Envelopes: Inkjet or Toner?

2 Minute Read

I clearly remember the days of many an Astro Envelope Feeder sitting behind a variety of different offset presses cranking out longer runs of single- and two-color envelopes. That was the norm for decades.

And then one day, the print world was introduced to the OKI Digital Envelope Press. These were ideal solutions for four-color, shorter runs and quickly became the new norm. “Me-Too” options hit the market as well and soon toner-based envelope production ruled the world. OKI is still strong in this market, although it is no longer in the distribution business. They passed that on to Intoprint, a company that has privately labeled the product for North American distribution.

And just like toner rose to replace offset for envelopes, inkjet is doing the same to toner. Inkjet envelope presses are nothing new at this point, but it has taken quite some time to get where they’re at now. Early versions had numerous quality issues that strongly hampered overall growth and popularity within the market.

Those issues are now in the rear-view mirror, which leaves inkjet a very strong contender as a choice for envelope production. What are the two key components that drive inkjet for envelopes? Speed and cost to produce. Certain inkjet solutions can outrun toner at a clip of nearly 4 to 1 and the cost per envelope is significantly less. Up to four times faster and much less cost per envelope? No brainer, right? Well, for some, that is right, but for others, maybe not.

Another feather in the inkjet cap is the fact that some of these systems can be configured so as to run items other than envelopes. Imagine an inkjet envelope press that can also run boxes, bags, coasters and more. That’s a big opportunity in the right hands!

Inkjet envelope presses might be up to four times faster than their toner counterparts but they can also be up to four times as expensive in terms of the initial investment! That initial cost cannot be justified in lower volume situations, which is why the toner choice remains alive and well.

At Precision Graphics, we offer both options and would be glad to discuss what might be your best option in choosing an envelope press for your shop. Sample packets are available if desired. But not just envelopes! Boxes, bags, coasters and more! There are a lot of options to consider. We can assist with them all.