A great mail design can be exciting to look at. It’s a great feeling to end up with a good looking mailer. But a good looking mailer that costs three times more than what it should have isn’t so great. Even worse is a good looking mailer that can’t be accepted by the post office.
When it comes to mail design, it’s important to consider that it can mean different things to the many people that may be involved in producing your direct mail piece. All have certain interests in mind and those interests may not always be the same as yours.
A typical project might proceed from the ad concept to copywriting and graphic design, then to a print shop and mail house like Accurate Mailing Services; where it is prepared for acceptance at the post office. At that point, the post office is primarily interested in the physical characteristics of your mail. During each step, the design of the mail piece is looked at in different ways and with individual interests. So how can you be assured that your best interests are being served?
Direct Mail Design Basic Rules:
One way to do that is to remember a basic rule when working on multi-step projects: Start at the end and work backward. It’s especially important to do that when it comes to direct mail. That’s because the end of the line is the post office. And if the physical mail design doesn’t fall within their standards, it can be very costly. The post office is mostly concerned with physical characteristics such as shape, size, thickness, and weight. Those are the things that largely determine your postage rate. They don’t necessarily care how beautiful your mailer is.
Chances are you’re not interested in dealing directly with the post office. We’ll do that for you. But before you get too far along in your mail design, please consult with a member of the Accurate Mailing team. The rules at the post office are constantly changing and it’s our job to stay on top of every one of them. Better yet, rely on our complete in-house design and printing services. That way you’ll be even better assured of having a successful and efficient direct mail campaign.
So call us today, locally in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Mesa at 602-433-9101 or toll-free at 877-433-9101. We’ll make sure that you next mailer is more than just another pretty face.
