How to Load Envelopes into an Inkjet Printer

Printed envelopes look professional and are easy to read, but loading envelopes into an inkjet printer is a bit more difficult than loading paper. To avoid printer jams and wasted envelopes, follow these steps to load envelopes into an inkjet printer.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Envelopes
• Inkjet printer

1. Turn on your printer. Make sure it is in ready mode (green status light on) and it is not printing or running any other operations.

2. Determine whether your printer uses a top-feed or bottom-feed. Blank paper stands upright in a top-feeding printer and lays in a tray on a bottom-feeding printer.

3. Load your envelope in portrait mode for envelopes that are 8.5 inches wide (standard paper size). Fold the flap down and place the envelope with the side to be printed on facing you. Load the envelope so that the side with the flap enters the printer first.

4. Load your envelope in landscape mode for longer envelopes that cannot fit in lengthwise. Close the flap. Load the envelope so that the left side enters the printer first (the flap will be on your left).

5. Set the paper guides. This guide is the sliding piece on your feed tray (it will usually be on the left). Slide it over so that the paper is held straight when it enters the printer.

6. Set up your printing preferences. Go to "File > Page Setup" or access your printer’s properties page. Under orientation, select portrait or landscape mode depending on how you loaded your envelopes. If your printer has this option, select “Left” for bottom-feeding printers and "Right” for top-feeding printers.

7. Take a look at the "Print Preview" (usually found under "File" menu) and make sure everything looks good. Then print.

Tips & Warnings

• It’s a good idea to test out your settings on a plain piece of paper first. Cut out a piece of paper to the size you’ll be printing on or draw an envelope on a piece of paper and see if it prints within the lines.
• It’s better to load very small envelopes in landscape mode.
• Some printers have a paper thickness switch with an envelope mode. Flipping this switch helps avoid feeding problems.
• Loading too many envelopes at once can cause paper jams. Know your printer’s capacity.