Service
Handwritten envelopes that get opened
Everything inside the envelope is irrelevant if the envelope goes in the bin. Handwriting the address is the smallest, cheapest change available to a mail campaign, and it is the one that decides whether the rest of the budget was wasted.
A handwritten envelope service addresses your envelopes with a real pen instead of printing labels or laser-printing the address. The envelope can be written on its own — the contents can still be printed — which is why it is the cheapest way to change how a campaign performs at the letterbox.
The two-second decision
Nobody reads their post. They sort it, standing up, near a bin, in about two seconds per item. In that window the reader is not evaluating your offer. They are answering one question: did a person send this, or did a system?
A window face answers “system”. A printed label answers “system”. A barcode above the address answers “system”. An address written in ink, slightly off-square, with a real stamp on it, is the only thing in the stack that answers “person”.
The details that give it away
It is worth being precise about this, because a half-committed handwritten envelope is worse than an honest printed one — it reads as a trick.
- The stamp. A franking impression or a printed “postage paid” box undoes the handwriting instantly.
- The return address. A printed corporate return address on a handwritten envelope is a contradiction. Write it, or leave it off.
- The stock. A glossy or window envelope cannot be rescued by handwriting. Plain uncoated, please.
- Consistency. If every envelope is identical to the millimetre, the effect collapses on inspection. Ours are not.
More on when envelope handwriting is worth it, and when it backfires.
Three ways people buy this
Envelopes only
You supply printed contents and envelopes; we address them by hand and send them back stuffed and sealed. $0.92 per piece.
Envelope plus written note
A short handwritten card or note inside a handwritten envelope. The complete effect, and still the cheapest fully-handwritten option.
Full campaign
Handwritten letter, handwritten envelope, personalisation and lodgement. See handwritten direct mail.
Questions about handwritten envelopes
Can you write the envelopes if the letter inside is printed?
Yes, and for a lot of campaigns that is the right call. The envelope decides whether the piece is opened; the contents decide what happens next. If budget is tight, spend it on the outside.
Does a handwritten envelope still get delivered reliably?
Yes, provided the address is laid out the way Australia Post expects: recipient, street, then suburb, state and postcode in capitals on the last line. We format addresses to that standard automatically and validate the list before writing.
Can you use a real stamp instead of a printed indicia?
A stamp is available and it matters more than people expect — a franking mark or a printed postage impression tells the reader immediately that the envelope came out of a machine. It is one of the details worth paying for. Talk to us about it at quote stage.
What sizes do you write?
Standard DL and C5 are the usual choices, and C6 for cards. Anything Australia Post treats as a small letter keeps postage at the lowest rate, which is worth checking before you commit to a format.
How much does a handwritten envelope add?
$0.92 per piece on top of whatever is going inside. On a 1,000-piece campaign that is $920.
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Test the envelope first
If you are not sure the channel is worth it, handwriting the envelopes on an existing printed campaign is the cheapest possible experiment. Tell us the volume and we will price it.