Did you know that over the course of one month an average of 20% of your mailing list becomes outdated? People are moving all the time, and if you want your mailer to reach them, your mailing list will need to be updated and double checked frequently.
Lorraine Press can help! We can run your list through software that compares your addresses with the U.S. Postal Service's master list of mailing addresses, new forwarding addresses, and Zip+4 information. This software can update and correct addresses and add on the ZIP+4 to your list. It also can format the addresses to conform with USPS standards, fix most spelling errors, and find duplicates on your list.
A clean mailing list, organized by U.S. Postal standards will control your returned mail costs, and in most instances, depending on the list itself, will result in substantial postage savings.
This is only one part of the full-service mailing abilities we have here at Lorraine Press. If you have a question about your mailing list, how it should be formatted, or how you can have it updated, email us at info@lorrainepress.com, and we'll be glad to help you save on your next mailing project.
Showing posts with label Mailing Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mailing Tips. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Some Mailing Basics - Postcards
I have been receiving a lot of political mail as Election Day draws near. These mainly come in the form of what most people would probably call a postcard. They are printed on cover stock, usually in full color on both sides with an address area on the back and most are larger than a half-sheet of letter-sized paper.
However, these campaign mailers I've been receiving are not technically postcards. They are much too big. The United States Postal Service has strict definitions about what exactly can go through the mail as a postcard. The height of a postcard can be between 3.5 inches and 4.25 inches. The width of the postcard is a minimum of 5 inches and a maximum of 6 inches.
Do we really expect a politician running for office to fit a message in such a small space?
What is it then if it looks like a postcard but is bigger than 4.25 inches by 6 inches? The Post Office calls these letters. That's right. They are sent out at a letter rate. So if you want to send out an advertisement, using a postcard rate, you have to keep the final size of your design to 4.25 x 6 inches.
Don't worry if you, too, can't fit all you want to say on a small area; other sizes can mail just fine, they just are sent at the slightly more expensive letter rate. It's just a cost you need to take into consideration as you are designing your mailer.
Also, a common design move is to fill up a mailer with information on both sides, and leave a tiny corner on the back for the addressing. However, to qualify for the least expensive mailing rate, the area for the address on a postcard needs to fit certain specifications. Just about anything can mail, but if you are looking to save money, we highly recommend showing your design to the Post Office before it is finalized. Or email us a copy to info@lorrainepress.com and we'll take a look for you and let you know if and how the piece will go through the mail.
There are multitudes of variables when designing a piece for mailing. And we hope that if you run into any questions you'll email us or call. We'd love to help you produce a mailer or postcard that fits all postal requirements.
However, these campaign mailers I've been receiving are not technically postcards. They are much too big. The United States Postal Service has strict definitions about what exactly can go through the mail as a postcard. The height of a postcard can be between 3.5 inches and 4.25 inches. The width of the postcard is a minimum of 5 inches and a maximum of 6 inches.
Do we really expect a politician running for office to fit a message in such a small space?
What is it then if it looks like a postcard but is bigger than 4.25 inches by 6 inches? The Post Office calls these letters. That's right. They are sent out at a letter rate. So if you want to send out an advertisement, using a postcard rate, you have to keep the final size of your design to 4.25 x 6 inches.
Don't worry if you, too, can't fit all you want to say on a small area; other sizes can mail just fine, they just are sent at the slightly more expensive letter rate. It's just a cost you need to take into consideration as you are designing your mailer.
Also, a common design move is to fill up a mailer with information on both sides, and leave a tiny corner on the back for the addressing. However, to qualify for the least expensive mailing rate, the area for the address on a postcard needs to fit certain specifications. Just about anything can mail, but if you are looking to save money, we highly recommend showing your design to the Post Office before it is finalized. Or email us a copy to info@lorrainepress.com and we'll take a look for you and let you know if and how the piece will go through the mail.
There are multitudes of variables when designing a piece for mailing. And we hope that if you run into any questions you'll email us or call. We'd love to help you produce a mailer or postcard that fits all postal requirements.
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