Print on an Envelope with an Inkjet Printer

Think of printing an envelope as being similar to printing any other document. First, you have to make sure that the document is designed in the correct size containing the information that needs to be printed. Next, you have to match the settings on your printer to the size of the envelope that you are using. It is true that you may have to make more adjustments to print on an envelope with an inkjet printer, since most printers aren't preset to print on envelopes by default, but once all of the settings are in place, there are many steps that you can skip to for printing envelopes in the future.

Steps

Document and Software Settings

  1. Create an envelope document. Most programs have a wizard that allows you to select envelope sizes when you create a new document the same way that you can choose paper sizes such as A4 or letterhead. Here is what you will need to do in MS Word 2000 (you can use this as a general example since similar guidelines apply to other office programs).
    • Open MS Word 2000.
    • Access the File menu in the top-right corner and click on "New."
    • Go to the "Letters and Faxes" tab and select "Envelope Wizard."
    • Type in the delivery address and the return address in the appropriate text boxes.
    • Press the "Options" button to select the size of the envelope. The default size is Size 10 (4.125 inches by 9.5 inches), but other sizes can be selected from the drop-down menu.
    • Choose the feed method from the "Printing Options" tab. The feed method is the method that you are going to use to insert the envelope into the printer. You can select an option from the various diagrams displaying the envelope being fed in various orientations.

Printer Settings

  1. Have your printer turned on and connected to the computer that you will send the print command.
  2. Place the envelope in the input tray (the tray that you usually place blank paper in). Keep the following important factors in mind.
    • The orientation of the envelope should be the same as the orientation that you selected in the Envelope Wizard.
    • Make sure the envelope is facing in the right direction. Some printers print on the envelope facing up while others print face down. You can use the first blank envelope as a test to see whether you need to place envelopes facing up or down.
  3. Look for the adjustable guides on the input tray. You should be able to move these guides to fit the size of your envelope at the sides. These guides will keep your envelope straight as it goes into the printer.
  4. Press the "Print" button to complete the steps in the wizard. Your envelope will be printed with the addresses that you had typed in the text boxes earlier.

Tips

  • The package that contains the blank envelopes that you are using should have the envelope size written on it. You should use the same size to create your envelope document.
  • Use the Envelope button on the taskbar to access the Envelope Wizard in latter versions of MS Word. You can use the wizard to print on an envelope with an inkjet printer as well as a laser printer.

Warnings

  • It is important to match the adjustable guides on the input tray to the size of your envelope. If you don't do this, the guides won't keep the envelope straight while it goes into the printer and hence the text will not print in straight horizontal lines.
  • You may need to adjust software settings manually if the software that you are using does not have a wizard for designing and printing envelopes. In such cases, you should access the Print menu as usual and then adjust the paper size manually by selecting the appropriate size from the "Scale to paper size" drop-down menu.

Sources and Citations

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