MAILPIECE CONCEPT,COPY

& DESIGN

Carmelo Marcano

USPS

&

James Foster

William Charles Printing Co.

LET’S LOOK AT SOME BASICS

Obviously we know that we want to do a mailing

Purpose of Mailing

Get the customers attention

Budget Considerations

Production of the mailing

Handling the followup

IMPORTANT POSTAL TRIVIA

THERE IS NO POSTCARD RATE FOR STANDARD MAIL

THERE IS A POSTCARD RATE FOR FIRST CLASS MAIL

STANDARD REQUIRES 200 PC MIN

FIRST CLASS REQUIRES 500 PC MIN

THERE IS NO DISCOUNT FOR SPECIFIC DROPS FOR FIRST CLASS MAIL

BUSINESS REPLY MAIL CAN BE VERY EXPENSIVE

USED TO DETERMINE CLASS OF MAIL WE INTEND TO USE

MAILPIECE DESIGN

REGULAR SIZE POSTCARDS

OVERSIZE POSTCARDS ENVELOPES WITH ONE

OR MANY INSERTS PERSONALIZED

LETTERS / OFFERS

BUSINESS REPLY SELF MAILERS

TRI-FOLDED DOUBLE FOLDED

POSTAGE COSTS MAY DRIVE DESIGN DECISION

VARIOUS TYPES OF MAILPIECES

THE OFFER!

Set the “HOOK”“HOOK” - something to catch the eye - the reason to read

Keep it Simple - lot’s of white space Keep print fairly large - NO SMALL PRINT

Tracking Programs - have way to track responses

CREATIVE GUIDELINES COMMUNICATE in your customer’s

language Keep copy simple Include key information(cost, promotional

timing, locations, etc.) Graphics easy to read Strategic use of color Consistency across campaign - DO NOT

CONFUSE TEST THE CREATIVE ELEMENTSTEST THE CREATIVE ELEMENTS

MAILPIECE TESTING

CONSIDER A FEW SMALLER MAILINGS

USING A TEST MAILPIECE FOR EACH

TRACK RESULTS FROM EACH TEST

EMPLOY RESULTS FOR ULTIMATE MAILING

IF MAILING IS ULTIMATELY TO A LARGE DATABASE

DETERMINE IF MAILING IS ECONOMICALLY FEASIBLE

QUESTIONS TO ASK:

WHAT IS THE BUDGET ?

DOES IT ACCOUNT FOR EVERYTHING ?

HOW MANY PIECES DO WE NEED TO MAIL?

WHAT ARE THE COSTS INVOLVED FOR ABOVE QTY:

DESIGN, LAYOUT, COMPOSITION

PRINTING *

DATABASE

COMPUTER WORK

LETTERSHOP

POSTAGE * * MOST COSTLY OF ANY MAILING

ORIENTATION

IF LETTER OR ENVELOPE :

REGULAR #10 BUSINESS ENVELOPE THE BEST

IF POSTCARD - STANDARD SIZE FOR 1ST CLASS

- OVERSIZE FOR STANDARD-

IF SELF-MAILER

ALWAYS TRY TO HAVE FOLD ON BOTTOM

BE SURE TO CHECK ASPECT RATIO

SEE TEMPLATE

MAILPIECE SIZING

POSTCARD

NOTE: THERE IS NO POSTCARD RATE FOR STANDARD MAIL

MAXIMUM FOR FIRST CLASS MAIL :

4 1/4” X 6”

MINIMUM FOR FIRST CLASS:

3 1/2” X 5”

MACHINABILITY STANDARDSPOSTCARD DIMENSIONS

5” MAX

3 1/2” MIN4 1/4” MAX

6” MAX

.007 - .016 THICK

OVERSIZE CARDS

THICKNESS .009 MIN

MACHINABILITY STANDARDS

11 1/2” IN MAX

6 1/8” MAX

3 1/2” MIN

5” MIN THICKNESS - .007” - 1/4”

OVER 4.25 X 6.0 MUST BE .009 MIN

ENVELOPES

ENVELOPE QUALITY IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO PERFORMANCE OF THE FINISHING EQUIPMENT

WHAT TO MEASURE

OUTSIDE SIZE

FLAP DEPTH

CLEARANCES

WINDOW LOCATION

GLASSINE QUALITY

SEAM STRENGTH

SHELF LIFE

GLUE STRENGTH

CONFORMITY TO USPS

SELF - MAILERS

EITHER TRI FOLDED OR HALF FOLDED AND AUTOMATION

COMPATIBLE

MUST BE TABBED

MACHINABILITY STANDARDS

ONE TAB FOR SINGLE SHEET

MACHINABILITY STANDARDS

TWO TABS FOR MULTI- SHEETS

MACHINABILITY STANDARDS

TWO TABS - PERIOD

THREE TABS NECESSARY

MACHINABILITY STANDARDS

ASPECT RATIO

DETERMINED BY LENGTH OF MAILPIECE DIVIDED BY HEIGHT

MUST FALL BETWEEN 1.3 AND 2.5

THIS IS USED FOR ALL CLASSES OF MAIL

WEIGHT OF MAILPIECE

FOR FIRST CLASS - MAXIMUM BEFORE SURCHARGE

1.0 OZ

IF 1.1 OZ - CHARGED FOR 2.0 OZ

FOR STANDARD - MAXIMUM BEFORE SURCHARGE

3.3 OZ

IF 3.4 OZ - CHARGED ON PER PIECE + WEIGHT

THICKNESS OF MAILPIECE

FOR STANDARD AND FIRST CLASS MAIL

1/4” MAXIMUM THICKNESS

Use of Colors

1 = one color (usually black)

4 = full color

/ = side 1 vs side 2

1/0 = one color one side – nothing on 2nd side

1/1 = one color both sides

4/0 = full color one side – nothing on 2nd side

4/1 = one color one side – full color 2nd side

4/4 = full color both sides

Printer’s Language :

Colors

CMYK – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black –This is the ink mixture that is used for offset and digital printing

RGB – Red, Green and Black – what we see on the Computer Screen

PANTONE – (PMS Colors) – specific color code numbers that correlate to a special ink mixture NOT CMYK. Pantone mixtures are listed in a PANTONE COLOR FORMULA GUIDE – can only be used in Offset Printing only

Color jobs that include pantone colors could be more expensive due to more passes through the printer – especially when CMYK and PANTONE Colors are included in thesame job.

Printer’s Language Con’t

CMYK mixture is different from PANTONE Mixture

When selecting a color – be sure what printing process you are going to use

Trying to EXACT match CMYK to PANTONE is extremely difficult – shades appear to be slightly different

CMYK vs PANTONE

Printer’s Language Con’t

Bleed

Paper Stock

Card Stock

Coated / Uncoated Glossy or Matte

Printer’s Language Con’t

DIGITAL PRINTING

vs.

OFFSET PRINTING

When to use which one:

Cost – there is a breakeven point based on quantity

Quantity – Drives Pricing

What is going to happen to the printed piece next

Mail Merge

Postcard Shells

Test Mailings – Constant and Variable Data

TIMELINE CONSIDERATIONS

TIME REQUIRED :

TO DESIGN

SECURE DATABASE

PRINT

ASSEMBLE

MAIL DELIVERY ( TIME OF MONTH, YEAR)

INVENTORY / FULFILL / PERSONNEL

TRACK

DATE OF EVENT

CONSIDER DATE OF EVENT

WORK BACKWARDS FROM THAT DATE

VERY IMPORTANTTHE TWO MOST EXPENSIVE PART OF ANY

MAILING CAMPAIGN ARE:

POSTAGE

PRINTINGBE SURE TO SCRUTINIZE THE BE SURE TO SCRUTINIZE THE

PRINTER - THE SUCCESS PRINTER - THE SUCCESS (ROI)(ROI) OF OF THE CAMPAIGN DEPENDS ON ITTHE CAMPAIGN DEPENDS ON IT

Question 1 Four Color Processing is the same on Digital and Offset printing applications. T or F

Question 2 C1S stock is “Coated” on one side only. T or F

Question 3I can save even more in postage by using the postcard rate for standard mail

Review questions

Answer = T

Answer = F

Answer = F

The LI PCC would like to thank today’s session sponsor

Thank you

Bi-County Mailing

Questions ???