The DC Envelope Printer is a Windows 8 / Modern UI app, which allows you to quickly print envelopes of various sizes, and allows you to manage a database of addressers and addressees, so that you don't have to retype address information whenever you prepare an envelope for printing. It is a slick, intuitive, easy-to-use app, that gets the job done.
Main Page
When you open DC Envelope Printer, you open the main page of the app. On the page is displayed a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) image of the envelope you are going to print. In the upper left corner of the envelope image is a text box you can use to directly enter a return address. In the middle of the envelope image, is a text box you can use to directly enter an address. Below the envelope image, is a label indicating the size of the envelope. If you would like an envelope of a different size, you can access the bottom menu bar on the Main page, and click on the Configure button on the menu bar. You can click on the Envelope Size button to the left on the resultant app page, and then select the envelope size you want. Click on the Apply button to apply your selection to the envelope image on the main page. After you are satisfied with your envelope size, return address, and address, you may click on the print button on the bottom menu bar, to print your envelope. Follow the directions of the print dialog that appears, to print your envelope.
Managing Addressers and Addressees
If you send letters repeatedly to several addressees, you may from the main page of the app, click on the Update button on the bottom menu bar, to access the Update Data page of the app. On the left of the Update Data page of the app, you may click on the Address button, and then start entering addressee information. First, click on the Add button to the bottom right of the page, to begin adding an addressee to the app's database. If the addressee is an individual, ensure you provide at least a first or last name to validate the record. If the addressee is an organization, ensure you provide at least the name of the organization to validate the record. You can initially create a record, and update it later if you please. You can save a record by clicking on the Save button, to the right of the Add button. You can alternately save a record by clicking on the Back or Forward button, under the name list box, in the middle of the page.
After you enter multiple addresses, you may scroll through the records using the Back and Forward buttons, under the name list box - which contains a list of addressee names, whose records you have entered. You may jump directly to an addressee record, by scrolling up and down through the names in the name list box, and selecting a name. To delete a record, select a name in the name list box, and click on the Delete button, below the name list box. If after you have entered several addressee records, and you would like sort the records alphabetically, click on the Order Records button, on the bottom app bar for the page.
Addressee records contain an Address Code field. This field, which is not printed on envelopes, helps distinguish between different addresses for an addressee. For example, if you mail letters to different offices for a company at different locations, you can use the field distinguish one location from the next. For example, if you have IBM as an addressee, you can enter MAIN OFFICE in one record, SPRINGFIELD OFFICE in another, etc. If two addressee records have the same name, but are not differentiated using the Address Code field, you will encounter a duplicate record error.
If you mail letters from one or more locations, or several persons use this app, you may want to add a list of addressers to the app's database. To do so, click on the Return Address button to the left of the page, and enter addresser information the same way you enter addressee information.
You may return to the main page by clicking on the large back arrow, at the top left of the page.
Please note: with version 1.2.x of the DC Envelope Printer (when the app was made available for free) the above database feature was partially made available for free, but fully made available via in-app purchase. If you initially downloaded version 1.2.x of the DC Envelope Printer, you will be prompted to purchase full access to the database feature, If you attempt to add more than one return address record, and / or more than one address record.
Configuring Envelopes
If you have not entered addresser and/or addressee information into the app's database, you may configure your envelope by selecting the size you want, as described in the Main Page paragraph above. If you have entered addresser and/or addressee information into the app's database, you may click on the Configure button on the bottom menu bar for the main page, to enter the Configure Envelope page.
To the left of the Configure Envelope page, is a list of buttons - Envelope Size, Return Address, Address, Notes and Logo - that you can click on, to configure the different portions of your envelope. Click on the Envelope Size button to select the size of the envelope you want. Click on the Return Address button, to select the return address record in the app's database, you would like printed on the envelope. Note: you can also select the font and font size you would like for the return address. Similarly, click on the Address button, to select the address record in the app's database, you would like printed on the envelope. Note also: you can also select the font and font size you would like for the address. Click on the Notes button, and check whether you would like to have a horizontal note displayed in the middle of your envelope, and / or check whether would like a note displayed to the left of your address. As for your return address and address, you can select the font and font sizes that are used in each of your notes. Finally, click on the Logo button, and check whether you would like a logo, which you loaded into the DC Envelope Printer app, to be added to your envelope. (See below for more information on how you can load and configure logos for placement on your envelope.) If you are happy with your selections, click on the Apply button, at the left of the page, to apply your selections to your envelope. If you do not want to apply your selections, click on the large back arrow, at the top left of the page, to back out of applying your selections to your envelope.
Please note: the Notes and Logo features are in-app purchase features. This means they are free to use for a trial period of 7 days, but afterwards will have to be purchased in order to be used permanently.
Using The Logo Feature
The DC Envelope Printer now allows you to add logos to your envelopes. To configure a logo and apply it to your envelope: from the main page of the app, click on the Configure button on the bottom menu bar - which takes you to the Configure Envelope Page. Click on the button labelled Logo on the left of the page. Check Show Logo on the right side of the page, to display controls for configuring your logo. Note: you can configure a small logo and / or a large logo, and select one of them at a time, to be applied to your envelope. Your return address will be displayed to the right of your small logo, however your large logo will occupy the whole return address area, and must contain a return address, if you want one displayed on your envelope.
To configure a small logo, click on the Small Logo radio button control. Next click on the Load File button, to the right and middle of the page, to load your logo. (Please note: your logo file must have a ".png" file extension to be used in this app.) Locate your file using the resulting file dialog page, then select and open it. After your file is loaded, it will probably be too small or large to fit beside your return address. Use the Size slider near the middle of the page, to adjust the size of your logo, so that it will fit neatly on your envelope. (Note: after you make an adjustment, you will need to click on the Show Settings button near the middle of the page, to see how your adjustment will look on your envelope.) After you have adjusted the size of your logo, you may find that it is too high or low on the envelope. Use the Vertical Offset slider, to adjust the vertical position of your logo. Once again, after you have made an adjustment, click on the Show Settings button, to see how your adjustment will look on your envelope.
To configure a large logo, click on the Large Logo radio button control, then essentially follow the immediately above instructions, on how to load and configure a small logo. Remember however, that a large logo will not be displayed with the selected return address, and must include a return address, if you want one displayed on your envelope.
If you would like your small logo to be applied to your envelope, select the Small Logo radio button control, before you apply your configuration settings to your envelope, using the Apply button on the left of the Configure Envelope page. If you would like your large logo to be applied to your envelope, select the Large Logo radio button control, before you apply your configuration settings to your envelope, using the Apply button on the left of the Configure Envelope page.
Adjusting Print Layout
The DC Envelope Printer app works fine with most printers, without any need for adjustment. However, there are some printers where the return address and address outputs are misaligned. Version 1.1 and upwards of the DC Envelope Printer app, allow you to compensate for this, by adjusting the horizontal and vertical positions of return addresses / addresses on envelopes. To access this feature, from the main page for the app, click on the Settings button on the bottom menu bar for the page, and use the resulting dialog. Use trial and error to derive the best settings, so that your return addresses / addresses are aligned properly on envelopes. Note: use the Apply button on the page, to apply your settings to the DC Envelope Printer app. Use the back arrow at the top left of the page, to back out of the page, without applying your settings.
Printing An Envelope
After you have prepared your envelope for printing (see paragraphs Main Page and Configuring Envelopes above), from the main page for the app, click on the Print button on the bottom menu bar for the page, and use the resulting print dialog.
In-app Purchases
Please note that you can use the prompts throughout the app, to make in-app purchases. With the Notes and Logo feature, you can directly purchase the feature at any time, by going to the main page of the app, and clicking on the Access Features button on the bottom menu bar. If you initially downloaded the DC Envelope printer app when the app was made available for free, you will have to purchase the full database access feature, before being able to access the Notes and Logo features.
Document Version
This version of the DC Envelope Printer Tutorial is for version 1.4.x of the app. Clicking on the Help button on the bottom menu bar on the main page of the DC Envelope Printer app, takes you automatically to the correct version of the tutorial. You may use the following link(s) to access other versions of the documentation. Note: to determine the version of the DC Envelope Printer app you are using, go to the charms bar, click on Settings, then click on Permissions.