Mailing Reminder – New Rules in effect 3/29/09
A reminder that effective March 29, 2009 the new address placement standards for commercial flat-size mail goes into effect at the United States Post Office. An example of flat-size mail is an 8.5×11 newsletter. The new rule for this example would be that the addressing area for the newsletter would have to be in the top half of the page. This also applies to periodicals, Standard Mail and Package Services flats mailed at automation, presorted, or carrier route prices.
For Standard Mail and Periodicals mailings that are not in compliance, the appropriate First-Class prices apply. Presorted Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, or Library Mail flats with non compliant addresses are charged the non presorted flats prices within the same class of mail.
Designers, advertising agencies, non profits listen up. We are talking more money for postage folks and to save money all you have to do is put your addresses in the correct area.
If you want the the rules that the USPS publishes, see below.
The new ddress placement standards require the delivery address in the upper portion of all Periodicals, Standard Mail, Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail flat-size pieces mailed at automation, presorted, or carrier route prices. Mailers may place the address parallel or perpendicular to the top edge, but not upside down as read in relation to the top edge. The new standards define “upper portion” as the top half of the mailpiece. Mailers are encouraged to place the address as close to the top edge as possible, while maintaining a 1/8–inch clearance from every edge.
The following standards apply to enveloped, polywrapped, or card-style Periodicals, Standard Mail, Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail flats mailed at presorted, automation, or carrier route prices:
a.The “top” of the mailpiece is either of the shorter edges.
b.The entire delivery address must be within the top half of the mailpiece (see Exhibit 2.2), except under 2.2c or 2.2d. Optimal placement is at the top edge (while maintaining the 1/8-inch clearance requirement).
c. If a vertical address will not fit entirely within the top half, the address may cross the midpoint if it is placed within 1 inch of the top edge.
d. If the delivery address is placed on an insert polywrapped with the host piece:
1. The address must not appear on a component that rotates within the bag.
2. The address must remain visible throughout the addressed component’s range of motion.
3. The insert must be affixed to maintain the address entirely in the top half throughout processing and delivery or, if not affixed, the insert must maintain at least the beginning 0.5 inch of the address in the top half. The “beginning 0.5 inch” means the first half-inch of the recipient, delivery address, and city/state/ZIP Code lines, and not the end of each line.
Correct Placement of Addressing on Flats
If you are still not clear on the new rules, contact your local Mail Piece Design Analyst at the USPS bulk mail unit.
