On January 5, 2013, the Postal Service™, after extensive testing and collaboration with the mailing industry, will implement updated mailing standards for folded self-mailers, enabling design innovation emerging in the marketplace while also balancing efficient processing for letter-size automation price mailpieces.
The Federal Register final rule published December 1, 2011, provides mailers with more than a year for planning the transition. If you haven’t already begun using the new standards, see this final rule if you need information to help you prepare for the changes.
The Postal Service has developed a quick reference guide and other materials that provide an overview of requirements and graphic illustrations for the primary self-mailer formats and optional creative elements. These resources can be found on RIBBS® at https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=fsm
Local business mail entry employees and mailpiece design analysts can also answer questions about the revised requirements.
A few key revisions are as follows:
n The final fold must be on the bottom; for oblong pieces, the final fold is on the lead edge.
n When tabs are used as the sealing method, a minimum of two tabs are required; tab size varies based on design. Tabs cannot be placed on the bottom edge of oblong style pieces.
n New language is included to account for glue as a sealing method.
n New language has been developed to account for a variety of optional creative elements to incorporate in the design (attachments, loose enclosures, perforations, die-cuts, etc.).
While the revised standards allow for more innovation and creativity, the requirements also better align with postal automation to minimize mailpiece damage and improve productivity. Though the revised standards are not effective until January, the Postal Service encourages mailers to begin the transition now.
— Operations Integration and Support,
Chief Operating Officer and Executive VP, 10-18-12
