To print one envelope from desktop Word, choose Mailings > Envelopes, enter the delivery and return addresses, then check Options for the envelope size and printer feed. Load a test envelope exactly as Word’s Printing Options diagram and your printer instructions show before printing a batch.
Set up a single envelope
- Open Word and choose Mailings > Envelopes. Type the recipient’s name and mailing address in Delivery address.
- Type the sender’s address in Return address, or use a return address already stored in Word. If you do not want it on this envelope, use Omit rather than erasing a reusable saved address.
- Choose Options > Envelope Options and select the size printed on the envelope package. If none matches, choose Custom size and enter the envelope’s width and height.
- Open Printing Options and review the feed position, leading edge, face up or down, and flap orientation. The correct combination depends on the printer and its driver.
- Load one envelope as indicated, select Print, and inspect the result before printing more.
A common #10 business envelope and a small invitation envelope need different size settings and may feed differently. Do not rely on the preview for feed direction: the physical printer path determines which side receives ink.
Print once or save the envelope with a letter
If this is a one-time mailing, print directly from the Envelopes dialog. If you want to keep the design or address with a letter, choose Add to Document, then save the file under a clear name. Microsoft says Word adds the envelope as the first page of that document, with the letter able to follow. When printing the combined file, check which page and paper source the printer will use so the envelope and letter do not go through the wrong tray.
To set a reusable return address in Word for Windows, Microsoft points to File > Options > Advanced > General > Mailing address. Inspect that address before each mailing, especially if several people use the computer.
Change the address font or position
Word lets you style and move each address block before printing.
- Choose Mailings > Envelopes > Options and stay on the Envelope Options tab.
- Under Delivery address or Return address, select Font to change the typeface, size, or style, then select OK.
- Adjust From left and From top to move that address on the envelope. Leave them on Auto unless a test print shows the address is misplaced.
- Select OK and print one test envelope.
These envelope tools are in desktop Word for Windows and Mac. Word for the web does not include the Envelopes command, so open the file in the desktop app when you need to print one.
Test the feed and alignment
Use one spare envelope, or make a placement test on plain paper and hold it against the envelope to judge alignment. The test should reveal whether the address is upside down, on the flap side, too far from an edge, or outside the printer’s printable area. Word’s Printing Options tab includes a feed diagram, but the printer’s own guide is the authority for supported sizes and loading. Adjust one setting at a time and retest so you know which change fixed the problem.
Use a custom size carefully
If the envelope package does not match a preset, measure the flat envelope and enter its width and height under Custom size. Keep the address clear of the flap, seams, and any window. A window envelope has an additional constraint: the printed address must align with the window, so a normal envelope layout may be unsuitable. Test that design with the actual envelope and letter before mailing.
When reusing a saved envelope document, replace the old delivery address and inspect the full page before printing. A saved return address may be convenient, but it can become outdated after a move or a change in sender. A final physical test catches errors that Word’s screen preview cannot show, such as ink placement on the flap side.
Add a logo to the envelope
The Envelopes dialog only holds text, so add the envelope to a document first and then place the image on it.
- Set up the envelope in Mailings > Envelopes, then select Add to Document.
- On the envelope page, click at the start of the return address.
- Choose Insert > Pictures and pick the logo file.
- Drag a corner handle to shrink the logo so it stays in the upper-left corner, clear of the delivery address.
- Print one test envelope from that page, then save the document to reuse the design.
Print envelopes for many recipients
For a list of addresses, an envelope mail merge prints each one without retyping.
- Choose Mailings > Start Mail Merge > Envelopes, pick the envelope size, and select OK.
- Choose Select Recipients and choose your list, such as an Excel sheet or Outlook contacts.
- Click in the address area in the middle of the envelope and choose Address Block.
- Select Preview Results to check several records.
- Choose Finish & Merge > Print Documents.
Check the list first. Postal codes that start with zero can lose that digit if the spreadsheet stores them as numbers.
Print several copies of the same envelope
For a stack of envelopes with one address, set it up in Mailings > Envelopes and choose Add to Document. Then choose File > Print, enter the number in Copies, and print.
Choose, review, and reuse a merged batch
To print only some people from your list, choose Edit Recipient List and clear the boxes for anyone to skip. To check every envelope before printing, use Finish & Merge > Edit Individual Documents, which creates a new document with one envelope per recipient. Save the merge document as well. When you reopen it, Word asks to reconnect to the address list, so the next mailing does not need a new layout.
Fix common printing problems
- Blank or wrong side: Check face up/down and flap orientation against the printer’s feed diagram. Reversing the stack blindly can waste envelopes.
- Address is shifted: Confirm the size in Word and the printer settings, then inspect the envelope’s physical alignment in the tray guides.
- Envelope jams or creases: Check the printer’s supported envelope type, thickness, tray, and feed direction. Do not force stock the printer does not support.
- Printer ignores the envelope size: Review the printer driver and paper-source settings. Try the printer’s designated envelope feed if it has one.
- You need many different recipients: Use an envelope mail merge rather than editing and printing one address repeatedly. See our Word mail-merge guide.
Before sending, check spelling, postal code, and return address on the actual print. Microsoft’s single-envelope instructions describe the size, feed, test, and Add to Document workflows.
Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com