Effective July 5, 2011, the Postal Service™ will revise the Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) 300, 400, 705, and 707 to provide standards for the transparency characteristic of clear strapping.
To process bundles efficiently on USPS® processing equipment, all address elements and markings must be visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Customers who prepare bundles of flats might use plastic strapping to secure the bundles, which may slide during transport or be applied directly over the delivery address, labels, and markings obstructing visibility.
Using clear, smooth strapping that is tightly secured around the bundles will reduce or eliminate current readability issues. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52 percent when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets postal readability needs.
Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM)
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300 Commercial Flats
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340 Standard Mail
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345 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Bundles
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2.2 Address Visibility
[Revise the introductory paragraph of 2.2 as follows:]
Mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery address information, barcoded pressure-sensitive bundle labels, optional endorsement lines, carrier route information lines, or carrier route facing slips on the top mailpiece in each bundle are visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Mailers can avoid obstructing visibility by using clear, smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52% when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets readability needs. This standard does not apply to the following:
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360 Bound Printed Matter
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365 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Bundles
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2.2 Address Visibility
[Revise the introductory paragraph of 2.2 as follows:]
Mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery address information, barcoded pressure-sensitive bundle labels, optional endorsement lines, carrier route information lines, or carrier route facing slips on the top mailpiece in each bundle are visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Mailers can avoid obstructing visibility by using clear, smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52% when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets readability needs. This standard does not apply to the following:
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370 Media Mail
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375 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Bundles
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2.2 Address Visibility
[Revise 2.2 as follows:]
Mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery address information, barcoded pressure-sensitive bundle labels, optional endorsement lines, carrier route information lines, or carrier route facing slips on the top mailpiece in each bundle are visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Mailers can avoid obstructing visibility by using clear, smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52% when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets readability needs.
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380 Library Mail
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385 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Bundles
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2.2 Address Visibility
[Revise 2.2 as follows:]
Mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery address information, barcoded pressure-sensitive bundle labels, optional endorsement lines, carrier route information lines, or carrier route facing slips on the top mailpiece in each bundle are visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Mailers can avoid obstructing visibility by using clear, smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52% when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets readability needs.
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400 Commercial Parcels
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440 Standard Mail
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445 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Bundles
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2.2 Address Visibility
[Revise the introductory paragraph of 2.2 as follows:]
Mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery address information, barcoded pressure-sensitive bundle labels, optional endorsement lines, carrier route information lines, or carrier route facing slips on the top mailpiece in each bundle are visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Mailers can avoid obstructing visibility by using clear, smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52% when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets readability needs. This standard does not apply to the following:
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460 Bound Printed Matter
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465 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Bundles
* * * * *
2.2 Address Visibility
[Revise the introductory paragraph of 2.2 as follows:]
Mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery address information, barcoded pressure-sensitive bundle labels, optional endorsement lines, carrier route information lines, or carrier route facing slips on the top mailpiece in each bundle are visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Mailers can avoid obstructing visibility by using clear, smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52% when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets readability needs. This standard does not apply to the following:
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470 Media Mail
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475 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Bundles
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2.2 Address Visibility
[Revise 2.2 as follows:]
Mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery address information, barcoded pressure-sensitive bundle labels, optional endorsement lines, carrier route information lines, or carrier route facing slips on the top mailpiece in each bundle are visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Mailers can avoid obstructing visibility by using clear, smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52% when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets readability needs.
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480 Library Mail
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485 Mail Preparation
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2.0 Bundles
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2.2 Address Visibility
[Revise 2.2 as follows:]
Mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery address information, barcoded pressure-sensitive bundle labels, optional endorsement lines, carrier route information lines, or carrier route facing slips on the top mailpiece in each bundle are visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Mailers can avoid obstructing visibility by using clear, smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52% when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets readability needs.
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700 Special Standards
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705 Advanced Preparation and Special Postage Payment Systems
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8.0 Preparing Pallets
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8.5 General Preparation
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8.5.9 Address Visibility
[Revise the introductory text of 8.5.9 as follows:]
Mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery address information, barcoded pressure-sensitive bundle labels, optional endorsement lines, carrier route information lines, or carrier route facing slips on the top mailpiece in each bundle are visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Mailers can avoid obstructing visibility by using clear, smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52% when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets readability needs. This standard does not apply to the following:
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707 Periodicals
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19.0 Bundles
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19.12 Address Visibility
[Revise the introductory text of 19.12 as follows:]
Mailers preparing presort bundles must ensure that the delivery address information, barcoded pressure-sensitive bundle labels, optional endorsement lines, carrier route information lines, or carrier route facing slips on the top mailpiece in each bundle are visible and remain readable by the naked eye. Mailers can avoid obstructing visibility by using clear, smooth strapping tightly secured around the bundle. Clear strapping with a transparency rated 52% when tested using ASTM D1746-09, Standard Test Method for Transparency of Plastic Sheeting, methods meets readability needs. This standard does not apply to the following:
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We will incorporate these revisions into the next monthly update of the online DMM available via Postal Explorer® at http://pe.usps.com.
— Product Classification,
Pricing, 6-2-11
