®

Folded

self- mailer

Folded

self- mailer

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One tab -With one tab or wafer seal: folded edge at bottom of mailpiece, tab or wafer seal in middle of top edge of mailpiece.

º Single folded sheet, sealed with one tab or wafer seal, minimum basis weight : 28 pounds or 70 pounds

º Two or more sheets, sealed with one tab or wafer seal, minimum basis weight: 24 pounds or 60 pounds

9Folded Self- Mailer

®

Two tab - With two tabs or wafer seals: folded edge at top or bottom of mailpiece, tabs or wafer seals must be placed within 1 inch of the right and left edges of mailpiece

ºminimum basis weight: 20 pounds

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Folded Self- Mailer

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Three tab -With folded edge on right (leading edge):

Leading (trailing) edge and other open edges must be secured with at least one tab or a glue line.

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º minimum basis weight 75 pound

Folded Self- Mailer

º If the piece is 7 inches long or more, the piece must be sealed on the top and the bottom

®

                                      

 

                                      

 

Number and location of tabs or wafer seals are specified for particular types of letter-size mail. In all cases, additional tabs may be used.

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®

Options-

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Invitation fold

Address label tab

Folds top and bottom

Multiple sheets

Minimum basis weight 20 Pound

Continuous glue strip

Open edge top

Folded edge bottom

Single sheets

Minimum basis weight 20 lb Folded Self- Mailer

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Letter-sized

booklets

Letter-sized

booklets

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®

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

The Postal Service adopts new Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM®) to reflect changes to the construction and sealing of letter- sized booklets mailed at automation, presorted machinable or carrier route letter prices. We also adopt a definition of booklets and clarify weight standards for letter- sized mail.

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Letter- sized booklets

®

Booklets definition

Multiple sheets of paper bound together on one edge to form a spine; may be perfect-bound or

permanently fastened with staples (saddle stitched) or another method that creates a uniformly thick

mailpiece.

Larger booklets may be folded to letter-size so long as final mailpiece remains uniformly thick.

Spiral bindings are not machinable and do not qualify for automation prices.

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Letter- sized booklets

®

Booklets:º Height – 3.5 inches to 6 inches

º Length – 5 inches to 10.5 inches*º Thickness – 0.009 inch to 0.25 inches

measured at the booklet spineº Aspect ratio – within 1.3 to 2.5º Maximum weight – 3 ounces

*Note: some booklet designs have shorter maximum lengths

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Letter- sized booklets

®

The current maximum weight of 3 ounces has not changed and is applicable to all mailpieces prepared without envelopes. However, to improve machinability we recommend reducing the length of 3-ounce booklets to a final trim size of 9 inches.

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Letter- sized booklets

Cover stock requirements vary with 40-pound minimum basis weight for folded booklet designs and 60- or 70-pound minimum basis weight for pieceslonger than 9 inches. The use of paper that is 10 pounds heavier than the required minimum basis weight is recommended for better processing performance.

We strongly recommend using a minimum of 70-pound paper as cover stock on mailpiece designs that approach maximum booklet dimensions.

®Letter- sized booklets 1

9

®

The bottom edge of booklets must be a bound edge or fold unless the mailpiece is prepared as an oblong booklet. Oblong booklets must be prepared with a spine on the leading edge. Oblong booklets with the spine on the trail edge are non machinable.

↑ Spine

← Spine

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Letter- sized booklets

® Letter- sized booklets 20 a

Position upper tabs 1” from the top edge

Position lower tab on leading edge ½” from bottom edge

Tab placement is subject to ¼” variance in either direction- measurement is to edge of tab

Tabs must be tight against the edge of the mailpiece. A maximum 1/16” overhang is recommended.

Spine may be on trail edge.

← Spine

® Letter- sized booklets 20 b

Tab centered on trailing edge

Tabs on top edge positioned 1” from each side of mailpiece

Tab placement is subject to ¼” variance in either direction- measurement is to edge of tab

Tabs must be tight against the edge of the mailpiece. A maximum 1/16” overhang is recommended.

®

Old tab - Test revealed that tabs with perforations are easily broken, do not maintain their integrity and are damaged in transport prior to entering the mailstream.

º Tabs used to seal booklets claiming automation or machinable prices may not be perforated.

Letter- sized booklets 21

®

New tab-

º Tabs: Three minimum 1-1/2inch tabs required on all booklets

Non-perforated tabs required on all piecesRecommend white paper tabsRecommend 2-inch tabs on booklets over 2.5 ounces

1.5” - 2” width

Generally booklets need three 1-1/2 inch tabs as closures. For larger or heavier booklets, we recommend 2 inch paper tabs. Glue spots or a continuous glue line may be used to seal some booklet designs.

Letter- sized booklets 22

®

Glue Line:

May be used as cover-to-cover seals

Must be placed along the entire edge and no more than ¾” from the open ends

Glue Spot:May be used in lieu of tabsMust be placed within ¾” of the open edgesMust be at least 1” in diameter

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Letter- sized booklets

®

Tabs, wafer seals, cellophane tape or permanent glue (continuous or spot) must not interfere with recognition of the barcode, rate marking, postage identification or required address information.

Cellophane tape is not acceptable within the barcode clear zone. Tabs or wafer seals placed in the barcode clear zone must contain a paper face meeting standards for reflectance and, if the barcode is not printed by the mailer, the standards for water based ink.

5/8” from bottom

4-1/4” from right edge

Barcode clear zone

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