EnvelopeDock
OEM · Wholesale · Factory Direct
A li xi red envelope is a red packet: the small printed paper envelope that holds a cash gift. The name changes with the language and the community — li xi, lai see, ang pow, ang bao and hongbao all describe the same object, printed with the same 80 × 170 mm, 158 × 80 mm and 90 × 90 mm formats, at the same 1,000-piece minimum. This page maps the names so you know which one belongs on your artwork.
A li xi red envelope is a red packet — the printed paper envelope that holds a cash gift — and "li xi" is one of several romanisations of the same Chinese term, alongside "lai see", "ang pow", "ang bao" and "hongbao". Which spelling a buyer uses depends on the language they speak and the community they belong to, not on the product.
For a printer, this matters in exactly one place: the wording printed on the packet and on any insert card. The object itself — a folded, glued paper envelope, printed and finished to your artwork, in a standard or custom format — is identical whichever name the order comes in under.
| Name you will see | How it is written | Where it is the usual term | Same product? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Li xi | Two words, pinyin-style romanisation | Mandarin-pinyin usage, and Vietnam (where it is written lì xì) | Yes |
| Lai see | Two words, Cantonese romanisation | Hong Kong, Guangdong and Cantonese-speaking communities abroad | Yes |
| Ang pow | Two words, Hokkien-derived romanisation | Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines | Yes |
| Ang bao | Two words, alternative Southeast Asian spelling | Singapore and Malaysia | Yes |
| Hongbao | One word, Mandarin romanisation | International and corporate buyers | Yes |
| Red packet / red envelope | English descriptive term | International, Australia, UK, US and B2B procurement | Yes |
Two things change between the names — the spelling on the packet, and the script the artwork uses. Nothing else does.
| If the order is called | Artwork usually needs | Notes for a print specification |
|---|---|---|
| Li xi | The romanised name, or the Chinese characters on a Mandarin-facing set | Often paired with Simplified Chinese characters when the set is aimed at mainland or Vietnam-facing audiences |
| Lai see | The romanised name, or Traditional Chinese characters | Traditional characters are the norm on Hong Kong and overseas-Cantonese artwork |
| Ang pow / ang bao | The short romanised name, often alone | Very common on Singapore and Malaysia retail banking sets |
| Hongbao | The one-word romanisation | Frequently used on corporate gifting sets and brand campaigns |
| Red packet / red envelope | English copy only | The usual choice for export orders where the buyer's market is not Chinese-speaking |
Character choice is a typography decision as much as a language one: Traditional Chinese strokes are denser, so a Traditional-character logo needs more clear space than the same mark in Simplified. If the artwork is redrawn between the two, the foil and emboss margins have to be rechecked, not assumed.
A buyer searching one name can end up on a page about another — so it helps to see where the words diverge and where they do not.
| Item | Changes with the name? |
|---|---|
| Formats | No — 80 × 170 mm portrait, 158 × 80 mm landscape and 90 × 90 mm square serve every name |
| Stock and weight | No — 120–200 g/m² art, pearl, soft-touch or pre-coloured card |
| Finishing | No — foil stamping, emboss, spot UV, lamination, self-adhesive seal, inside print |
| Minimum order | No — 1,000 pieces, whatever the order is called |
| Printed wording and script | Yes — this is the only thing the name really decides |
| Insert card text | Yes — often the cheapest place to carry the alternative name when one set ships to several markets |
The same applies to the occasions the packet is used for. Lunar New Year, weddings, a baby's first month and a business's opening-day lai see all use the same printed object; which name is printed on it follows the audience, not the occasion. Specific customs around giving differ between regions and families, so we print to the wording you approve rather than to a rule.
Match the name to the audience that will hold the packet, not to the search term that found us.
| Audience | Name that reads naturally | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong and Guangdong recipients | Lai see | The Cantonese form is the everyday word in that market |
| Singapore and Malaysia recipients | Ang pow, ang bao or red packet | All three are in everyday use; ang pow is the most common on retail sets |
| International staff or clients | Red packet, or hongbao | An English term travels; hongbao is widely recognised in business contexts |
| Vietnam-facing sets | Li xi | The romanisation matches the local spelling |
| Multi-market branding | Keep the brand mark, vary the insert card | One packet version can ship to several markets if the variant wording is on the card |
Where a set genuinely needs two names — for example a bank printing for Singapore and Hong Kong from one brand system — that is two versions with different artwork, each at the 1,000-piece minimum, rather than one packet with both names on the face. The red packet design ideas guide covers how to keep such sets visually consistent.
No. The three standard formats are shared across every name; what differs is which one a market leans on.
| Format | Finished size (W × H) | Where it is the expected choice |
|---|---|---|
| Landscape / wallet | 158 × 80 mm | Singapore and Malaysia — the ang pow and ang bao standard |
| Portrait / pocket | 80 × 170 mm | The traditional tall packet, common on mainland-facing and corporate sets |
| Square | 90 × 90 mm | Hong Kong hotel and modern wedding sets, thank-you packets |
| Custom | To your die-line | Any market, at the same 1,000-piece minimum |
The finished size is the outer dimension, so the inner pocket is roughly 2–3 mm smaller on every edge, and artwork needs 2–3 mm of bleed. Full dimensions, inner sizes and banknote clearances are on the red packet sizes page. For the printing side — print methods, finishing tolerances and artwork rules — see red packet printing.
The minimum order for a li xi red envelope is 1,000 pieces. The name of the order does not change the minimum, the price basis or the schedule — digital and offset printing both start at the same 1,000-piece figure, and each version with different artwork is quoted separately.
If a single order has to carry two names for two markets, that is two versions: each one quoted from its own quantity, each one proofed separately, and each one at the same 1,000-piece minimum.
Send the name you want printed, the format, the quantity per version and the finishing through Request a Quote — we reply with the price, the schedule and the freight option within 24 hours of a complete specification.
Tell us the market and the audience, and we will print the wording you approve — one version or two — with factory-direct pricing, the 1,000-piece minimum order and the production schedule.