EnvelopeDock
OEM · Wholesale · Factory Direct
Red packet printing is the short-run print and finishing work behind a branded ang bao: the packet is printed, foil-stamped, embossed or spot-UV'd to your artwork, then die-cut, folded and glued. We print them factory-direct in Foshan on the same presses and die-cutting lines as our envelope range — the 80 × 170 mm portrait, 158 × 80 mm landscape and 90 × 90 mm square formats that red packet orders actually use — with a 1,000-piece minimum across every print method.
One order is printed, finished, die-cut and glued in the same plant, so the specification you approve is the specification that ships.
A red packet is a small printed object, which makes it unforgiving: the foil has to sit inside a narrow margin, the die-line has to clear the fold, and the glued seam has to hold a note without bulging. Printing and converting under one roof is what keeps those three things in step. The table below is the full list of what you can specify on a red packet printing order.
| What you specify | Options on a red packet order | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Format | 80 × 170 mm portrait · 158 × 80 mm landscape · 90 × 90 mm square · custom die-line | Decides whether a note goes in flat or folded |
| Stock | 120–200 g/m²: gloss or matte art paper, pearl paper, soft-touch stock, pre-coloured red card | Pre-coloured card carries foil-only designs without printing a large solid |
| Printing | Offset and digital, single or process colour | Both run within the same 1,000-piece minimum |
| Finishing | Foil stamping · emboss / deboss · spot UV · matte or soft-touch lamination · inside print | Each process adds its own artwork rule, listed below |
| Construction | Side-glued packet · self-adhesive seal · double-sided tape · window · die-cut shape | Changes the die and the converting step, not the print |
The minimum order for red packet printing is 1,000 pieces. That is the factory-wide figure and it applies to every print method we run, digital and offset alike — a red packet order below 1,000 pieces cannot be put into production.
Why the floor sits there: a red packet is converted as well as printed. Each order needs its own die, a make-ready on the press, then foil, emboss and glue set-ups in sequence. Those set-ups are fixed costs, so they are recovered across the run, and 1,000 pieces is the smallest run that spreads them sensibly. Above 1,000 the economics change on the press rather than on the artwork, which is why two orders of the same specification are quoted from the same specification and not from a menu.
| Order item | Minimum | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Printed red packets, standard format | 1,000 pieces | Applies to both digital and offset printing |
| Custom format with a new die | 1,000 pieces | Die work is quoted with the order; artwork can be supplied as a die-line |
| Foil, emboss or spot UV added | 1,000 pieces | Finishing does not raise the minimum — it changes the artwork rules |
| Runs below 1,000 pieces | Not offered | Print, die and finishing set-ups are quoted per order |
Pricing and lead time are quoted per specification — format, stock, printing, finishing and quantity — through Request a Quote, and the quotation confirms both before production starts.
The same printed envelope sells under a different name in every market. The name changes the wording on the insert card, not the specification.
| How buyers search | Where it is the usual term | What we print |
|---|---|---|
| Ang bao printing | Singapore and Malaysia | 158 × 80 mm landscape is the usual format; CNY and wedding sets |
| Ang pow printing | Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines | Latinised spelling of the same product, same formats |
| Angpao printing | Indonesia and the region | Written as one word; often foil-heavy corporate sets |
| Money packet printing | Singapore and Malaysia | Also used for wedding and general gifting packets |
| Red packet printing | International and corporate buyers | The neutral term — 80 × 170 mm portrait or 158 × 80 mm landscape |
If your artwork already carries one of these words, keep it — it is what your audience expects. If the set is shipping to more than one market, the packet itself can stay identical and the insert card can carry the local wording, which is cheaper than printing two packet versions. Sizes, inner dimensions and banknote clearances are in our red packet size guide.
Foil on red is the classic look and the finish with the tightest artwork rules. These are the tolerances to design to before you send artwork.
| Process | What it does | Design constraint |
|---|---|---|
| Offset printing | Solid reds and process colour across the full run | Runs of 1,000 pieces and up; holds colour consistency across the run |
| Digital printing | Runs within our 1,000-piece minimum; variable data so a packet can carry a recipient's name | Standard formats only without a new die |
| Foil stamping | Gold or coloured foil on the logo, numerals and year motif | Keep foil lines ≥ 0.2 mm wide and ≥ 1 mm clear of other artwork, or the foil breaks up |
| Emboss / deboss | Raises or recesses the logo off the face | Blind embossing on pre-coloured card avoids printing a large solid |
| Spot UV | Gloss highlight over a matte base | Keep spot UV away from the trimmed edges, or pressing and trimming chip it |
| Matte / soft-touch lamination | An even matte surface, usually paired with spot UV | Works best over a heavier coated stock |
| Self-adhesive seal or double-sided tape | Closes the flap without gum on the recipient's side | Adds a converting step; confirm it on the die-line |
| Window / die-cut shape | Contoured flaps, apertures, non-rectangular packets | Requires a cutting die — supply a die-line or let us work from your outline |
The processes and their artwork rules are the same ones we list on the custom envelope printing line, because the presses and the foil units are the same equipment. Red packets simply leave less room for error: the print area is small, so a foil or UV element that would be comfortable on an envelope can sit too close to a fold on a packet.
Sizes are written width × height on the finished, glued packet — so the tall format is 80 × 170, not 170 × 80.
| Format | Finished size (W × H) | Opening | Typical red packet printing use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait / pocket | 80 × 170 mm | Short edge | The traditional tall packet — corporate sets, retail giveaway, staff packets |
| Landscape / wallet | 158 × 80 mm | Long edge | Singapore and Malaysia standard; a flatter, more modern look |
| Square | 90 × 90 mm | — | Smaller sets, hotels and F&B, creative runs |
| Custom | To your die-line | Your call | Same 1,000-piece minimum; die quoted with the order |
The finished size is the outer dimension. The usable inner size is usually 2–3 mm smaller on every edge because the side seams and flap take up space, and artwork needs 2–3 mm of bleed so trimming never exposes a white edge. Full dimensions, inner sizes and banknote comparisons are on the red packet sizes page.
Most red packet reprints come back because of artwork, not printing. These are the file requirements that avoid it.
| Item | Specification | Why |
|---|---|---|
| File format | PDF, AI or PSD in CMYK | RGB artwork shifts when converted to press inks |
| Resolution | 300 dpi or better at final size | The print area is small, so low-resolution art shows immediately |
| Bleed | 2–3 mm on all trimmed edges | Trimming tolerance never exposes a white edge |
| Text | Converted to outlines or fonts embedded | A missing font reflows on the proof |
| Logo | High-resolution vector, with foil lines between 0.2 mm and 1 mm clear | This is the piece of artwork that most often needs redrawing |
| Die-line | Supply your own, or approve ours before proofing | The die defines where the folds, seams and flap sit |
| Proof | Digital proof approved before the run | Colour and position are signed off before press time |
Five stages from specification to delivery. The schedule for your order is confirmed with the quotation, because festival season and freight both move it.
Format, quantity (1,000 minimum), stock, printing and finishing. A rough brief is enough to quote from.
We reply with the price, the production schedule and the freight option within 24 hours of a complete specification.
You supply artwork and a die-line, or approve ours. Proof approved before anything goes on press.
Printing, then foil, emboss or spot UV, then die-cutting, folding and gluing on the same line.
Packed by format and shipped to your address or forwarder; freight is quoted with the order.
| Stage | Typical duration | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Quotation | Within 24 hours | A complete specification: format, quantity, stock, finishing |
| Proof | 1–3 days | Whether the artwork needs correction |
| New cutting die (custom formats only) | 3–5 days | Die complexity; standard formats skip this stage |
| Production (print, finish, convert) | 7–15 business days from approved proof | Run length and how many finishing processes are stacked |
| International shipping | 3–10 days | Destination and freight mode; quoted with the order |
Festival season is the variable to plan around. Chinese New Year concentrates demand into a short window each year, and because we print across 30+ countries the press calendar fills earlier than the festival date suggests. Settle the format and quantity first, then lock artwork — the Chinese New Year red packets page covers the seasonal timeline in detail.
Send the format, quantity, stock and finishing you have in mind — rough is fine — and we will come back with factory-direct pricing, the 1,000-piece minimum order and the production schedule.