Some readers found my recent columns about envelopes quite interesting, and asked for a few more examples. Here they are.
Interdepartmental envelopes are usually 10” x 13” open end, with 6-8 holes punched through both sides of 28 or 32# kraft so the recipient can see if there is, or are, any contents within.
Some readers found my recent columns about envelopes quite interesting, and asked for a few more examples. Here they are.
Interdepartmental envelopes are usually 10” x 13” open end, with 6-8 holes punched through both sides of 28 or 32# kraft so the recipient can see if there is, or are, any contents within.
The recipient becomes the sender when he or she writes their name on the next “ruled line” and writes in the name of the person they are sending it to. A messenger delivers it to the next name.
Example #1, During the Korean War, the buyer at Hughes Aircraft Co. wanted an inter-departmental envelope that would be printed completely in bright red so their employees would know that any contents were vitally important.
Our envelope plant manager told me, “We can’t print with that much ink. It would be too messy, and it would mess up our printer.”
I relayed this information to the buyer and promised, ‘I’ll come back with a workable solution.”
On the way home, I happened to see some men-at-work signs with alternating yellow and black stripes. At home, I used my kid’s crayons to apply alternating one inch stripes on a plain kraft envelope.
The next morning, I got an OK from our plant manager.
I showed the sample to the Hughes’ buyer and a few of their department heads, and with their combined approval, the buyer gave me a purchase order for 50,000 envelopes.
Two months later, I received an order for 100,000 to be used in other company divisions. I combined various quantities from each division and gave each buyer the lower price of the bigger quantity.
In the following years, Hughes employees have used over two million of my creation. (Too bad, I couldn’t patent it and collect royalties.
As the aircraft industry continued to expand, North American Aviation and Northrop Corp (as known then) and many others also used inter-departmental envelopes.
One of several problems with that kind of envelope was the string of the string and button very often broke. Another problem was the clasp fastener, which also broke off.
One day, while filling in for the ailing salesman in the downtown L.A, garment industry, on one of two separate occasions, I happened to notice a machine that attached snap fasteners on men’s pajamas and under-shorts. I asked for, and received several sample fasteners.
I showed these to our plant manager who agreed, “We can do it if we have a machine to do it.” Two machines were ordered; one to attach the male side of the snap, and the second machine was used to attach the female side.
We were way ahea” of our competitors.
Several months later, I filled in again. This time, I discovered the use of Velcro and was given a few samples which I showed to our plant manager who agreed we could put the Velcro on each side of the envelope flap.
I showed the sample inter-departmental envelope to several buyers who in turn gave me their purchase orders.
Another time, I was in a dentist’s office and noticed a great number of slips of paper that had dates and brief notes on them. I suggested “all that information could be written on a printed envelope, in chronological order, and eliminate all those slips of paper, and it could hold all the patients’ X-rays.”
He liked the idea. I made a sample while I sat in his waiting room. Fifteen minutes later, I showed my sample to him. He made a few suggestions, and we had a perfect sample. He showed it to his associates and with their approval, the dentist ordered 10,000. Note: This type of envelope was adopted throughout the dental industry.
I have many more examples to write about but space for each article is limited.
