All About Envelopes

 Envelopes are the outer cover where one can write or give information about receiver and sender. Generally envelopes are flat in size and used to send flat things like cards, letters and photographs. Apart from flat ones there is few more kind of envelopes available for commercial purpose to carry things like egg, bread, vegetables and many more.

There was a time when paper envelopes and cloth bags were used to carry things, but after plastic revolution taking place throughout the world, paper and cloth bags were replaced by plastics. Lately many countries have noticed the bad effect of plastic bags and in order to overcome this issue they have started banning them. Right now there are many countries where plastic bags are banned and people use cloth bags and paper envelopes.

The very first envelope was discovered around 3500 to 3200 BC. The very first envelope was made up of clay, this was discovered first in 1901 by Jacques de Morgan and then by Roland de Mecquenem in 1902. Paper envelope was developed in China, where earlier paper was invented in 2^nd Century BC. In China paper envelopes are known as “Chih Poh” and generally used for gifts in form of money.

After few years when paper was available everywhere, handmade envelopes were in great use. In 1845 Edwin Hill and Warren De La Rue invented first paper envelope manufacturing machine. This machine was not so accurate and its surprising that first well served commercial envelope manufacturing machine was invented after 50years. Nowadays handmade envelopes are replaced by machine envelopes. Handmade ones are still in existence in many countries but on a very small basis.

As per the use there are many formats of envelope, below are some globally accepted envelope formats

 

 

Apart from above formats many countries have their own formats depending over content format they are following. Envelopes are now not limited to papers only, there are some more hi-tech types of envelopes available like plastic coated envelopes.