Return Addresses

Your database is a valuable resource. Add your return address to the envelope or carrier sheet; mail returned to you is a good way of cleaning and updating your database.

Envelope Sizes

Spend some time thinking about envelope sizes. A non-standard size booklet may look good and stand out, but the custom sized envelope need for it can be up to 10 times the price of a standard. Film wrap for non-standard sizes is, however, not a problem.

Inserts

If the mailing piece is A5, consider whether you really need A4 inserts? An A5 insert is actually on 30% smaller than an A4 one, yet saves weight and cost.

Drawing Recipient's Attention

Think about adding an advert panel to the front of the carrier sheet for film wrap jobs, to draw the recipient’s attention to something important in the contents.

Updating Details

Use the back of the carrier to get the recipients to update their details.

Non-Printing Characters

Ensure that there are no non-printing characters in your data (such as inverted commas or hard carriage returns); these can play havoc with mailmerging!

Address Formatting

Ensure that the post town, the postcode and the country are in separate and constant fields (columns in the spread sheet). This way we can sort properly to ensure the best postage discounts. If possible, it's always helpful to have the Post Town in upper case, as this is the Royal Mail preferred format.

Titles

Check your title and salutation fields if a letter is to be personalised, as some titles (e.g. 'Sir') go with the first name, not the surname.

Leading Zeros

Postal and zip codes in some countries (e.g. USA) begin with a zero, which Excel drops off, thinking the field contents are a number. It is always best to format that field as either a text field, or a US Zip code (found in ‘Special’ formats).

UK Destinations

The Channel islands and BFPO address are UK, not foreign, destinations. You do not need England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales in the address for UK mail.

Postage Tariffs

The postage is usually the most expensive part of any mailing, so it is important that we use the most appropriate tariff.

The cheapest format is a letter (i.e. an item C5 or smaller), maximum weight 100 grammes and maximum thickness 5 mm. Whilst we can get small discounts on mailings in excess of 1,000, the real savings only begin with volumes in excess of 4,000. If you have 2 smaller mailings, can they be combined to generate 4,000 items?

The next format is a ‘large letter’ (i.e. C4 or smaller), any ‘letter’ or ‘large letter’ over 100 grammes, and a maximum of 25 mm thick. Any volume over 1,000 items will generate good postal discounts

Weight and Thickness

Always think about weight and thickness. Would reducing the paper weight get the final weight below 100 grammes? Would using a lighter weight cover on a C5 booklet mean it does not gape at the spine and so is less than 5 mm thick?