When you work in a company that’s big enough to have an inter-department mail system, you’re going to need interoffice mail envelopes.
What Is the Interoffice Mail System For?
In fact, you may know this even if you’re still part of the student life and you’re still at college.
Current students know universities have different departments.
The interoffice mail system can mail billing notices and seminar flyers to various departments, or send various types of documents between departments.
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The same goes for larger companies, even in this day and age of email.
While information flows more efficiently using email, there’s still a need to distribute and send physical items such as official documents.
Using the US Post Office for this will just be a lot slower, less secure, and certainly more expensive.
How Does It Work?
There are several different ways for a company to run their own interdepartmental mail system.
Usually, there’s a centralized mail room or office depot, where the parcels are kept and sorted.
The mail couriers retrieve the mail to be delivered, sent by the various departments.
Each office or department may have a designated spot (or an “out tray”) for the mail couriers to collect.
Usually, this collection happens at the end of the working day.
The next day, the mail couriers sort out the various parcels and group the mail for each department before delivering them.
Key Features of Interoffice Mail Envelopes
Obviously, you can’t just send important documents as they are, from one department to another.
You need to put them in an envelope first.
Providing Important Info on the Envelopes
Most of the best interoffice mail envelopes are already labeled as such, with words like “interoffice delivery”
More importantly, it has rows and columns where you can put in vital information.
Usually, you need to put in info such as Date, Delivered to (name of person), Name of department, Sender’s name, and Sender’s department.
It’s crucial that you write the information legibly, preferably in block letters.
Don’t use abbreviations for the department names, as the mail couriers may not understand your insider terminology.
Protecting Documents and Parcels
The envelopes you use provide a level of protection for the documents you send out, preventing your documents from ripping, tearing, or getting wet.
This means you can’t just use flimsy paper for the envelope. And sometimes a Tyvek envelope might not be quite right.
Usually, your interoffice mail envelopes are made of brown kraft paper, which is considerably stronger and better able to work as your sheet protectors.
With the right size of envelope, you can prevent the document from being folded.
To make sure of this, you may even want to use file folders even for a single sheet.
You can also send gift cards, business cards, or even small office supplies through the interoffice mail system.
Reusing Envelopes
Provided that you’re sending out single sheet nonconfidential correspondence and other documents that aren’t “secret”, you normally don’t have to seal the envelopes securely.
This is why you mostly have string and button options to secure the flap.
It’s easier for the recipient to open, and you can then reuse these interoffice mail envelopes.
That’s why you have several rows of information for the envelopes, like a library card.
You can use these envelopes again and again.
Our TOP 5 Interoffice Mail Envelopes
If you’ve been using your interoffice mail system for a while, you may know you can’t just use any sort of envelope for your interdepartmental mail.
Some envelopes are simply better.
To help you find the most suitable interdepartmental envelopes, here’s a quick look at our featured brands:
1. School Smart Inter-Department Envelopes
“Easy to Use Repeatedly”
Our Rating: 4.5
While the School Smart brand is known as a school supply company, they also offer office supplies as well.
Here we feature their 10 by 13-inch interoffice mail envelopes, which are terrific for flat or folded sheets of paper.
You get 100 of these per pack, which is ample for lots of companies.
Clear Labels and Tables
These interoffice envelopes are clearly labeled Inter-Department Delivery, so the mail couriers can recognize them easily.
You have the table with the 5 rows of info on each side.
Just write proper info under the headings: date, deliver to, department, sent by, and deliver to.
Reusable
There are even instructions to cross out the entire line of info once the recipient takes in the delivery of the envelope.
Since this interdepartment envelope has 21 lines for each side, that means you can reuse this for at least 42 times.
This envelope is tough enough to last that long, since it uses 28-pound heavy paper and its seams are reinforced.
You also have the convenient string and button closure, so that it can be opened easily without damaging the envelope.
Efficient Use
This even has 6 holes tiny holes on each side of the envelope.
That way, you know immediately if it contains any paper inside.
If you’re sending a document to another department, you know right away if the envelope is empty.
You won’t have to waste time unwinding the string around the buttons to check if there are documents inside.
The only downside to these holes is that sometimes they’re right in the middle of an information box.
That means you may have to squeeze in the recipient’s name in the remaining space.
Great Size
Since your envelopes measure 10 by 13 inches, you can put in a lot of documents inside without damaging the envelope.
This size also fits easily into file boxes
Good Quality
The strings are generally securely attached, and the printing on the envelope is clear.
Perhaps the only notable issue is buying 100 at a time.
That may be too many for some small businesses.
Also, sometimes you may get less than 100 in the pack.
2. Quality Park Brown Kraft Interoffice Envelopes
“Envelopes for Memos and Documents”
Our Rating: 4.5
At first glance, these interoffice mail envelopes may seem like exact duplicates of the first option on our list.
That’s not a bad thing, but there are a few differences.
Holey Envelopes
Once more, you have the holes here to tell you if the envelope has some documents inside or not.
This saves you time when you’re looking for an empty envelope to use for your interdepartmental memos.
It can be used for things concerning investor relations, shipping supplies, and other usual company matters.
Also, if you do see that there’s something inside, you may want to check what it is if it’s meant for your department.
Again, sometimes the hole is right there in the middle of the box.
It’s a pain to squeeze in the recipient’s name when the hole is right there in the middle.
Envelope Print
Again, you have the label Inter-Department Delivery in all caps printed on the envelope.
You have the standard table with the 5 standard headers, along with the instruction to cross out the entire line once you’ve received your document.
This time, however, you have 26 lines printed on each side of the envelope.
That means you can use this envelope a total of 52 times before all the lines are full.
Paper Size and Strength
The envelope also measures 10 by 13 inches, which again works for flat sheets of standard 8.5×11 papers.
You can have lots of sheets inserted into interoffice envelopes here and it will hold the papers without any trouble.
It also uses the durable 28-pound brown kraft paper.
You get 100 of these in the pack – for a typical small business that should last for more than a year of use!
These are so tough that you can use these at home to store your most important documents, and you can use classification folders.
These include your old income tax forms, as well as your birth certificate and maybe even your passport (if you don’t use it much).
Enclosing
This also has the standard string and button system to secure the envelope.
It’s reliable enough that it won’t just open on its own, but it’s also easy to open.
What’s more, you can then reuse it.
The strings and buttons are secure attached as well.
3. Maxvitavela Quality String-Tie Jumbo Size Inter-Department Envelopes, 12 x 16 Inches
“Huge Envelopes for Larger Documents”
Our Rating: 4.5
Now for something a bit different.
This has a bigger size, which brings its own set of advantages.
In fact, these envelopes are huge.
But you also only get 10 per pack, which suits many small businesses.
That means you won’t have to pay for envelopes that you won’t use anyway.
12 by 16 Inches
As these envelopes measure 12 by 16 inches, you can now put in larger sizes of paper inside.
You won’t even have to fold them, unlike if you use the smaller 10×13 envelopes.
These envelopes can fit in architectural drawings, blueprints, and other materials that won’t get into a smaller envelope without folding.
Even when you use regular legal or A4 sizes for your papers, these larger interoffice mail envelopes can fit in a thicker stack for your multiple page items.
These are made with 28-pound paper, so it won’t tear easily and you can use this ascatalog envelopes.
You can also use these at home to store your most important official documents.
Label and Print
Here you have the standard “Inter-Departmental Mail” label in all caps.
However, the letters are printed in outline form.
Are they saving ink?
That’s a good question, because you don’t get the 5 standard headers here.
Printed Layout
Instead, on one side you have 3 rows (left to right) and 15 columns of boxes for your written info.
On each box, there’s a line for “Name” and another line for “Dept.”.
Presumably, you just set in the name and department of the recipient.
The recipient then just crosses out the address once they receive the envelope.
These instructions are also printed on the envelope.
Can Reuse 81 Times
You have 45 of these boxes on one side, and 26 (2 rows and 13 columns) on the other side.
That’s a grand total of 81 times you can reuse this envelope.
You also save time, as you won’t have to put in the date and your name and department.
On the other hand, the recipient doesn’t know where the mail is from, and when it was sent out.
Nice Hole Placement
You also have the 6 holes here, which conveniently tell you if the envelope is empty when you’re looking for an envelope to use.
It also tells you if it has something inside, so you can check.
What’s really nice here is that all the holes are set on the very edge of the info boxes.
This is true for both sides of the envelope.
There isn’t any instance when the hole is annoyingly in the middle of the box.
That means you can write the recipient’s name and department easily.
Standard Enclosure
You have the standard string and button enclosure here, so it stays secure while it’s easy to open.
The string seems rather flimsy, so treat it gently.
4. Quality Park 1-Side Print Interoffice Envelopes
“Special Red Delivery Envelopes”
Our Rating: 5
This is another Quality Park envelope, and it’s a brand with lots of loyal fans.
That may explain why this particular set is more expensive than the other 100-envelope packs.
Also, the higher cost may be due to the fact that it comes in a red color.
Why Red?
Admittedly, the dark red background does make it a bit harder to read the info written on the envelope.
You better use black ink, as blue ink (or pencil marks) may not cut it.
However, you may want to get this red color to differentiate the envelope from your usual brown kraft envelopes.
Perhaps the red can denote an especially crucial document inside, or to put a high priority on its delivery.
That means your mail couriers may be more careful while delivering it faster, while the recipient is alerted to open it immediately.
Printing on Cover
This is the ‘Inter-Department Delivery” label, printed in solid all-caps letters.
Under it, you have the usual instruction to cross out the entire line once you receive this envelope.
You have the usual 5 headers, with date, name and department of recipient, and name and department of sender.
What you don’t have is this form printed on both sides.
It’s only printed on a single side, so you can only reuse this 31 times before you run out of print lines for the info.
Material
This is made with the usual 28-pound paper, and it comes in a standard 10×13-inch size.
That’s enough for lots of 8×11 sheets of paper.
You also have the standard string and button enclosure, plus the 6 holes to check if there’s a document inside.
Annoyingly, these holes can be placed right in the middle of an info box.
5. Quality Park Interoffice Envelopes 4.5 x 10.375
“The Cash Drop Envelope”
Our Rating: 4
Are you looking for an envelope that looks like a traditional letter envelope?
That’s what you get here.
You also get 500 of these envelopes at once, so it may be a long while before you buy another pack again.
4½ by 10⅜ Inches
These interoffice mail envelopes measure 4½ inches high and 10⅜ inches wide.
That means you have ample space here for a letter-sized paper (8.5×11) folded into 3 parts.
Also, it’s the perfect size for cash drops.
The material is even tough enough to let you put in a few coins inside.
Pretty Strong
Just because it’s small doesn’t mean it’s terrible.
It’s just as strong as the other envelopes on this list, as it’s made from 28-pound paper.
Just a Flap
This just has the flap but without the adhesive, so it’s easy enough to reach in and get the cash or paper inside.
There’s even no string and button to deal with.
This means that the paper inside is not really secure, but then you don’t use this for secure correspondence.
It’s for quick and easy delivery of documents and cash.
The flap is enough to hold everything in while in transit.
If you want to tape this, then just use a traditional gummed envelope instead.
Labels
You also have the “INTER-DEPARTMENTAL ENVELOPE” label here.
There’s also the usual directive to use repeatedly until all the info lines are used up.
There’s even an instruction not to tape or staple the flap, since it’s meant to be reused.
You also have 3 rows and 5 columns of info boxes here for the name and address of the recipient.
Each box has a space for “TO” (the recipient) and “LOCATION” (the department, or the floor and office number).
This is printed on just one side of the envelope (the side on the opposite of the flap), which means you can use it 15 times.
2 Holes
You still have 2 holes here to check if there’s something inside the envelope.
Fortunately, the holes here are located near the edges of the info boxes.
Conclusion: Interoffice Mail Envelopes
Despite how email has largely replaced company internal mail, there’s still a need for a company post office to ensure proper delivery of various documents and parcels.
Using the US Post Office will make things slow.
With your internal mail system, you will need the best classification folders to make sure your documents make it safely and efficiently from one department to another.
Go ahead pick the best interoffice mail envelopes from our list for some efficient communication in the workplace.
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