Skip to main content

New Tabbing Requirements for Booklets

PROCESSING Letter-Size Booklets

The Postal Service has established new standards to improve processing and handling of automation compatible letter-size booklets. There are changes to tab size and location, paper weight and dimensions.

Booklets are mail pieces with a bound edge and include sheets fastened with at least two staples in the manufacturing fold (saddle-stitched), perfect bound, pressed-glued, or joined together by another binding method that is automation-compatible and produces an end where pages are attached. In general, booklets are open on three sides before sealing, like a book, and must be uniformly thick. Large, bound booklets that are folded for mailing, also called “quarter-fold” booklets, qualify for automation and machinable prices if the final mailpiece remains nearly uniform in thickness.

To improve the productivity of processing booklets and to decrease damage to mail pieces, the new standards require that booklets have three, 1 1/2-inch tabs placed on the sides of the mail piece. For larger or heavier booklets, the USPS recommends 2-inch paper tabs. Glue spots or a continuous glue line may be used to seal booklets designed with pages that are shorter than the cover.

In addition, under the new standards, to minimize tab failure, tabs used to seal booklets paying automation or machinable prices may not be perforated. Tabs with perforations are easily broken, do not maintain their integrity, and are damaged in transport prior to entering the mail stream. Therefore, only solid tabs made of plastic, vinyl, translucent paper, opaque paper, or cellophane tape will be acceptable.

The allowable dimensions are changing for booklets. The maximum size for booklets is changing from 6 1/8 by 11 1/2 inches to 6 x 10 1/2 inches. The paper basis weight for booklets is changing from 50- to 60-pound paper to 50- to 70-pound paper.

The minimum size, thickness and piece weight for booklets are not changing. Although the current maximum weight of 3 ounces will not change and is applicable to all mail pieces prepared without envelopes, to improve machinability, the Postal Service recommends that 3-ounce booklets be no longer than 9 inches.

Beginning Sept. 8, booklets that do not comply with the new standards will not be eligible for machinable or automation letter prices. Non-machinable booklets will be assessed a surcharge (for First-Class Mail), pay non-machinable prices (for Standard Mail), or pay non-barcoded prices (for Periodicals).

Customers requiring additional information can contact us at
www.solid-impressions.com
Source: Mailpro USPS

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Print Coupons Are Valuable Tool for Driving Business

With the advent of the Internet and mobile technology, it may seem that print advertising has gone by the wayside. However, that is simply not true. In fact, there are still many legitimate, valuable uses for print advertising. One of those opportunities is coupons. We see coupons in grocery stores constantly. Every Sunday paper has coupons that give customers incentive to try new products or new versions of older products. Why is that? Simply put, coupons work. So how can you use coupons effectively if you're not running a grocery store? Here are some ideas to consider: Return Business Coupons are one of the best ways to obtain return business. For example, consider creating a "Buy 10, Get 1 Free" card. This type of coupon works well for businesses that sell multiples of the same type of product. Examples might include "Buy 10 earrings, Get 1 Free" or "Buy 10 ink cartridges, Get 1 Free." Another option is to offer a coupon to every...
Post a Comment
Read more

Poster Design Tips

At its best, poster design is the territory of the truly creative, and it has been used in the past as a public display of individual talent. When you are designing in this graphic form, the poster's purpose and application should be your first considerations. The poster will normally be on display in a public area, where it will have to compete both with its surroundings and with other posters. Poster Design Checklist: Establish the information to be conveyed. Decide on the size, proportion, and shape. Research the locations for your poster. Simplify the information to be communicated. Produce scaled-down versions of the design. Consider the space and its effects very carefully. Select the typefaces that work for your design. Make sure the message is conveyed clearly and dynamically. Present a number of alternative designs. When you are designing a poster, the first decision to make is the size and shape of the design area. This may be governed by the displa...
Post a Comment
Read more

Four Foolproof Ways to Create a Great Company Logo

  Have you taken a close look at your company logo lately? Does it look like it came straight out of the 1980s, or have you kept it up-to-date? An outdated logo can make you look stagnant and stale in the minds of prospective customers. To combat this effect, many companies redesign their logos every few years to keep them fresh. If your company is considering a logo update, here are some tips to help: Choose a logo that looks good large or small. This will allow for more variety in your ads and other printed materials. Keep it simple. Your logo doesn't have to look fancy to grab attention. Just look at IBM and Apple. Their logos are simple but memorable. Limit yourself to two colors of ink. Having too many ink colors in your company's logo will put an unnecessary strain on your printing budget - and might actually look distracting, rather than distinctive. A nice-looking, two-color logo will give you the professional look you want at a reasonable price. ...
Post a Comment
Read more