Mailers are protective packaging used to ship smaller or individual items.
Mailers: The Basics
Shipping individual or fairly flat items, and a box seems like overkill? Never fear, mailers are here!
When it absolutely, positively has to get there undamaged, they have an assortment of features meant to keep your items safe and damage-free.
Mailers: How to Choose
Take a good look at your product and figure out what protection or security it needs. If it’s a book or sensitive contract, kraft bubble mailers do the trick. Jewelry and expensive items should go in courier bags to protect against tampering and snooping.
And if it’s Christmastime already? A bright green or red glamor mailer will make its receiver jump for joy. Someone’s on the good list this year, huh?
Mailers: Types
Board Mailers aka Chipboard or Rigid are made of stiff paperboard to resist bending and folding. They’re perfect for sending out paper documents and easily slip inside a courier bag for extra security.
Courier Mailers aka Courier Bags are simply Poly Mailers without the bubble lining. They’re used for shipping valuables and other envelopes, thanks to their tear-proof and tamper-resistant material.
Envelopes are the standard of every office. An assortment of sizes, colours and styles covers every situation. Self-seal, wet seal and internal security patterns protect your documents from prying eyes and fingers.
Glamor Mailers make a statement. Often made of foil, they come in near-limitless colors and work during any occasion. Lined with bubble cushioning and a self-seal strip, they provide just as much protection as other bubble mailers.
Kraft Bubble Mailers are made from high-quality kraft paper lined with bubble cushioning and a self-seal strip. They’re perfect for products that need to arrive without any cosmetic defects.
Mailing Boxes are meant for shipping products that benefit more from walled protection than cushioning. E-commerce purchases like large books and electronics often travel in a mailing box.
Mailing Tubes are perfect for long objects like posters, blueprints and fishing rods. Made of rolled paperboard or folded corrugate, they come in both round and square shapes. A wide variety of colors, sizes and even styles (like telescoping) means they’re an attractive way to ship things while keeping them safe.
Multimedia Mailers are designed for CDs, Blu-rays and smaller items like memory cards in plastic packaging.
Padded Mailers use kraft envelopes stuffed with recycled pulp. They provide cushioning against sharp edges and compression during shipping. A self-seal strip makes for an easy and secure seal. And a tear-open tab means it’s easy to open later.
Polybubble Mailers are reinforced plastic envelopes lined with bubble cushioning and a self-seal strip. They’re water-resistant and tear-proof, making them Ideal for delicate and valuable items.
Mailers: Words Worth Knowing
Anti-Static bubble and foam reduces static build-up. It’s most commonly used to ship electronics.
Bubble is made of plastic sheeting full of air-filled cells that protect items from shock and vibration damage.
Cardboard is a thick paperboard used in consumer goods packaging such as cereal or digital cameras. If it needs to look good on a shelf, cardboard is the way to go.
Chipboard is made of paper and pulp matter. Its rigidity and strength means it can be placed between products during shipping to distribute weight.
Corrugate material uses a layering technique that reinforces boxes and makes them stronger for shipping.
Cushioning is a material’s ability to help protect items from shock and vibration damage during shipment.
Kraft is what liner material is usually made from. Wood fibers are processed into pulp or paperboard, which are turned into boxes, wrapping paper and void fill.
Self-Seal is an adhesive strip included for easy and secure closure of a package. Simply peel off the protective liner and close it up.
Telescoping Boxes are a two-piece box. The bigger half (usually the top) fits over the other half. They make a package feel expensive and worthy of display.
