Do you Need a Special Printer to Print on Envelopes?
It can be easy to assume that all printers are capable of printing onto envelopes, however this is not the case. To print on envelopes, the printer must be able to accommodate their bespoke sizes which can vary widely. When purchasing an envelope it’s key that you check the media handling capabilities of your potential purchase and ensure that your required envelope size is supported.
Types of Envelope Printers
Broadly speaking, envelope printers can be categorised into two main types, inkjet, and laser printers. Although both technologies produce high quality results, the way they achieve them is fundamentally different.
Inkjet Envelope Printers
Inkjet envelope printers use free flowing, highly pigmented, liquid inks. The ink is fed through a component called a printhead which contains thousands of tiny nozzles. Passed through under pressure, tiny droplets of ink are deposited onto the surface of the page as the printhead moves back and forth over the page. The droplets are precisely arranged to form highly detailed text and images in the form of the finished print.
Benefits of Inkjet Envelope Printers
Inkjet printers provide a range of unique benefits when it comes to envelope printing, here are the main advantages of printing on envelopes with an inkjet printer.
Firstly, inkjet printers offer significantly lower initial hardware costs when compared to laser counterparts, this aspect makes them ideal for low volume or occasional envelope printing which is more commonly associated with home users.
Secondly, inkjet printers provide high quality prints, with vivid colour and smooth details making them an ideal choice for printing photos and images onto envelopes.
Inkjet printers also do not require the warmup times associated with laser printers allowing them to begin printing within a shorter period. However, when it comes to printing multiple pages, inkjet printers often produce fewer pages per minute when compared to laser models.
Inkjet technology is also highly versatile, allowing users to print onto a wide range of media types. Potential materials include paper, cardboard, canvas, and more meaning users can explore their creative side with an array of potential envelope design projects.
Inkjet printers generally feature more compact designs when compared to laser equivalents making them ideal for environments where space is at a premium including small offices and home settings.
Overall, inkjet printers are a cost-effective gateway into the world of envelope printing, offering low entry costs and impressive versatility, an inkjet printer is a great choice for low volume envelope printing in home and small office settings.
Laser Envelope Printers
When it comes to high-quality, high-volume envelope printing, a laser printer is the go to choice. Designed for demanding work environments, laser technology offers a range of unique benefits relating to envelope printing.
Benefits of Laser Envelope Printers
Whereas inkjet print technology utilises highly pigment liquid inks, laser printing uses microscopic particles of pigmented polymers and organic materials. An electrostatic charge created by a laser beam is then used to attract toner particles onto the surface of the page. The page is then passed under heat and pressure, melting the toner particles, and fusing them to the surface of the page to create the final print.
This process creates highly accurate prints which can be achieved at significantly higher speeds per page when compared to inkjet models. In addition to superior speeds, laser printers are generally geared towards higher volume printing with larger capacity print trays and optional additional trays allows for easy expansion of the printer’s capabilities. These higher paper capacities make laser printers the preferred choice for users looking to large quantities of envelopes inhouse.
Laser printers also offer considerably lower running costs over inkjet technology. Although laser printers often have high initial hardware costs than inkjet counterparts, they allow users to reduce long term costs thanks to the lower cost per page properties of toner vs ink.
Reliability is another advantage to consider when choosing an envelope printer. With laser printers being designed primarily for higher volume printing, the manufacturing process often incorporates sturdier materials for increased durability and reduced likelihood of malfunction.
Overall, laser envelope printers are the preferred choice for users looking to print high volumes of envelopes at higher speeds. The lower overall running costs achieved at higher volumes also make them the perfect candidate for high volume use cases including businesses and large institution settings.
What to Look for in an Envelope Printer
When purchasing an envelope printer, it can be a difficult task to find a model that meets your specific requirements, here are the main features to look out for when choosing an envelope printer.
Media Handling
The most important factor to consider when choosing a potential envelope printer is media handling. Ensure that the printer is capable of printing onto the envelope sizes you require and be aware that not all printers are natively capable of printing onto envelopes.
A general rule of thumb is that if a printer features a multi-purpose tray, it will likely be able to print on envelopes of some size.
Envelopes come in a range of sizes and variations so it’s crucial that you choose a printer that is capable of printing on your required envelope size and type. Whereas commonly used paper sizes following the A sizing convention, envelopes are sized in a corresponding C sizing convention which directly corresponds to the A sizes (e.g. an A4 sheet will fit into a C4 envelope). If your chosen printer does not support automatic envelope feeding, a manual feeder will allow you to adjust the size of the manual feed slot to accommodate your chosen envelope size.
Media capacity is also a key factor when choosing an envelope printer based on individual printing needs. Users who require high volumes of printing will benefit from the larger paper capacities associated with laser printers as well as the optional trays which can increase paper capacity significantly.
Reduce Costs with an Envelope Printer
An envelope printer enables users to produce high quality, customised envelopes in-house without having to rely on expensive third-party agencies which can significantly costs. Furthermore, a laser envelope printer can allow users to benefit from the lower overall running costs associated with laser technology and take advantage of optional high-capacity toners in order to further reduce printing expenses.
Print Speed
For users looking to print high volumes of envelopes, high speed printing capabilities can be an asset. Offering increased efficiency, a printer capable of higher print speeds can tackle large volume envelope printing tasks with ease without compromising on quality. With increased pages per minute a high-speed envelope printer can help boost productivity. When it comes to print speeds, laser printers are generally superior to inkjet equivalents due to the high precision and speed of components associated with laser technology.
Looking to Buy an Envelope Printer?
If you’re looking to invest in a high-quality envelope printer, Printerland stocks a broad range of models from leading manufacturers. Browse our collection online or why not contact a member of our professional sales team to help find you the ideal envelope printer based on your specific needs.
