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The new postal regulations have made it hard for mailers to keep doing exactly what they had been doing with their envelopes, as in format choice, ordering and even design. Here, from a recent whitepaper developed by the direct mail envelope company ColorTree, based in Richmond, Va., are three tips to tackle those challenges.
1. Stick with standard formats, but add four-color.
The USPS shifted to a shape- and size-based rate structure that punishes undersized, oversized and odd-shaped envelopes. To still stand out in the mailstream, simply add full-color to those standard carrier envelopes.
2. Batch your envelope order.
Buying a large quantity of envelopes to use over a long period of time is no longer advisable. If a defect occurs, it will alter the whole job. Also, stored envelopes can yellow, seal-flap gum becomes less reacting, and paper can warp or curl and thus become less machineable. Instead, batch your order: Print, covert and ship just the quantity needed to meet your next mail deadline.
3. Give the envelope designer a template.
Envelope size, construction, fold location, gum lines, flap shape, window positions and bleeds all affect the graphic design of both the front and back of any envelope outer. That's why a template can make the designer's job that much easier, such as knowing how much bleed to addd and how close copy can come to a window or envelope edge. It will mean less preproduction mix-ups, proofs will be churned out more quickly, and both foldiing and mailing problems will be avoided.
1. Stick with standard formats, but add four-color.
The USPS shifted to a shape- and size-based rate structure that punishes undersized, oversized and odd-shaped envelopes. To still stand out in the mailstream, simply add full-color to those standard carrier envelopes.
2. Batch your envelope order.
Buying a large quantity of envelopes to use over a long period of time is no longer advisable. If a defect occurs, it will alter the whole job. Also, stored envelopes can yellow, seal-flap gum becomes less reacting, and paper can warp or curl and thus become less machineable. Instead, batch your order: Print, covert and ship just the quantity needed to meet your next mail deadline.
3. Give the envelope designer a template.
Envelope size, construction, fold location, gum lines, flap shape, window positions and bleeds all affect the graphic design of both the front and back of any envelope outer. That's why a template can make the designer's job that much easier, such as knowing how much bleed to addd and how close copy can come to a window or envelope edge. It will mean less preproduction mix-ups, proofs will be churned out more quickly, and both foldiing and mailing problems will be avoided.
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