Mailers

1
Mailers Technical Advisory Committee

• Address Placement for Flats Sequencing
  System (FSS)
• Work Group 101
• May 18th, 2006

2
Background

• In 2004, the USPS began investigating the
  feasibility of the Flats Sequencing System (FSS).
• Vendor plant testing has taken place, and
  prototype field testing is currently taking place
  in the Indianapolis area.
• Pre-production testing is expected in 2007, and
  pending BOG approval, deployment starting in
  2008.
• The first work group has been formed and has been
  tasked with tackling the issue of address
  placement.
• FSS will likely have specific address placement
  requirements from the standpoint of the
  technology, but more importantly from the
  standpoint of the carriers.

3
Address Placement for FSS

• It is important to understand the operational and
  financial consequences of FSS on both the USPS
  and industry.
• Address placement is a product of both production
  constraints and marketing.
• The work group has developed surveys for various
  industry segments (e.g., Periodicals,
  STD/Catalogs, and First-Class) in order to better
  understand their specific needs.

4
Address/Label Placement Requirements

• All flat mail must be output from the sequencing
  machine with the bound edges aligned (unless
  enveloped or polybagged).
• Addresses may appear on the front or back of the
  mail piece.
• Once output with the bound edges matching, all
  addresses would appear in the top third of the
  mail piece (top half of smaller pieces, such as
  5.5 x 8.5), facing the same direction but
  without the address reading upside down.

5
Bound Flat Option 1
This could represent the front cover or back
cover of your mail piece. Customer address and
optional delivery endorsement can appear anywhere
in the address zone (bottom third), but must be
upside down (or parallel to the bound edge) as
read with the bound edge on the right.
Can be left or right justified, or centered, but
must be upside down.
Can face left or right
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
Bound Edge
Cannot be right side up.
X
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
6
Bound Flat Option 2
This could represent the front cover or back
cover of your mail piece. Customer address and
optional delivery endorsement can appear anywhere
in the address zone (top third), but cannot be
upside down as read with the bound edge on the
right.
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
Can be left or right justified, or centered, but
must not be upside down.
Can face left or right
X
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
Bound Edge On right
Cannot be upside down.
7
Enveloped Flats
Top Edge (either short edge)
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
Customer address and optional delivery
endorsement can appear anywhere in the address
zone (top third, with no relation to bound edge),
but cannot be upside down as read in relation to
the top edge.
Can be left or right justified, or centered, but
must not be upside down.
Can face left or right
Note this option also pertains to flats in other
types of containers, such as CD cases.
8
Polybagged Flats
Top Edge (either short edge)
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
Address can appear anywhere in the address zone
(top third, with no relation to bound edge), but
cannot be upside down as read in relation to the
top edge. Addresses on label carriers, invoices,
or onserts must be designed such that the address
remains in the top third of the piece.
Can be left or right justified, or centered, but
must not be upside down.
X
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
John Doe 123 Main St Anywhere, USA 12345
Can face left or right
Cannot be upside down.
9
Survey Questions (PER Example)

• Would addressing in the bottom third of the
  front of your publication be a workable option
  for you (must be addressed parallel to the spine
  or upside down when viewed with the bound edge on
  the left)? _______________________________________
  _______
• Would addressing in the top third of the back of
  your publication be a workable option for you?
  ________________________________________
• Would addressing in the top third of your
  polybagged piece or envelope be a workable option
  for you? ______________________________________
• If you have concerns with any of these options,
  including attaching onserts inside the polybag,
  please provide details as to why
  __________________
• _________________________________________________
  ___________
• How could specifications be adjusted to resolve
  it?
• _________________________________________________
  __________________________________________________
  _____________________
• Please email this page to susan.j.hawes_at_usps.com
  or fax to 202-268-5327.

Note that digest size pieces would utilize the
top half of their publication for the address zone
10
Address Placement for FSS

• The surveys are being distributed through
  associations and MTAC.
• The results will be tabulated in order to
  determine if there is some commonality within the
  industry segments.
• The group will compile the information in a
  report that hopefully can be the basis of
  placement requirements, if FSS is approved.

11
Early Survey Findings

• First-Class mailers have serious concerns about
  the impact of shifting their address either
  upside down or away from a landscape placement.
• Periodicals favor front cover bottom placement
  but our concerned with flipping the address
  upside down, particularly on label carriers and
  onserts.
• Standard mailers are concerned about using
  valuable advertising space if addresses must
  shift from the back bottom to back top, though
  they prefer to keep the address right side up.
• Thank You! Any questions?