POSTAL POINTER #3 — SIZE MATTERS FOR FOLDED SELF MAILERS
The US Postal Service is at it again; they are changing sizes on mailing pieces. The most current revision deals with folded self-mailers. The folded self-mailer is a piece that folds at least one time and still remains in the letter mailing category. Previously, the maximum dimension of a letter-sized piece was 6 ⅛ x 11 ½ to mail at full automation rates (typically $.23-$.29 a piece for a 1 oz piece). Now the size has been reduced to 6×10 ½ to obtain the same rate range.
While this may not seem like a large revision, this eliminates a simple 11×17 piece folded in ⅓’s to 5 ⅔ x 11, which has previously been a staple for many companies. The simple fix is to reduce the document to 10 ½ x 17, however, this reduces the total area for information you are conveying to your audience. At the same time, the USPS revised sealing guidelines for these pieces; previously the open end of the fold at the top required only one tab; it now requires two. As a consequence, there is no longer any automation discount for bottom end open pieces.
Kopytek views these revisions an opportunity for our clients to shy away from standard format mailers; it creates an impetus to ‘mix things up’ by creating something that previously hasn’t been done. Be it changing the size, mailing rate (letter to flat or vice versa), doing Every Door Direct Mail®(EDDM), or just utilizing fugitive glue instead of tabs to close your mailing piece. It is the marketing goal of every piece our customers mail to get the attention of their audience; even simple things like changing the size can make the difference between the bottom of the waste bin or a read by your audience. For more information or questions regarding improving your direct mailings, contact Kopytek, Inc. at 314-432-2700.
***This post was written by Justin Sims of Kopytek.***
