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Provide
good, clean data on time with HEADERS. |
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Acceptable data formats are IBM compatible or Macintosh 31/2
disk, Zip disk, Bulletin Board E-mail (ask your Account Manager for
their e-mail address) and FTP (Internet File Transfer. Client must have their own FTP site.) Please export the data
from your database in D.B.F. (database format). ASCII or delimited text, using either “Comma &
Quotes” or “Tab-Delimited” format. Main Frame and UNIX data may be given in fixed-field format,
but always include a note containing field descriptions and record
lengths. Please provide all international addresses in a data file
separate from your domestic addresses. Please do not give us any names/information you don’t want
mailed.
WE
ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR EXTRA INFORMATION ON LABELS.
Label image formatted data WILL NOT be accepted.
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2 |
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Fold letter size self-mailers correctly for
better rates. |
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In
order to make your self-mailers automation-compatible: use the
“U” fold. DO NOT
USE Z or accordion folds. Self-mailers
should have the fold at the bottom and open from the top.
We are required to tab self-mailers to qualify them for
automation rates.
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"U" Fold -
Good |
"Z" Fold -
Bad |
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3 |
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Design letter size mail correctly.
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Design
your mail to be “landscape” not “portrait”.
Remember to leave a 21/8” x 5” section blank in the
bottom right corner on the address side of your mailer for a label
and the barcode clear zone.
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Landscape…Good |
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Portrait…Bad |
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4 |
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Mail letter size instead of flats.
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If you mail flats, your postage increases.
Flats are processed slower than
letter mail.
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Height |
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Length |
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Letters: |
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Minimum height: 3.5 inches
Minimum length: 5 inches |
Maximum height: 6.125
inches
Maximum length: 11.5 inches
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Letters can’t be less than .008 inches in thickness.
Letters can not exceed .25 inches in thickness.
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| Flats:
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Anything
that exceeds any of the letter size measurements becomes a flat. If
you
mail
flats, your postage costs more!
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Maximum
Height: 12
inches
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Maximum
Length: 15 inches
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| Flats can not exceed .75 inches in thickness.
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5 |
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Mail Standard Mail (A) at automation rates
instead of First Class.
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The
minimum number of 200 pieces is needed to send a mailing as Standard
Mail (A) and 500 pieces for a First Class Presort mailing. With Standard Mail (A), there are deeper savings available
than there are with First Class.
By following the guidelines for automation, your mail will
move much faster than non-automated Standard A mail
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6 |
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Use Proper Aspect Ratios for Letter Size Mail
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Mail
piece aspect ratio is figured by dividing the length by the height.
All letter-sized mail must be between the aspect ratio 1.3
and 2.5 or postal surcharges will apply.
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Bad! |
Aspect
Ratio is 6 divided by 4 =1.5
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Aspect
ratio is 5 divided by 4 = 1.25 |
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7 |
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Have Mercury review the design of the mail piece before
you print.
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Often,
simple considerations pass by unnoticed or perhaps are unknown.
We can check your designs to help correct design errors,
saving you more on postage.
*An
important note about designing reply envelopes:
In
order to mail at automated rates all reply devices provided inside
an automated mailer must have the layout approved by the Postal
Service. A Postal
Service Mail Piece Design Analyst can determine if your reply piece
meets requirements. The representative can also provide camera-ready artwork for
your printer at no charge. Approved
artwork included an approved form of address with a Postnet Barcode,
and special markings for Postal Service equipment.
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8 |
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Order
Envelopes that open on the long side without clasps or strings.
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When
purchasing envelopes, make sure that they are “Booklet”
envelopes.
The
flap should be no longer than 2 inches from the top or they will not
be machine compatible. Clasps
or strings are incompatible with our machines as well as the Post
Office equipment.
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| Booklet-Good! |
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Catalog-Bad! |
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9 |
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Order proper weight stock to make your mail
automation-compatible.
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Postcards
must be an 80 pound cover minimum.
Self-mailers
must be 28-pound stock minimum with single folds/20 pound stock for
a tri-fold.
Flats
must pass the droop test (be firm enough not to droop when held on a
surface edge).
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10 |
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Use
an indicia instead of stamping or metering.
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An indicia is attached to a deposit account to pay for bulk
mailing with the U.S. Post Office.
If you are not
familiar with indicia accounts, either MMS or the Post Office
can familiarize
you with them
and outline your options.
If you are using either Mercury’s or your own indicia
account, here are the
specifications for the design and
placement of an indicia:
It is a one inch square in the stamp corner on the mailing side of
your piece. A return address
is required on
the mail piece when using a company indicia.
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Indicia |
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3. |
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First Class Presort |
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Standard A |
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Non-Profit
Standard A |
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