Q&A

ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Mailing & Postage

While over 40 Million people in the United States alone change their address every year, it is very important to keep your list up to date with the new location of your contacts.  The National Change of Address system (NCOA) uses the USPS database of all people and businesses. Change of Address information must have been submitted to USPS. An NCOA update can save you money by eliminating contacts no longer at the address specified on your list and updating to the most current address.  FYI – the post office recycles Standard Class mail if the address is incorrect, it will not be forwarded; NCOA has the ability to correct the address prior to the mail being sent so your contact will receive your mailer at their new address.
A USPS-approved barcode facilitates automated processing by barcode readers and scanners at the post office. It is a requirement for postal discounts.  In simplest terms, it will save you money and speed mail delivery.
An Indicia is one of the most popular ways to indicate, on the mailing panel side of a mail piece, that the postage has been paid. The other two methods include stamps or metering.  Indicias are often used for first class, high volume mailings. An indicia is an imprinted designation on mail that denotes postage payment, permit number and mailing classification. It is printed directly on the mail piece.
First Class mail enjoys a much faster delivery time in most cases but is more expensive than Standard Class.  Nationwide delivery times for First Class average one- to five-days and over 96 percent of First Class mail is delivered the next day.  One other difference between First Class and Standard mail, with First Class, the undeliverable mail (wrong address, for example) is returned to the sender at no charge. Standard A (Formerly called “Bulk Mail”) is a more economical method of mailing. We see nationwide average delivery times of one- to two-weeks and local averages of three- to ten-days. On rare occasions we also see next day delivery of Standard mail and about once a year it will take three weeks to get to its destination, these times are very unusual though. Think of Standard Mail as a low-cost alternative with a difficult-to-predict but longer delivery time. Standard postage may not be used for bills, invoices or other mailings which contain unique personal information.
By using USPS approved software that is the most sophisticated in the industry we are able to sort and ‘clean’ your data in order to comply with the most stringent USPS standards and maximize your postage savings. Often clients realize up to 20% savings. Additionally we use expedited shipping, which ‘skips’ local postal processes, increases the speed of delivery and provides even deeper savings to our customers.  All USPS documentation including copies of all USPS receipts that show that a mailing has been received and accepted at the USPS are provided to customers on each mailing. These receipts are time and date stamped and signed by USPS personnel.

Output Technologies

Yes, we have access to thousands of mailing lists and can help you target your specific customer.  Messaging can be incorporated into your letter or mailer that speaks specifically to your customer.
Absolutely. We can selectively add up to six different inserts into your mailing.
Yes! We serve healthcare providers, telecommunications companies, insurance underwriters, financial institutions, municipalities and more.
It's very easy for you. We can receive files either electronically or via our secure ftp site or on transportable media such as a CD or DVD. Next we perform the necessary data manipulation to produce a file customized for our applications and your project.
DBF, CSV, ASCII,  XLS, text
Definitely. Let us perform a cost/benefit analysis that can uncover all your potential savings. It generally takes no more than 30 minutes to complete, it's free and there's no obligation.
Yes. Receive a one-to-one PDF that is fully searchable, allowing you to archive mailing for future reference.
Yes. We provide a secure online PDF and hardcopy samples upon request prior to mailing.

Printing

Adobe InDesign CS to CS5, Adobe Photoshop, Quark Xpress, Illustrator, and Adobe Acrobat.
Our pre-press department is 100 percent computer to plate. We prefer PDF files but can accept Tiff, EPS, Postscript and native application files.
Yes, we are capable of mass quantity and have plenty of storage. We can ship on request.
Yes. With sophisticated 4 color presses and all the finishing capabilities you  need, we guarantee your annual report will be award winning.  
Yes, depending on the quantity you can print personalized letters either using variable data printing, or offset. Either way they can be personalized.
Our intelligent inserting equipment has helped many companies and marketing departments that enjoy the financial benefits of highly personalized mailings.  We Read... Match... and then Print. If you have multiple personalized components within an envelope, our technology ensures that they all match. This is done by utilizing 2D barcodes and a sophisticated system of cameras and software to verify the pieces in the envelope match each other as well as printing the matching address on the outside of the envelope. Match mail can be highly personalized and will always increase response rates on direct mail. Read-Match-Print is also used by companies producing invoices and statement mail. Processing mail using this system saves money, decreases processing time and reduces costly errors.