"I firmly believe that if you are going to continue to compete in the printing industry, you will need to become an expert in postal knowledge."

If you are in the printing business today, surely by now you realize that it is no longer a commodity business. It is much more a project-oriented business geared toward helping your customers communicate better with their own customers. I read an article some years back that referred to a printing company as the lifeblood of its customer's communication arm, through which all information passes. If this is true, and I believe it is, we as print providers must consider ourselves to be an integral part of our customers' marketing and operations departments. This means that we must be able to offer knowledge in all areas that affect this service. Which brings me to the point of this article: how to become an expert in the mailing services business.

I know, I know, a good many of you have decided not to offer this service directly in your printing company. But, some of you are offering these services. In too many cases, some of you are doing a poor job of it, costing yourself and your customers thousands upon thousands of dollars.

For those of you who don't know me, I am a former print shop owner who specialized in offering mailing services to my customers. Seven years ago, I sold my shop and founded Mail Right Inc., whose mission is to help increase print business owners' aware- ness and experience in the mailing services business. I firmly believe that if you are going to continue to compete in the printing industry, you will need to become an expert in postal knowledge, whether you offer mailing services in-house or by outsourcing.

During the past six months, a good friend of mine, Nancy DeDiemar, has writ- ten a series of articles in this publication about how to enter and compete in the mailing services business. My goal is to expand on her messages and make you much more knowledgeable about this service. I want to thank Instant & Small Commercial Printer for this opportunity.

Right from the start

The success of every mailing project starts long before ink hits the paper. It starts right at the design and conception stage - this is where an ill-conceived design that does not take into account how the project is being mailed can end up costing your customer excess postage, surcharge fees and delivery delays.

Just recently, I received a call from a mailing services provider who was looking for a way other than a label, possibly white inkjet ink, to block out a vertical one-point rule line positioned down the right center of a 5 1/2x SI/2-inch card. The customer was mailing 150,000 of these cards and because of this line there was not enough room to print a postal barcode. This meant the mail piece did not qualify for automation discounts, resulting in a postage increase and additional mailing expenses in excess of $10,000.

Who was at fault? Unfortunately, the print provider's graphic designer added the line after the proof was signed off by both the customer and the print shop's mailing staff. Being a helpful person, the designer believed that all cards should have a vertical line separating text from the address block. This was a big mistake" that cost her company the reprint cost, time and probably the customer's future business.

I am not sure where or when the custom of printing a vertical line originated, but it sure has caused a lot of problems for mailing service providers and their customers. I see this mistake almost every time I review printed pieces. You must leave enough space, clear of other images, for the address and barcode to be printed.

A mail piece's barcode must be in either the barcode-clear zone in the bottom right comer of the mail piece or on the top or bottom of the address block within the OCR-read area. In either case, certain clearances must be maintained, and many times a vertical line will interfere. If printed in the clear zone, the barcode must start between 4 ¼ and 3 1/2 inches from the mail piece's right edge and end before 3/10 inches from the right edge. Within the OCR area there is a larger window to hit, but the key element here is that it is no closer than]/8 inch from any text or graphic (1/4 inch is preferred) and stops within 1/2 inch of the edge.

The USPS provides a plastic tem- plate to use in identifying these areas - it is available at your bulk mail center or local postal business office. Look for Notice 67, "Automation Template."

The point to the above example is this: Had the graphic designer been aware of the specific rules governing mail piece design, this mistake would have been avoided.

To work effectively in this business, you don't have to be fluent in every aspect found in the Domestic Mail ManU41 (DMM), but you do need to know about the following: 0 Mail piece design;

• Physical characteristics;
• Address block design
• Automation rules
• Postal rates and
• Presort schemes.

Before any project is started, it is imperative that you understand how each piece is going to be distributed. Make a checklist and ask these questions:

1. Is the mail piece being sent by first class, first class presorted periodical or standard mail?
2. Is the finished piece a letter, post- card, flat or parcel?
3. Is it a self-mailer or is it being enclosed in an envelope?
4. What are its finished dimensions and weight?
5. Does the size meet the proper aspect ratio?
6. Are tabs going to be required, and if so, how many and where?
7. What type of paper is being used, what is its thickness, and what color is the mailing panel?
8. Could texture or color affect address and barcode readability?
9. Is there room for the address and barcode in the OCR read area that is not encumbered by other text or graphics?
10. Is the return address outside the OCR-read area?
11. How many names are in the list?
12. Are there any ancillary service endorsements?
13. Does the list comply with National Change of Address (NCOA) requirements?
14. What mailing permit is being used?
15. Is the customer a profit or nonprofit company?
16. To which post office is the mail being delivered?
17. Is the presorting scheme automation, basic or carrier route?

Ignoring any of the above questions can directly affect the mail piece's deliverability and postage. If you design the mail piece so that it is non-machinable, this also could cause extra postage, up to 12 cents per piece in accordance with the new Non-machinable Surcharge, effective June 30, 2002. By designing the mail piece correctly in the first place, you truly are providing your customer with high quality service and avoiding possible problems down the road.

Learning the ropes

How do you become an expert in postal knowledge? Well, it's easier than you might think. First and foremost, you must commit yourself and your staff to becoming automation-sensitive by applying the necessary information to every project. Surround yourself with the appropriate tools and reference materials, and plan to attend the USPS' free seminars. They cover a multitude of topics that include how to presort your mail, automation mail, mail piece design, marketing through direct mail and more. These are held locally and at the National Postal Forum. I've attended most of these meetings in my area and find they are a great place to meet new mailing customers.

The USPS reference materials I have in my mailing department include the:

DMM (in hard-copy and CD formats),

Publication 95, Quick Service Guide

Notice 123, Ratefold;

Publication 49, Getting Started with Standard Mai

Publication 25, Designing Letter and Reply Mail;

Publication 63, Designing Flat Mail;

Publication 28, Postal Addressing Standards

Publication 417, Nonprofit Standard Mail Eligibility

Notice 3A, Letter-Size Mail Dimensional Standards Template and

Notice 67, Automation Template

These all are available from the USPS at no cost except for the DMM. Contact your local Postal Business Service Center to order or go online at http://www.usps.gov/

To stay constantly informed, I visit the USPS Web site for information about upcoming changes and current regulations. I also read The Mailers Companion (a free, monthly USPS newsletter - to subscribe, fax your name, company name and address to The Mailers Companion at 901-681-4542), Mailing Systems Technology magazine "and Mail magazine.

Getting to know your local postal staff is essential to your success in mailing. This includes Mailing Requirements personnel and the staff at the Bulk Mail Acceptance Unit. These are the people you will interact with most often, and a good working relationship is key. Don't be afraid to refer potential projects to them for their advice before they are printed. After all, they will be your first point of con- tact when the completed mail is delivered to the post office.

Knowledge is the key to success in mailing. Spend some time developing an understanding of mailing and you will continue to be the lifeblood of each customer's communication arm.