# Laser printer for envelopes and other non-standard papers

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-printer-for-envelopes-and-other-non-standard-papers/671656>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 19, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-printer-for-envelopes-and-other-non-standard-papers/671656 "2013-10-19T16:20:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-printer-for-envelopes-and-other-non-standard-papers/671656/1 "2013-10-19T16:20:58Z")

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I am looking for a black and white laser printer that can print reliably envelopes, small pieces of paper like business cards etc.

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**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-printer-for-envelopes-and-other-non-standard-papers/671656/2 "2013-10-19T16:33:14Z")

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Many laser printers can handle standard envelopes. Check the specs to see if they are set up to take them directly (that is, by simply sliding a paper guide over, or maybe even setting a paper drawer to hold them). If not, they may not be well-designed for anything but letter-width pages.

I’ve owned a lot of good-grade consumer and business-grade printers, and not a one would print anything smaller than a #10 envelope or a half-letter sheet of paper reliably. Possibly some flat-path inkjet printers would handle almost anything the rollers can grab, but the paper path in a laser printer (usually U or S shaped) needs more to get a hold on.

I think if you find one, it will be crippled in some way for normal printing - that is, it will be set up to print name badges or something.

Print on tear-down business card blanks or buy a good rotary paper trimmer so you can print on larger sheets and cut them down. That’s the only reliable method I’ve found.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [October 19, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-printer-for-envelopes-and-other-non-standard-papers/671656/3 "2013-10-19T18:25:09Z")

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> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#):
>
> Print on tear-down business card blanks or buy a good rotary paper trimmer so you can print on larger sheets and cut them down. That’s the only reliable method I’ve found.

Concur.