Ready made seed packets?

I also posted this in Seed Trading, but wanted to get it out there further. (As you can see, I'm too lazy to make my own!)
Howdy folks!
Was hoping someone could suggest where I can order some seed packets "ready made". I realize I can download templates, then cut and glue them to form a packet but I'd really like to cut corners!
If I could order a box of blank ready-make packets I was hoping to run them thru the printer to label them (like one would do envelopes).

Anyone have any source for something like that? Please?
Pwetty please??

Ho, Horseshoe...

I can mail you boxes galore of blank little white envelopes. (Shucks, you can buy them anywhere.)

But how (please tell me) can you load them into a colour printer, so they don't...

when printing in volume, snag, foul up and generally prove a downright mischief?

I have some 2400 seed packets I need to send to my Village Guild members, around now.

(Hm, I think I have some reserved for you, too...)

Help! Yours, graphically challenged

John

Well, lookee here! He walks, he talks, he crawls on his belly like a rep-a-tile! etc...etc..etc...
Nice to see ya, John.

"You can buy them anywhere"?? I guess I better get my south-end out more, maybe visit office supply stores? Hmmmm....

As for printing, my printer (HP) has little slide things that hug up against envelopes to help guide them into the printing part. (So far I've only done our standard size mailing envelopes, and the business size.) Guess I'll hafta experiment with smaller ones and see how they do.

What kinda store do you buy those seed packets at over there? Or did you order them from a website somewhere?

Shoe,
You can get coin envelopes at Wal-Mart, Sam's, Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, or any of the like stores..Just about anywhere that has office supplies..Just ask for coin envelopes.
larkie

Thanks Larkie...
I've been using #1 coin envelopes, manila colored and sticking address labels on them. However, I was hoping for some bigger envelopes, and also all white so I can possibly put my own logo or the like on them. Course now (and tell me what you think of this idea!) maybe I should buy larger stick-on labels, print my logo on them, print them out a page at a time, and then stick those on bigger envelopes?

Guess that opens up a whole new train of thought eh? Sheesh!

Shoe,
Office Max or Office Depot had all sizes of envelopes.They're inexpensive and there are several that are seed pack sized.That's all I use.I use the Print Shop program and put text and graphics on with my printer.They look like seed envelopes when I'm done and I save the template so all I have to do to have another 20 to 30 is zap them out.
The ones I have right now are 3 1/2 by 5 1/2,500 to a box.Seems like they were about 12.00 for that many.They came in white or dark manila and I chose the manila because it gave them an antique look.They have a top opening just like a seed pack.

I'll scrounge around and take a couple shots and post them.

I think Tom Clothier sells seed packets at his site too. It's the (and I won't spell this right) glasine??? or however that is spelled, kind. If you want his website address, email me. Good Luck!

Shoe:
Avery labels are a great invention, I tell you. You can print out a bunch of the at one time and put them on whatever size envelope you want. They are a bit pricey, though. For a label size 1 in. high by 2 5/8 in. wide, it costs about $50 for a package of 3,000 labels. You can get much bigger and also smaller. And the great thing is that if you use MS Word, the templates are already set up in there. Very easy to use. I print labels now for my Christmas cards. Cuts down on the hand cramps from writing out the addresses on 60+ cards! I'm sure the PO also appreciates not having to read my chicken scratch :)

Mel, that sounds like exactly what I wanna do. I'll go take a look around for some envelopes like that. (And hopefully I'll get my print shop disc back soon!)

Sounds like a lot of good ways to do this folks. Thanks for all the input! (I'm gonna try using some of the bigger labels too.)

I bought mine from Cambridge Pacific ~ they look exactly like the seed envelopes you buy at the store, but plain white, no printing at all. About $15 per thousand for plain, flat (non-glossy) with no gumming on the closures, just regular lick-'em stick-'em glue. The gumming is just like the gum stuff on bank statement envelopes ~ no licking needed, just fold and smash to make them stick. If you want that AND a shiny, glossy finish, it'll set you back another $15 or so per thousand (WORTH it to not have to lick all those envelopes!!!). Of course these are two year old prices ~ the last time I ordered any. I found this source via the Johnny's Seeds' manager dude (can't remember his name right now) ~ it's the same kind of envelope they use. They fit through the printer pretty easily as they're only a bit smaller than a postcard. I've done the coin envelope thang and that's not fun ~ they constantly get jammed. The ones from Cambridge are MUCH easier. BUT I'll have to look for the ones Melody suggested as I love antique-y looking things!

If I can find the address and such for Cambrige Pacific, I'll post it here. :)!

Hmmm...♫ it's gettin' better all the time ♫♫

Here ya' go, Shoe! Their website is www.cpacific.com http://www.cpacific.com and here's the "Contact us" info http://www.cpacific.com/contact.html They dont' have much in the way of pictures of the products on the site, but if you call them I'll bet they'd send you a sample if you ask. BTW, I bought mine three years or more ago, so they may be more expensive now.

Here's a pic of the gummed and coated ones that I have. Un-gummed would have just lick-'em stuff on it like letter envelopes and un-coated would have a plain paper finish, not shiny. But they're OH so handy! And they fit through my Hewlett Packard printer nicely ~ maybe one out of every 20 jams vs. one out of three of the coin envelopes (ACK!).

Thanks, Wingy! I emailed them, and they already emailed back. They're gonna send me some literature/price list.
Now, I reckon I better come up with some thing to print on them. Have any ideas on the best way to go with that? I was thinking of a pic, name of store/farm, a date line, and contents line. The last two things I would somehow be able to change according to what seed pack I would print. Think I can do it with Microsoft Word?

Shoe I don't believe there's anything you can't do. Thank's for posting your question. The wealth of knowledge on this site makes my head spin.

HAH! Elsie, one of my biggest weaknesses if computer stuff! Anything related to that is usually something I can't do! (So far anyway!)

By the way, I agree...so much knowledge here, and such good folks that are willing to share theirs with us! Makes one wanna holler "yeee-hawww~!" and go barefoot, eh!?

Here's a couple of my seed packs.

NICE packs, mel!
Those look great!

Melody they look great.
Shoe I'll holler yeeee-haaaaw but I'm not going barefoot in northern NJ in December.

Awww C'mon!...where's your sense of adventure!? ;>)

I've grown accustomed to having my toes. I think my adventure is driving in NJ - ha ha.

Shoe, I've printed a couple different ways on them all using the Word program that comes with your computer (is that Microsoft Word?). It's really a trick to figure out how to import a pic into a document when using that program, but it can be done! It looks nicer if you can use an oblong pic ~ wider than tall ~ so keep that in mind when you take your pictures.

Measure one of the envelopes when you get them and set your margins accordingly in Word, of course. When printing, it's closest to the 3"x5" index card and don't forget to set the print margins, too ~ it'll take a few tries to get that right. You may have to cut some of the text ~ even after you think you've got it right, it might not fit right when printed. Just keep trying ~ it took me the better part of a day to get it just perfect. But once you get one done, you can use it for most all the others, especially if your pics are all the same size ~ do a "Save as" squash or whatever, then replace the pic and text with squash and save. Then "Save as" peppers, replace pic and text with peppers and save. Etc...

I'd just send you a file of one of mine, but I changed computers and haven't downloaded all my stuff off my old one. :( I have a few envelopes that got a little dusty and won't close right without tape, prefect for you to practice on! Send me your snail mail addy and I'll send you a dozen or so so you can get started now. You can print over the same one a few times before it gets to where you can't tell which copy you printed last, so you'll have more shots at it than just twelve. ;)

For easy to grow things, I just put a little picture of it on the front with some info below that. Like field peas ~ most everyone knows how to grow those, so I just put a pic on the front and the heirloom story below that along with a couple tidbits about how they're different from other field peas. Depending on the size of your pic, you can fit quite a lot of info on the front ~ about a dozen lines (size 10 text I think). Below that, in smaller script, I put my e-mail address. You could cut back a line or two of info and put your farm name, too.

Now perennials usually need more info. I put the regular stuff on the front and on the back I sometimes put info about hardiness, germination, mature size, etc. You can fit a LOT of info on them that way! But if you don't want to go through twice as much work, you can just include a url on the front leading them to that info.

If you're going to sell the seeds, you might want to print both sides with info for all your seeds just like on packets you buy in the nurseries. Believe me, once you fiddle around with these some, perfecting the layout and info, they will look SO professional that you won't have any qualms about offering them for sale! They turn out REAL nice!

One more thing I've done with them ~ made nice envelopes to give to a seed saver friend of mine for her to put her seeds in and they are so cool looking! I'd show a pic, but I loaned my camera to a friend, so I'll try to describe what I did. I found a site with pictures of old seed catalog covers from around the turn of the century. I used my Paint program to white out a few spaces on the front where there wasn't much to the pic (I used the spray can tool and white color). Did three areas ~ one small one for the date, one longer one for the seed type name and one large one for info. Then, using real small text, I put the words "Date" in the small one, "Type" in the medium one and "Info" in the large one, in the upper left had corners of each box. Then reduced the pic so it would fit on the envelope and printed. They look so neat! You could personalize them by adding "Shoe's Seeds" or "Seeds from Shoe's Garden" or some such if you wanted.

I've really enjoyed them and they do look so nice when they're done! I've gotten so many compliments on them! I need to find time to get all my seeds organized and re-do these packages so I can trade some this year.

Dogs Wingy!...you really went all out w/those seed packs!
You make it sound so simple to do, however, I'm quite sure I couldn't master it. I may try it tho, but know in the recent past I finally gave up. Am not a good one with a lot of software programs unless they are kindergarten stuff...and to me, Word ain't. (Now, don't get me wrong...I actually put together a manuscript of mine and DD's vacation this past summer, complete with pics!) (Can't remember who I sent a copy to tho.)

I meant to pick up some envelopes just a while ago when I was getting DD from school. When I turned off the main road tho the cars were like ants!...all lined up, loaded down, and slow-moving (bumper to bumper), so I had to get out of there. (Christmas shoppers.)

Thanks for the input! I'll refer back to your post when I'm ready to give it a try! Much obliged! (You show-off you!) (I think you should post some pics of your seed envelopes sometime. They sound great!)

"You show-off you!" Tee-hee-hee! You found me out. ;)

Don't give up on printing on these before you even get them, Shoe! It's really not impossible ~ just tricky and sometimes pretty durn aggravating. But so worth it when you see the finished product. If I can get my printer going again and find time to re-do the files to print on these this next month or two, I'll send you a copy if you haven't already figgerd it out by then (I'll bet you will ~ you did a manuscript with pics! Wish I was a fly on the wall behind the shoulder of whoever was readin that ;).