Red Packet Printing Singapore: Custom Ang Bao

What dimensions and constructions define corporate red packets in Singapore?

Corporate red packet printing in Singapore produces custom money packets cut, folded, and glued to hold currency notes securely for festive distribution. A money packet is about 90 × 175 mm, wide enough for a banknote to lie flat, and foil and emboss are the usual finishes.

Ang bao, hong bao, red packet and money packet are one product under four names. In corporate gifting across Singapore, these packets are given out during the Lunar New Year season and at corporate celebrations. Unlike packets bought off the shelf, a corporate packet is printed to the brand, with its finish chosen to match.

The construction is a folded and glued packet with an opening at the top, cut from its own die. Artwork is set up with 3 mm bleed all round, 6 mm safe margin, 8 mm for foil and emboss.

No stock weight is published for a money packet; the paper is confirmed with the quote. Choose a sheet that folds cleanly at the crease and, where it carries foil, has a smooth or lightly textured surface. Learn more about occasion stationery at /printing/invitations/.

How do Singapore currency notes fit into custom ang bao envelopes?

Sizing custom ang bao envelopes requires evaluating the exact physical dimensions of Singapore circulation banknotes to ensure effortless insertion without folding or edge creasing. A money packet of about 90 × 175 mm takes the 2, 5, 10 and 50 dollar notes flat, with clearance on all sides.

If the notes are to go in flat, without folds, the packet has to be sized for the largest note inside. A packet sized too tightly makes the notes hard to insert without bending them.

According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Singapore currency notes differ in length and height by denomination. These four fit the 90 × 175 mm format:

• 2 Dollar Note: Measures 126 × 63 mm, sliding into a 90 × 175 mm packet with clearance to spare.
• 5 Dollar Note: Measures 133 × 66 mm, fitting flat with space around it.
• 10 Dollar Note: Measures 141 × 69 mm, lying flat inside the packet.
• 50 Dollar Note: Measures 156 × 74 mm, fitting flat with clearance at the sides and top.

Because the 50 dollar note measures 156 mm in length, the 175 mm height of the packet leaves room below the opening at the top, so the note sits fully inside without bending.

What tooling and artwork tolerances apply to hot foil stamping and embossing?

Applying hot foil stamping and blind embossing to corporate red packets requires strict adherence to physical tooling tolerances and substrate properties. Foil detail must be no finer than 0.7 pt, and separate embossed elements need 2 mm between them or the sheet tears.

The finishes offered on occasion stationery are hot foil, blind emboss and deboss, letterpress, painted edges, die-cutting and round-cornering; on a money packet, foil and emboss are the usual ones. Unlike ink printing, foil, emboss and the die each need tooling made before the first run (a brass block, a die pair or a photopolymer plate), so the artwork has to suit the tool.

Artwork for foil and emboss follows four rules:

1. Detail Line Limits: No positive or negative detail under 0.7 pt. Brass cannot hold it and the strike fills in.
2. Typography Legibility: Enforce 8 pt minimum on textured stocks. Below that the texture eats the counters of delicate letterforms.
3. Emboss Separation: Keep 2 mm between separate embossed elements, or the sheet tears between them.
4. Foil Trim Clearance: Keep foil at least 5 mm from the trim. Registration tolerance is around half a millimetre, so foil nearer the trim than 5 mm looks cropped on some packets and not others.

Furthermore, avoid hot foil on deep felt or heavy laid texture. The block bottoms out on the peaks and skips the valleys, so the foil looks broken rather than struck. Foil belongs on a smooth or lightly textured surface. A block, a die or a plate is made once and kept on file with the approved artwork, so a reorder starts from it. Explore tactile finishing techniques in /ideas/blind-emboss-and-deboss/ and luxury foil blocking via /ideas/foil-blocked-invitation/.

Decision checklist: planning a corporate red packet print run

Executing a successful corporate red packet order requires confirming envelope dimensions, paper selection, tooling files, and delivery schedules before initiating manufacturing. Settling these points early keeps the foil, the fold and the schedule on track ahead of seasonal gifting in Singapore.

• Envelope Sizing: Confirm the finished packet is about 90 × 175 mm so Singapore circulation banknotes fit flat without folding.
• Paper Selection: Confirm the paper with the quote; it must fold cleanly at the crease and, under foil, be smooth or lightly textured.
• Tooling Line Weights: Verify all vector foil strokes maintain no positive or negative detail under 0.7 pt.
• Embossing Relief: Keep 2 mm between separate embossed elements, or the sheet tears between them.
• Foil and Emboss Margins: Keep foil and emboss inside the 8 mm safe margin, and never place foil within 5 mm of the trim.
• Tooling File Retention: A block, a die or a plate is made once and kept on file with the approved artwork, so a reorder starts from it.
• Turnaround Scheduling: Standard turnaround is generally 7–14 working days, whatever the finishing. Express is quoted per job. Same-day and urgent printing available. Subject to artwork approval, payment, print type and production availability. Timing confirmed per job.

Common mistakes to avoid when designing and printing corporate red packets

Overlooking envelope geometry and finishing limitations can lead to torn paper, illegible typography, or misaligned hot foil stamping on custom corporate red packets. Every pitfall below can be settled at the artwork stage, before any tooling is made, so the packets that reach clients look the way the design intended.

1. Designing Fine Foil Strokes Below 0.7 pt: Brass cannot hold flourishes or serifs under 0.7 pt, and the strike fills in. Keep all foil elements at 0.7 pt or thicker.
2. Placing Foil Within 5 mm of the Trim: Registration tolerance is around half a millimetre, so a foil border within 5 mm of the trim looks cropped on some packets and not others.
3. Crowding Embossed Details Closer Than 2 mm: Separate embossed elements closer than 2 mm tear the sheet between them.
4. Setting Small Typography on Textured Paper: Below 8 pt on laid or textured papers, the texture eats the counters. Keep small text at 8 pt or larger.
5. Applying Foil Over Deep Textured Valleys: On deep felt or heavy laid texture the block bottoms out on the peaks and skips the valleys, so the foil looks broken rather than struck.
6. Underestimating Peak Festive Production Lead Times: Foil, emboss and the die each need tooling made before the first run. Standard turnaround is generally 7–14 working days, whatever the finishing, making early ordering essential.

Worked example: Specifying 1000 corporate foil-stamped red packets

Translating brand guidelines into an actionable manufacturing order means settling the paper, the foil tooling and the artwork margins. This worked example demonstrates how a fictional corporate firm in Singapore specifies a run of 1000 custom foil-stamped ang bao packets for festive client gifting.

Hypothetical illustration. Figures are assumptions for explanation, not a real transaction or advice.

A fictional advisory firm in Singapore plans its seasonal client gifting for 2027. The project requires 1000 premium red packets capable of holding 50 dollar banknotes flat, with an elegant metallic gold foil logo and blind embossed auspicious motifs.

The brief specifies a packet of about 90 × 175 mm, cut from its own die. The paper, a smooth red sheet that folds cleanly, is confirmed with the quote.

The front face features the corporate crest rendered in gold hot foil stamping. Every stroke in the crest is checked to be no finer than 0.7 pt, and the crest sits inside the 8 mm safe margin for foil and emboss. The background carries blind embossed clouds, with at least 2 mm between separate elements so the sheet does not tear between them.

Artwork is supplied with 3 mm bleed. The order starts well above the baseline minimum run of 50 packets. Production proceeds under our standard turnaround, generally 7–14 working days, whatever the finishing. Express is quoted per job. Same-day and urgent printing available. Subject to artwork approval, payment, print type and production availability. Timing confirmed per job.

To submit your own corporate envelope artwork, request an individual quotation via /request-a-quote/.

Frequently asked questions about corporate red packet printing

What are the standard dimensions for corporate ang bao packets in Singapore?

A corporate red packet is about 90 × 175 mm. This upright format takes the 2, 5, 10 and 50 dollar notes flat; the 50 dollar note is 156 × 74 mm.

What tooling tolerances apply to hot foil stamping on red packets?

Vector strokes for hot foil stamping require no positive or negative detail under 0.7 pt. Brass cannot hold finer details and the strike fills in. Keep foil at least 5 mm away from outer trims.

What is the minimum production quantity for custom red packets?

Minimum run is 50 packets. The die is made once and kept on file with the approved artwork, so a reorder starts from it.

What is the standard production turnaround time for custom red packets?

Standard turnaround is generally 7–14 working days, whatever the finishing. Express is quoted per job. Same-day and urgent printing available. Subject to artwork approval, payment, print type and production availability. Timing confirmed per job.

Same-day and urgent printing available. Subject to artwork approval, payment, print type and production availability. Timing confirmed per job.