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| How to Print...Envelopes |
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How To Print July 1997 • Vol.5 Issue 7 |
How to Print...Envelopes | ||
 When you shop for a printer, you have many considerations to juggle, such as whether to buy a color printer, how much to spend, and printers' operating costs. Few people think about a printer's ability to handle envelopes. Ask the sales clerk about envelopes, and you will get answers ranging from knowledgeable ("This model can hold up to 15 envelopes in its paper tray and lets you print single envelopes without removing paper.") to duh ("I don't know—hey, Jerry, can this thing print envelopes?").You think about envelopes when you sending out resumes, and you realize the envelope is the first impression a prospective employer gets. Or you think about envelopes when the ink smears before you get Aunt Ginger's birthday party invitations to the mailbox. Or you think about envelopes when you decide to mail out 500 announcements to launch your new business. Or you think about envelopes when you learn there's money to be saved on postage by using bulk mail and bar codes. The envelope is the most essential piece of your correspondence and a source of consternation to designers of printers. What printers like to do—and do very well—is print sheets of paper. The envelope is a misfit; it's a multilayered piece of paper with glued seams and a loose flap, and it comes in several standard sizes. Here are some of the envelope printing questions you need answered: Which printers are best suited for your envelope needs? How do you print an envelope from your PC? And how do you set up a database of names and addresses to print envelopes in batches? There are three classes of printers: dot matrix, inkjet, and laser. Within each class, there are models suitable for the home or small office PC user. Key considerations when choosing a printer are print quality, paper handling, and cost. Dot Matrix. "Dot matrix printers are the most economical and reliable printers for high volumes," says Keith Shaw, senior marketing manager for Okidata, which manufactures printers in all three classes. "They're the printers fulfillment houses use to print envelopes because they're fast, can run unattended, and require very little maintenance. Also, the ink is permanent, so if it's raining the day the postman delivers the mail, the address won't smear." Dot matrix printers for the home or small office have the lowest purchase price and operating costs. Shaw says the cost to print envelopes is a fraction of a cent per piece, excluding paper cost. The down side of dot matrix printers is print quality. You can see this by looking at a cash register receipt. Each letter is formed when a constellation of small pins strikes the printer's ribbon against the paper, leaving small dots. The result is raggedy type. But if you are already using a dot matrix printer to handle multipart forms such as orders and receipts, you also can use it for large mailings when appearance is not an issue. Continuous form envelopes that you print and tear apart require the least effort. Perforated edges of the envelopes fit over sprockets of a tractor-driver that keeps the envelopes moving. If you prefer to print stacks of individual envelopes, you will have to replenish the feeder tray frequently. Inkjet. Of the three types of printers, inkjets are the slowest and cost the most per page to operate. They work fine when you want to print an occasional envelope, but they are not made for high volume. Depending upon the model, inkjet printers permit 10 to 30 envelopes to be stacked. The print quality is good on most models that print 600 dots per inch (dpi) or higher, but it doesn't match the caliber of laser printers. The ink on envelopes printed by inkjet printers tends to smear when it gets wet. The inks are much better than they used to be, so the problem is mainly one of appearance. Worst-case scenario? Undeliverable mail. Laser. Laser printers are faster than inkjet printers but not as fast as dot matrix. "They're not always reliable for printing envelopes because applying heat and pressure as the envelope makes turns in the paper path can cause wrinkling or curling," Shaw says. Laser printers have a reputation for excellent print quality, and the print won't smear because the toner is permanently fused to the paper. But Shaw says quality can be compromised if textured paper is used. "If there are too many peaks and valleys in the paper, the letters will not print evenly," he says. Laser printers are known for their high-end purchase price, but some of today's models cost less than some inkjet printers. Moreover, the per-page operating cost of laser printers is a fraction of an inkjet's cost. Some laser printers require you feed envelopes one at a time. Others hold 10 or more envelopes in the paper feeder. Whether you print an occasional envelope or batches of envelopes, there are questions you should ask before buying a printer. Do you need to make adjustments to the printer each time you print an envelope? Do you have to remove paper to print a single envelope? How many envelopes can you stack in the paper feeder? Which sizes of envelopes can it print? Take along some envelopes when you shop. Some stores will let you test print. Do the envelopes print squarely? Do the edges of the typeface look clean? Is the ink coverage even? Wet your finger and rub the type to see if it smears. Selecting a printer would be much easier if there were a meaningful correlation between its purchase price and its envelope-handling capabilities. There isn't. For example, the higher priced HP DeskJet 870Cse handles three sizes of envelopes and holds just 15 envelopes in its paper tray, whereas the lower-priced HP DeskJet 692 and 694 models print four sizes of envelopes and hold 30 envelopes in the paper tray. Following are some of the most popular printers for home and small office use and their capabilities for handling envelopes. Okidata ML320 Turbo. This model can print continuous form or single envelopes from 6 1/2 inches to 9 1/2 inches high. It has an expanded head gap technology that enables it to print on extra thick envelopes. Canon BJC 4200 Photo. This 600dpi model prints #10 envelopes. Up to 15 envelopes can be stacked in the sheet feeder. Remove paper to print single envelopes. Before printing, set the paper thickness to Envelope. Epson 400, 600, and 800. These models print #10 and A2 envelopes. The paper tray holds 10 envelopes. Stack them flap edge down with the address side facing up. If the print smears, you will need to change the printer's pressure setting by removing the cover and moving the Adjust lever to +. Return the setting to 0 before you print paper. HP DeskJet 692C and 694C. These models print #10, C6, DL, and A2 envelopes. You can stack up to 30 envelopes in the paper tray. HP DeskJet 870Cse. This model prints #10, C6, and DL envelopes. Its paper tray holds 15 envelopes. It also has a special envelope tray that lets you feed a single envelope without having to remove paper from the paper tray. Okijet 2010. This 600 x 300dpi model prints #10, #9, monarch, DL, C5, B5, and C6 envelopes. It has a separate envelope feeder that holds up to 15 envelopes. Brother HL720. This 600dpi model prints #10, DL, C5, monarch, and 9-inch by 12-inch envelopes. Its multipurpose sheet feeder holds 10 envelopes. Single envelopes can be fed through the manual feed slot without having to remove paper. Brother laser printers feature a straight paper path that prevents envelopes from wrinkling and curling. HP 5LXtra. This model prints #10, monarch, DL, C5, and B5 envelopes. It holds 10 envelopes in its paper tray. Okipage 4w. Okidata OL600e. This 600dpi model prints #10, monarch, DL, and C5 envelopes. An optional accessory is a multipurpose feeder that can hold 100 sheets of paper or up to 50 envelopes. When you installed your printer, you had to tell your computer what the printer was so the computer's print driver (the device that communicates the parameters of your print command to your printer) would know its features and recognize it whenever you give a print command. This is helpful when it comes to printing envelopes. If you want to print a lone envelope, load it in your printer according to instructions in the manual. Be sure to slide the paper guide against the envelope to keep it from slipping. Open a new file in Microsoft Word. Click Tools in the toolbar. Then click Envelopes and Labels. If the Envelope window isn't open, click the Envelope tab. You will see a window in which you will type the Delivery Address. Then place the cursor in the Return Address window and type your address. (If you are using an envelope with a pre-printed return address, click Omit above the Return Address window). A Preview window shows what your envelope will look like. Look at the diagram in the Feed window. It should match your envelope's position in the feeder tray. If not, check the settings in the Envelope window to make sure your computer and printer understand one another. Click Feed to see Printing Options. Does the highlighted envelope configuration match that of the envelope in your printer? If not, click the correct diagram and/or Clockwise Rotation. Click Face Up or Face Down to match the envelope in your printer. Click Options. Set the envelope size by clicking the arrow key and moving the cursor until the correct size is highlighted. Click the highlighted size. If your printer can print graphics, you might also want to click Delivery Point Bar Code. The bar code should help speed delivery. (The FIM-A code option is for courtesy-reply mail only.) At this point, you can probably click Print and be finished. Another way to print an envelope is to attach it to a document. Let's say you have just written a document with Word. You can copy the inside address to the envelope without retyping. Leave the document open and highlight the inside address by placing your cursor at the beginning of the first line. Hold the left mouse button and move the cursor to the end of the address. Click Tools in the toolbar. Then click Envelopes and Labels. Click the Envelopes tab. The address should appear in the Delivery Address window. Add your return address and follow the steps described above. You can change the look of your envelope by changing typefaces. If you are printing invitations, for example, you might want to use a graceful style. In the Envelope Options dialog box, go to the Return Address and click Font. Select a script or calligraphy font and the type size you want. Do the same for the Delivery Address. There also are programs available to help you set up and use databases. One is Printing on envelopes is a little more tricky than printing ordinary documents; choosing the right printer and the right envelopes for the job will make it easier. by Leanna Skarnulis
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Selecting The Best Printer. 
Owning a computer and printer and knowing what to do with it can make you popular. Suddenly, you find yourself elected to mail out soccer league schedules and the minutes of your neighborhood association meetings. This means setting up address databases, one for each group, which is not as complicated as it sounds. (For more information about printing labels, see "How To Print . . . Labels" in this section.) After you have a database, you can print envelopes for all names or selected names only.
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