DMM REVISION

Finished Corners for Letter-Size Mailpieces Made of Cardstock

Effective November 9, 2006, we are revising the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to authorize "finished" corners for letter-size, card-type mailpieces made of cardstock.

Current standards require that letter-size pieces (including cards claimed at card rates) must be rectangular, with four square corners and parallel opposite sides. We are revising these standards to authorize finished corners that do not exceed a radius of 0.125 inch (1/8 inch) for letter-size, card-type pieces made of cardstock.

As information, this 1/8-inch radius is the industry standard used today on items such as credit cards, hotel keys, and identification devices.

Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)

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100 Retail Letters, Cards, Flats, and Parcels

101 Physical Standards

1.0 Physical Standards for Letters

1.1 Dimensional Standards for Letters

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[Add the following sentence at the end of item c:]

c. ***Letter-size, card-type mailpieces made of cardstock may have finished corners that do not exceed a radius of 0.125 inch (1/8 inch).

[Insert new Exhibit 1.1c to depict a 1/8-inch radius corner as follows:]

Exhibit 1.1c Maximum Corner Radius for Letter-Size, Card-Type Mailpieces

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200 Discount Mail Letters and Cards

201 Physical Standards

1.0 Physical Standards for Machinable Letters and Cards

1.1 Physical Standards for Machinable Letters

1.1.1 Dimensional Standards for Letters

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[Add the following sentence at the end of item c:]

c. ***Letter-size, card-type mailpieces made of cardstock may have finished corners that do not exceed a radius of 0.125 inch (1/8 inch).

[Insert new Exhibit 1.1.1c to depict a 1/8-inch radius corner as follows:]

Exhibit 1.1.1c Maximum Corner Radius for Letter-Size, Card-Type Mailpieces

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1.2 Physical Standards for Cards Claimed At Card Rates

1.2.1 Dimensional Standards for Cards

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[Add the following sentence at the end of item c:]

c. ***Card-size pieces meeting the standards in 1.2.1 may have finished corners that do not exceed a radius of 0.125 inch (1/8 inch).

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600 Basic Standards for All Mailing Services

601 Mailability

1.0 General Standards

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1.2 Minimum Dimensions

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[Add the following sentence at the end of item b2:]

2. ***Letter-size, card-type mailpieces made of cardstock may have finished corners that do not exceed a radius of 0.125 inch (1/8 inch).

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We will incorporate these revisions into the November 9, 2006, update of the online DMM available on Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com and into the next printed edition of the DMM.

— Mailing Standards,
Pricing and Classification, 11-9-06