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07.07.08
New Address Placement Requirements for Flats
By: Benjy Uhl, VP - Sales & Marketing
NFocus Consulting, Inc., Valassis Data Files Fulfillment Bureau
Beginning March 29, 2009, the USPS will require mailers to place delivery addresses in the top half of all Periodicals, Standard Mail, and Package Services flats mailed at automation, presorted, or carrier route rates. Additional standards relate to address characteristics and apply to all commercial flat-size pieces. The actual requirements are located at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-8621.pdf
Here are some of the summary points:
Font specifics:
Use at least 8-pointtype (8-point type is approximately 1⁄10-inch high). An Arial font is preferred. The individual characters and the individual lines in the address cannot touch or overlap. A minimum 0.028-inch clear space between lines is preferred.
Address Placement on Bound or Folded Flat Pieces
The following standards apply to bound or folded Periodicals, Standard Mail, Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail flats mailed at presorted, automation, or carrier route rates not in envelopes or polywrap:
a. The "top" is the upper edge of the mailpiece when the bound or final folded edge is vertical and on the right side of the piece. Exception: For Carrier Route (or Enhanced Carrier Route) saturation rate pieces, the "top" of the mailpiece is either of the shorter edges.
b. If the address is parallel to the top edge, the entire address block must appear within 3 inches of the top of the mailpiece. If the address is perpendicular to the top edge, one edge of the address block (either the first or last possible character) must be within 2 1⁄2 inches of the top of the mailpiece.
c. On all pieces, the address block must be at least 1 inch closer to the top than to the bottom of the piece.
2.2 Address Placement on Enveloped or Polywrapped Flat Pieces
The following standards apply to enveloped or polywrapped Periodicals, Standard Mail, Bound Printed Matter, Media Mail, and Library Mail flats
mailed at presorted, automation, or carrier route rates:
a. The "top" of the mailpiece is either of the shorter edges.
b. If the address is parallel to the top edge, the entire address block must appear within 3 inches of the top of the mailpiece. If the address is perpendicular to the top edge, one edge of the address block (either the first or last possible character) must be within 2 1⁄2 inches of the top of the mailpiece.
c. On all pieces, the address block must be at least 1 inch closer to the top than to the bottom of the piece.
d. When the address is placed on an insert polywrapped with the host piece,the insert must be secured to maintain address placement throughout processing and delivery.
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