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Glassine envelopes, made from smooth, glossy, and semi-translucent acid free glassine paper, are valued for their resistance to air, water, and grease. Traditionally used to store stamps, postcards, banknotes, and postal history, they remain popular among philately enthusiasts. However, with the rise of self-adhesive stamps sold in booklets today, glassine envelopes have become less common, except for in the storage of gummed and vintage items. When stamps were purchased individually, Canada Post would have provided an envelope, such as this one from the 1970s.

The design of this piece is relatively simple, featuring the official Federal Identity Program signature at the top in red ink, with supporting text below in blue, typeset in Helvetica. The message emphasizes the use of postal codes and the correct postage value. Based on the alignment of the two elements, it appears that the red header was likely pre-printed on a larger batch of envelopes, while the blue messaging was added later to create a specific edition.

Canada was one of the last Western nations to adopt a nationwide postal code system, which was first tested in Ottawa on April 1, 1971.

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