How to Choose a Pressure Sealer

A pressure sealer folds and seals a printed pressure-seal form into a self-mailer. Choosing one comes down to how many forms you run in your busiest month, how fast, and which forms and folds you use.

1. Start from your busiest month

Makers rate pressure sealers by monthly duty cycle. Of our 31 pressure sealers, 24 state one. Pick a model rated above your busiest month (payroll, tax season, statements), not your average.

2. Compare speed on the same basis

Some makers quote forms per minute and others forms per hour, usually for an 11" Z-fold form. We convert to per hour to compare: stated speeds in our catalog run from 1,800 to 40,000 forms per hour (29 models state a figure). Real throughput depends on form and fold.

3. Feed capacity and fold setting

Small hoppers need frequent refills; pile feeders run longer unattended. Automatic models set the fold plates and store jobs; manual ones are set by hand. Check the Feed capacity and Fold setting rows on each model page.

4. Forms, folds and mailing

Pressure sealers only work with pressure-seal forms printed for a specific fold (Z, C, V, EZ). Make sure the machine lists your form length and fold. The sealed piece must still meet USPS mail standards for its size; the Domestic Mail Manual sets the dimensional standards for commercial letters and flats.^[1]

5. In-line or stand-alone

In-line systems attach to a laser printer so forms print, fold and seal in one pass, but only with printers the maker lists. Stand-alone units seal forms you've already printed.

Models by monthly duty cycle

Formax AutoSeal 2150 Series — Monthly duty cycle: Unlimited (per Formax)
FP SFS 10K Pro — Monthly duty cycle: 200,000
MBM ES 8500 — Monthly duty cycle: Up to 130,000
Paitec ES2500 — Monthly duty cycle: Up to 15,000
Formax FD 1406 — Monthly duty cycle: Up to 30,000
MBM MX17000 — Monthly duty cycle: Up to 500,000 sheets
Paitec ES5600 — Monthly duty cycle: Up to 30,000
Formax FD 2006IL System — Monthly duty cycle: Up to 100,000
Paitec ES8500 — Monthly duty cycle: 130,000
Paitec IM11500 — Monthly duty cycle: 200,000
See all 16 matching models in the pressure sealers catalog →

All pressure sealers · Pressure sealer buying guide

Sources

[1] USPS Domestic Mail Manual 201, Commercial Letters, Flats and Parcels Design Standards

Catalog figures on this page are counted live from the sourced spec sheets in our pressure sealers catalog (31 models), so they match the category page. We don't test machines or publish prices, and model lists here take each maker in turn, alphabetically within a maker; they are filters, not rankings.