Printing Lingo: What is a Tyvek® Envelope?

Printing Lingo: What is a Tyvek® Envelope?


Tyvek® is a synthetic material developed by DuPont™. It is created in sheet form using high-density polyethylene fibers. These plastic fibers are bonded together using heat and pressure to form a smooth, printable surface. Tyvek is very light in weight but extremely durable.

Tyvek resembles paper and prints superbly on a commercial printing press. It can also be written upon with a ball point pen or marker. Even though it looks somewhat like paper, Tyvek is significantly stronger than paper and offers superior resistance to tears, abrasions and punctures. Tyvek also resists moisture and is about half the weight of paper.

Tyvek is Ideal for Envelopes

The characteristics of Tyvek - strong, lightweight, moisture-resistant, printable - make it an ideal choice for envelopes, particular larger envelopes that are used to transport heavy or bulky contents. These include catalog envelopes (open end) and booklet envelopes (open side).

Tyvek envelopes are available in a variety of sizes, with 6" x 9", 9" x 12" and 10" x 13" being the most common. Also, Tyvek envelopes are self-sealing and feature a "peel and seal" strip to tightly secure the flap.

If you would like to explore the benefits of custom-printed Tyvek envelopes, get in touch with Formax Printing Solutions. We can explain all your options and help you choose the envelope that best suits your specific shipping needs!

Take care! Rick