Chocolate Envelopes for Thin Bars and Chocolate Cards

What is a chocolate envelope?

It is a sheet of printed card, cut and scored so it folds around a thin chocolate piece like a paper envelope. A flap tucks in or folds over to close it. Inside, the chocolate sits in its own foil or sealed inner wrap.

The two photos show a kraft envelope opened to reveal an embossed chocolate with a small printed card beside it, and a green envelope folded back around a little bar. Both are sample designs that show the shape rather than any brand.

Envelopes are the slimmest way to present a chocolate. They suit pieces from a few millimetres to around a centimetre thick, such as thin tasting bars, chocolate cards with a moulded message and small flat slabs.

Who uses chocolate envelopes?

Businesses use them most. A hotel leaves one on a pillow, an estate agent hands one over with a set of keys, an online shop drops one into every order as a thank-you. Because the envelope is printed with the sender's logo, the chocolate does the remembering for them.

Chocolate makers use envelopes for thin tasting bars, sample packs and wedding favours. They post well and look like a letter when they arrive.

• Thank-you gifts in online orders
• Hotel turndown chocolates
• Wedding and party favours with names printed
• Tasting samples for shops and buyers
• Corporate cards with a moulded logo bar

How is an envelope sized?

We start with the chocolate in its inner wrap and add room for the board to fold around it without squeezing. The flap length depends on how firmly you want it to close.

Send the length, width and thickness in mm. If you also want a printed card to sit beside the chocolate, give us that size too and we will make a pocket for it.

1. Measure the wrapped chocolate in mm.
2. Decide whether a printed card goes inside as well.
3. Pick a flap: tuck-in, fold-over or a slot lock.
4. Choose the board colour and finish.
5. Approve the free design proof with fold lines shown.

Which closure works best?

A fold-over flap with a round seal looks like a real letter. A slot lock is the safest choice for anything that will travel in a mail bag.

If you hand envelopes out at an event, a tuck-in flap is quickest for the person packing them, and guests can open and close it again to save half the bar for later.

What can be printed on a chocolate envelope?

The front carries the logo or a pattern, the back carries ingredients and allergen text, and the inside flap can carry a message. Everything is printed in food-safe inks, so the inside can be printed as freely as the outside.

Some makers print a different message inside each design, such as thank you, well done or congratulations, so one order covers several occasions.

Because the envelope is small, keep the front simple: a logo and one line of text read better than a crowded panel. Save the detail for the back and the inside flap, where people expect to find it.

Kraft, white or coloured board?

Kraft gives a warm, handmade look that suits small makers and rustic weddings. White board lets bright artwork stand out. Coloured board, such as the green in the photo, makes a strong first impression and needs only a single colour of print on top.

Foil on the logo looks especially good on dark or coloured board.

The board colour also shows on the inside, so a coloured board gives a coloured inside flap without any extra print. That can be a neat way to add colour on a tight budget.

Can you post a chocolate envelope?

Yes, inside a padded mailer or a small box. The envelope protects the face of the bar and keeps it flat, and the slim shape keeps postage small.

In warm weeks, add a cool pack to the parcel or post early in the week. Our guide to keeping chocolate safe in the post covers the rest.

For larger mailings, such as a thank-you sent to every customer in a month, it helps to keep the envelopes in a cool cupboard until the day they are packed.

Envelope, wrapper or bar box?

An envelope is the slimmest and the most like a greeting card. A wrapper is the classic choice for a full-size bar. A bar box is the sturdiest and stands up on a shelf.

If the chocolate is thin and the moment is personal, choose an envelope. If it is a shop product sold on a shelf, a bar box or wrapper is usually better.

What mistakes are common?

Measuring the bare chocolate instead of the wrapped one leaves a flap that will not close. Placing small text on the score line hides it in the fold. Choosing a tuck-in flap for posted envelopes can let them open in transit.

We point out all three on the proof if we see them.

Leaving no room for a seal sticker is a smaller slip. If you plan to use one, tell us its diameter so the flap is long enough to carry it neatly.

How long do envelopes take to make?

Production is 4 to 6 working days from the moment you approve the proof. Delivery to any UK mainland address is free, tracked and takes 2 to 3 working days.

Envelopes arrive flat in cartons. If any reach you misprinted or damaged, tell us within 10 days for a reprint or refund.

How do you order chocolate envelopes?

Tell us the wrapped size of the chocolate, the closure, the board and the number of designs. Add your logo or artwork if it is ready; if not, a rough idea is fine to start.

A price comes back by email within one working day, and minimums for envelopes are low and set per job.