Envelope

This article is about envelopes in packaging. For other uses, see Envelope (disambiguation).

Front of an envelope mailed in the U.S. in 1906, with a postage stamp and address
Front of an envelope mailed in the U.S. in 1906, with a postage stamp and address
Back of the above envelope, showing an additional receiving office postmark
Back of the above envelope, showing an additional receiving post office postmark

An envelope is a common packaging item, usually made of thin, flat material. It is designed to contain a flat object, such as a letter or card.

Traditional envelopes are made from sheets of paper cut to one of three shapes: a rhombus, a short-arm cross or a kite. These shapes allow the envelope structure to be made by folding the sheet sides around a central rectangular area. In this manner, a rectangle-faced enclosure is formed with an arrangement of four flaps on the reverse side.