads upright on the front.

How do I use the SVG cut file in Cricut Design Space?

Press SVG cut file. In Design Space, choose Upload → Upload Image, pick the file, and insert it on the canvas. The file gives its size in millimetres. Check that the W and H in the top bar match the envelope size shown on this page, and type them in if they do not. Ungroup it. Select the paths in the score layer and change their operation from Basic Cut to Score. That needs the scoring stylus or the scoring wheel; with neither, delete the score lines and fold by eye. Select the cut and score layers together and press Attach, or the machine will move them apart. The liner is a separate layer, liner-cut, which you cut from patterned paper. The A2, A6, C6, DL and A7 diamond templates fit a 12 × 12 in mat. The square, and an A7 pocket with a pointed or round flap, need a 12 × 24 in mat; the message after the download says which. In Silhouette Studio, SVG import needs the Designer Edition or above. Set the score lines to a light blade force, or to Score with a scoring tool.

Why does scoring matter?

Paper and card are made of fibres, and folding without a score crushes them wherever they give way first. The fold wanders and cracks, and on card over about 160 g/m² the crack shows white. A score presses a groove exactly on the line, so the fold follows it. On an envelope this decides whether the card fits. The template only allows 3 mm of play, so a fold that drifts 1.5 mm on each side uses all of it.

Can I make a square envelope or an A7 liner?

Yes. Choose Square or type any size into Custom, and pick a liner pattern. The liner is the flap’s own shape, 3 mm smaller on every edge, plus a panel that reaches down inside the envelope. It comes on page 2 of the PDF and as its own layer in the SVG, so an A7 envelope liner template comes with every A7 envelope. There are eight patterns: snowflakes, gold stars, candy stripes, green dots, buffalo check, pine sprigs, an ink-light black and white zigzag, and plain red. One postal catch: in the US a square envelope cannot go through sorting machines, so USPS charges a non-machinable surcharge on top of the letter stamp.

How do I make an envelope without glue?

Choose No-glue tuck under Style. The template gets a slot slit across the top flap and a tab on the end of the bottom flap. Fold the sides in, lay the card in the middle, fold the top flap down, fold the bottom flap up over it, then bend the tab and push it through the slot so it slides under the top flap. Nothing is glued: the tab holds the bottom flap down, the top flap is pinned between the bottom flap and the tab, and the two side flaps are trapped under both. The tab is 30% of the envelope’s width, between 20 and 40 mm (40 mm on an A2 or A6), and the slot is 2 mm wider than the tab, so the tab goes in without tearing the paper. An A2, A6 or C6 no-glue envelope fits on A4 and on Letter; A7, DL and the 15 cm square need A3 or 11 × 17 in. The numbered fold pictures appear under the envelope, and print under the template, or on page 2 when the template fills the sheet.

How strong is an envelope with no glue or tape?

Strong enough to hand over, stand on a mantelpiece, or carry a card, a letter, a gift card or a few bank notes in a bag. It is closed, not sealed. The tab is held by friction alone, so a bulging envelope pushing against it, or a mail-sorting machine catching the flap, can work it loose, and the corners are not sealed, so seeds, glitter or a loose coin can get out. To post one, put a sticker or a short piece of tape over the tab: the folds still do the work and the tape only stops the tab sliding. Paper matters. 90 to 120 g/m² is the easiest to fold. 80 g/m² office paper works, but a slot in thin paper tears more easily if you open it often. 160 g/m² card gives a stiffer tab that grips better, but score it first. Because nothing is glued, it opens and closes as often as you like, which also suits a cash envelope you open every week.

Which paper should I use?

Bought envelopes are 90 to 120 g/m² (24 to 32 lb) paper, and that is the easiest weight to fold: thin enough for four layers at the corners, thick enough that the card does not show through. Card of 160 to 220 g/m² makes a sturdy envelope but must be scored. Many home printers only take card above about 200 g/m² through the rear or single-sheet feed.

Cash envelopes for a budget

Press Cash envelope at the top. Pick the note (US dollar, euro, pound, or Custom in millimetres), keep or rename the six starter categories (Groceries, Fuel, Fun, Gifts, Eating out, Savings), add or remove rows, and type a starting amount for any category you like. Download PDF gives one envelope per category, one per page, each with its own name; the PNG is the envelope you are looking at, at 300 dpi.

What size cash envelope fits a dollar bill?

Every US bill, $1 to $100, is the same size: 156 × 66.3 mm (6.14 × 2.61 in). The dollar envelope’s pocket is 165 × 75 mm inside, 4.5 mm clear of the bill on every side, and it folds to 165 × 76 mm, about 6½ × 3 in. That is as long as a #6¾ envelope (3⅝ × 6½ in) but shorter, so a stack does not slide around.

And euro or pound notes?

Euro notes grow with their value: €5 is 120 × 62 mm, €20 is 133 × 72 mm, €50 is 140 × 77 mm, the first-series €100 is 147 × 82 mm and the first-series €500, still legal tender, is 160 × 82 mm. The euro envelope is built around 160 × 82 mm, so every euro note fits, and folds to 169 × 91 mm. If you only keep €50s and smaller, Custom 140 × 77 makes a snugger one. The Bank of England’s notes run from £5 (125 × 65 mm) to £50 (146 × 77 mm); the pound envelope takes the £50 and folds to 155 × 86 mm.

How do I use the spending log?

Write what you put in on the Starting amount line, or type it before printing. Each time you take cash out, write the date, what you spent, and what is left: the last “left” figure minus this “spent”. When “left” reaches zero, that category is done for the month. The dollar envelope has 6 log rows, the pound 7 and the euro 8. For a busier category, print a second envelope halfway through the month.

Should I print cash envelopes on cardstock?

Yes, if it fits your printer. A cash envelope is opened every few days, and plain 80 g/m² office paper starts tearing along the folds within a couple of weeks. Card of 160 to 220 g/m² (about 60 to 80 lb cover) lasts the month. Score the dashed lines before folding, write in ballpoint (gel ink smears on coated card), and close the flap with a paper clip instead of glue so the envelope can be refilled.

Does the page help me set a budget?

No. It prints envelopes and nothing else: it gives no budgeting advice and does not suggest amounts. The categories and amounts are the ones you type, they are not saved or sent anywhere, and they are gone when you close the page.