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In order to take full advantage of the convenience and savings a printer/mail
house combination can offer, start early in the process. Small
adjustments in design can reap big savings in postage. Our
prepress department will work with our mailing staff to be sure the
design you visualize is acceptable to the post office. If you are working
with your own designer, be sure he/she is familiar with basic USPS design
regulations.
Mail lists
Basic mail design
Selecting a class
Postage options
Some additional things to consider
Mail lists
One of your most valuable marketing tools is your mail list. Be assured
that we will treat your list with the utmost care and confidentiality.
Hopefully, you keep your list in a database. We can work with most
database formats; Microsoft Excel, Access, and lists exported as comma-delimited
(.csv) or tab-delimited are preferred. If you have been keeping
your list in Microsoft Word or another text format, we can usually convert it,
though it involves more time on our part which increases your cost. Lists
can be emailed to our
mailing department. For large lists, consider uploading them to
our FTP site.
If you do not have a mailing list, we can help you obtain one. We do not
sell lists, but are familiar with vendors who do. We can also give you
pointers on setting up your own list.
Basic mail design
One of the factors the USPS uses in calculating postage is the size of the mail
piece. The following is a quick review of size restrictions. For
more detailed information,
see the USPS website.
Postcards
Most of us consider any printed mailing card a "postcard." The USPS does
not. To qualify as a postcard, a card must be 3½ to 4½ in. high, 5 to 6 in.
long, and 0.007 to 0.016 inches thick. Anything outside those dimensions
is either a letter or a flat. The postcard rate is only available in
first class, but it is less expensive than a standard letter.
Letters
Letters must be rectangular in shape and be 3½ to 6⅛ in. high, 5 to 11 ½
in. long, and 0.007 to ¼ in. thick. The letter class includes material in
envelopes, self-mailers, booklets, and over-sized cards.
Flats
Flats are also rectangular in shape. A mailpiece is considered a flat if
it exceeds any of the dimensions of a letter. Maximum sizes are 12 in.
high, 15 in. long, and ¾ in. thick. Postage on a flat-sized mailpiece is
more than on either of the other sizes. Processing is more time
consuming, and therefore more expensive.
Selecting a class
The USPS offers several classes of mail. Most businesses will be
interested in either First Class or Standard. It is
important to decide which class is right for your particular project.
Sending a multi-page newsletter First Class may be money poorly spent.
Sending information about a specific event Standard and having it arrive after
the event date is even worse.
First Class
"First Class mailing includes all matter wholly or partly in writing or
typewriting, all actual and personal correspondence, all bills and statements
of account, and all matter sealed or otherwise closed against
inspection." Any mailable matter may be sent First Class.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Standard Mail
Standard Mail is mail matter not requiring expedited or First Class
service. Nonprofit mail is essentially Standard Mail at a reduced rate.
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Postage options
There are three basic ways of showing that postage has been paid on a mail
piece. There is no difference in the postage cost for any
of the three. It is usually a matter a personal preference.
Sometimes there are factors that require the use of one over the others.
Indicia
The simplest option is the indicia. The indicia is the permit information
that is printed on the piece in the area of the stamp. Since the indicia
is generally printed at the time the piece is printed, it looks good and costs
nothing extra. WMS maintains several permits for the convenience of our
customers.
Stamp
The stamp is the most familiar way of showing postage. We all use regular
first class stamps, but there are "precancelled" stamps available in different
denominations. These special stamps give an envelope the look of being
stamped while allowing a discounted rate. Stamping does require an extra
step in processing, which adds to the cost.
Meter
A postage meter is used in many offices. It puts designated information
(cost, date, location) in the stamp area. It also requires an extra step
in processing, adding to the cost.
Again, the cost of postage is not affected by the method
chosen. What is affected is the cost and time involved in processing it.
Some additional things to consider
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Be sure you have enough material to complete your list plus 5 - 10%. We do
our best to keep spoilage to a minimum, but some is inevitable. All forms
are generated from your mailing list by computer. If we cannot complete
the list, we must redo the forms by hand.
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Do you want a special look? The possibilities are endless, but unless you
specify a font, point size, etc., we will print your addresses in all capitals
in the clear, readable font of our choice. We are always willing to fax
you an address sample for your approval if requested.
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Are you on your own mailing list? It might be worth the cost of one extra
letter to know when your piece is being received by your customers.
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As important as your mail is to us, once we turn it over to the USPS, it is out
of our control. Most mail is delivered accurately, in a timely manner.
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Processing and postage are two different figures. Processing is what we
charge to prepare your mail for the post office. Postage is what the USPS
charges to deliver your mail to your customers.
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Payment of postage is required before mail can be delivered to the post office.
We can give you a postage figure in advance if needed.
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Let us know what you want done with any leftover material. Unless prior
arrangements are made, overs will be discarded.
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MFSA, the national trade
association for the mailing and fulfillment services industry, publishes a statement
of trade customs.
See it online or download it from our
Forms page.
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