One alignment within the graphic design and marketing industries is customer outreach. Typically this takes the form a mailing campaign intended to reach new customers, to educate current customers, or to offer new/current customers services or sales. Over the past several years, much of this outreach has moved online. However, design and marketing firms continue to understand the power of providing a tangible message that cannot be eliminated with a simple click of the “delete” key.

Creating a piece for mailing can be both rewarding and educational – and actually more of the latter than you’d think. When designing a piece that will be mailed, you may be surprised by how many variables there are to be explored. Creating a design plan based on these variables prior to beginning the project will ultimately save time, money, and sanity (especially for the designer!).

Below are areas of consideration when planning:

Costs of Production
Cost always plays a part in decision-making for production. The design of the piece will have not only an affect on the printing cost, but also how the post office will estimate the mailing costs. Some of the areas to consider are size; flat versus specialty (i.e. 3-dimensional, tubes, etc.); final weight; and shape (square pieces may require more postage, which is why your local store offers rectangular envelopes for square greeting cards.)

Postal Regulations
The US Postal Service (USPS) has defined requirements for all items that are mailed, and these requirements seem to change often. It’s important to be sure the requirements you are using are the most current. You don’t want to have a finished piece that the USPS refuses to send (and yes, they can do that). These include: placement of labels for periodicals or magazine-type pieces, clear zones for areas containing mailing information, size and shape requirements for flat pieces, and more.

Packaging & Mailing Options
Also keep in mind these items which can affect cost and/or design: speed of mailing; bulk or sorted mailings; domestic versus non-domestic; polybagging; belly bands; double or half covers; and tip-off sheets.

Resources
You don’t need to be overwhelmed by all of the options. You have a valuable resource in your printing company’s mail house. They will be happy to walk you though all of the variables and provide options as well as estimates. You can also utilize the USPS Postage Price Calculator to provide a bird’s eye view estimate per piece at http://postcalc.usps.gov/.

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