Why do offices need C4 envelopes?
In the commercial world, packaging is part of the everyday business. Packaging is the packing of items in a container or enclosing them in a way that they will be protected. This is done for the purposes of distribution, storage, sale or use. Packaging could also refer to the container or the enclosing which houses or protects the items. The term also refers to periphery items that are used in this practise. Therefore packaging items would include cardboard boxes, mailing bags, plastic bags, envelopes, bubble wrap, shrink wrap, packing tape, and many more. In the office, packaging is done for various office items. One of the most common packaging solutions for this environment is the C4 envelopes.
The C4 envelope is one of the universal items of packaging but it is limited in its areas of utilisation. Packaging is not as straight forward as the simple mind would want to imagine, some consideration has to be put into deciding on what type of packaging is to be used for specific items. The nature of the items to be packed will dictate what type of packaging to use. For example, perishable goods are very sensitive and should be packed in special packaging that will help in preserving the perishables. Fragile items will need to be packed into packaging that will protect the fragile items from shock. Valuables will need to be packed into packaging solutions that provide security.
The C4 envelope has a size of 12.8” by 9.0”; this is the size of an A4 paper meaning that the A4 sheet can go into the C4 envelopes without any folding. This makes it very good for packing multiple sheets of paper or for packing relatively thin brochures and catalogues. It is also appropriate to use when one wants to send sheets of A4 documents that should not be folded. The envelope is made of sheets of paper slightly thicker than the normal writing paper while some are made from Manila paper. The paper is strong enough to package and send paper documents but it is not strong enough for heavier or for more valuable items.
A major advantage of C4 envelopes is that they are very light which helps reduce postage costs and makes them easy to handle. They are also very cheap since they are made from cheap, mostly recycled, paper; this makes them convenient for sending bulk mail. The office work involves a lot of paper work and the C4 envelopes offer a convenient, cheap solution. The paper can be easily disposed after use.