Colored Envelopes

A white envelope disappears in a mail pile. A colored envelope does not. For direct mail campaigns, fundraiser appeals, membership correspondence, nonprofit donation programs, event invitations, and any mailing where the open rate depends on the envelope getting noticed before it gets set aside, colored envelopes do work that plain white stock simply cannot. At Business Envelopes, we carry colored envelopes in two distinct formats, wove and starburst, across five sizes: #6 3/4, #9, #10, 6 x 9, and 9 x 12. All support custom logo and return address printing. Free shipping on every order with no minimums.

Two Types of Colored Mailing Envelopes: Wove vs. Starburst

The two color formats in this catalog serve different visual purposes, and understanding the difference before ordering matters for getting the result you want.

Wove colored envelopes are solid-color envelopes made from dyed paper stock. The color runs through the material. Available in a range of wove colors including blue, green, and other tones, these have a smooth surface, a professional appearance, and work well for branded correspondence where the color reinforces organizational identity without being visually aggressive. The finish is comparable to standard white wove in feel and print compatibility. Custom printing on wove stock produces clean, legible results.

Starburst envelopes are a different format entirely. The base is white or light stock with a bold, multicolor starburst pattern printed across the face. The effect is eye-catching and deliberately attention-grabbing, designed for mailings where standing out in a pile of white envelopes is the entire point. Starburst envelopes use peel-and-seal closure for fast moisture-free sealing on volume runs. They're the format nonprofits use for year-end fundraiser appeals, the format direct mail operations use when envelope open rate is a tracked metric, and the format event organizers use when an invitation needs to feel like an event before it's even opened.

Colored Letter Envelopes by Size

#10 Wove Colored Envelopes, Gum Flap

Solid-color wove stock at the standard #10 commercial size (4 1/8 x 9 1/2 inches). Holds an 8.5 x 11 sheet folded into thirds. Gum flap closure. Used for branded outgoing correspondence, membership communications, and organizational mailings where color is part of the brand presentation. Custom printing available.

#10 Wove Window Envelopes, Gum Flap

Wove colored stock with an address window at the standard left position. The window shows the recipient address from the document inside, eliminating the addressing step. For billing operations and recurring correspondence programs that want colored envelopes without sacrificing the efficiency of a window format.

#10 Starburst Envelopes, Peel and Seal

Bold starburst pattern on the standard #10 format with peel-and-seal closure. The most widely used colored envelope format for direct mail, donation appeals, and campaigns where envelope open rate drives the program's results. Custom printing available on the face for return address and organizational branding.

#6 3/4 Wove Colored Envelopes, Gum Flap

Solid wove color at the #6 3/4 size (3 5/8 x 6 1/2 inches). The smaller format for personal correspondence, short-form invitations, and reply envelopes where colored stock reinforces the event or organizational branding of the enclosing piece.

#6 3/4 Starburst Envelopes, Peel and Seal

Starburst pattern at the #6 3/4 size with peel-and-seal closure. Used as reply envelopes in fundraiser packages, as event response pieces enclosed in larger mailers, and for any short-form correspondence where the return piece needs to carry the same visual weight as the outgoing envelope.

#9 Wove Colored Envelopes, Gum Flap

Solid wove color at the #9 size (3 7/8 x 8 7/8 inches). Designed to nest inside a #10 outgoing envelope as a colored return piece. The color on the return envelope reinforces the campaign or event branding and makes the reply piece visually distinct from a generic blank return.

#9 Starburst Envelopes, Peel and Seal

Starburst pattern at the #9 size with peel-and-seal closure. For organizations that enclose a colored starburst reply envelope inside a starburst #10 outgoing piece, making the entire mailing package visually consistent from outer envelope to return piece. Used in high-response direct mail and donation programs.

6 x 9 Starburst Booklet, Peel and Seal

Starburst pattern on the 6 x 9 booklet format. Opens on the long edge. Holds an 8.5 x 11 sheet folded in half, 5 x 7 photos, and folded brochures. For campaigns sending larger inserts where a full-color outer envelope is part of the visual strategy. Peel-and-seal closure.

9 x 12 Starburst Booklet, Gum Seal

Starburst pattern on the 9 x 12 flat-document format. Holds an 8.5 x 11 sheet completely flat. For catalog mailers, direct mail with printed inserts, and campaigns where the envelope face needs to make an impression before the recipient has processed what it contains.

Unique Mailing Envelopes: When Color Earns Its Place in a Program

Colored and starburst envelopes cost more per unit than plain white stock. That's a fact worth acknowledging because the question every buyer on this page is working through is whether the premium is justified for their specific mailing. The answer depends on what the mailing is trying to do. For a utility bill or a routine business letter, a plain white envelope is appropriate and the color premium adds nothing. For a nonprofit appeal letter competing with every other piece of mail the recipient received that week, a colored or starburst envelope that gets noticed before being set aside changes the math on the entire campaign's response rate. For a direct mail program where open rate is tracked against a control, color is a testable variable with measurable impact. The cost per additional response from a higher open rate routinely justifies the per-unit envelope premium many times over.

All colored envelope styles support custom printing. For the full range of plain white formats across every size, browse our #10 envelope category or the complete size catalog. For self-seal options across other formats, visit our self-seal envelopes category. For bulk pricing on colored envelope programs, request a quote here and we'll have numbers back to you the same day.

Frequently Asked Questions About Colored Envelopes