|
AID Mailing and Fulfillment cares about it's customers. We have provided you with definitions of various terms and additional information that can help take the confusion out of your experience. Please feel free to browse the topic below.
Bleed -An image that extends to or past the edge of the page. Camera ready -Another term for artwork which is ready for reproduction. Duotone -A two-color halftone. Four -color process-Reproduction of full color by separating the image into 4 primary colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. Halftone -A photograph broken up into fine dots for reproduction. Imagesetter -A device that output type, line art and photos on media of paper, film or polyester plates. Mock-up, Model, Mechanical -A rough visualization of a design. Overprint -To print over an already printed area. Reverse out -An image that appears white out of a solid background. PRINTING: Understanding the printing process Offset Printing -A common printing method for high-quality printing where the printing plate never touches the piece of paper. Instead, the inked image is transferred to a rubber blanket, which in turn transfers the image to the paper. This offers two advantages: first, the plates themselves last much longer and are less easily damaged during the course of a print run. Second, the blanket is more pliable than a plate and can fit more easily into different textured paper surfaces. Our larger presses use metal plates, instead of paper or plastic plates. A metal plate is far more accurate and stable over a press run and offers a much sharper, higher quality image. Some short-run, small press work is done with synthetic plates. Our offset presses are sheet-fed, meaning that they use large pieces of paper called parent sheets. A wide variety of textured, coated, uncoated, and recycled papers are available in sheets for your projects. Web presses, which print long magazine, newspaper, or catalog runs, use huge rolls of paper. We contract with specialty printers for these types of jobs. Prepress -Desktop publishing and scanning services are available. To save money, review and edit your laser proofs carefully; this is the last stage at which to make corrections at relatively low cost. Final electronic files will be trapped, if necessary, and imposed for output on the imagesetter. There will be a piece of film created for each color included in your publication. The resulting stripped, composite film is used to make a blueline proof.; a color proof will also be provided for complex or multiple-color jobs. A printing job enters the actual press queue after the blueline has been approved. Blueline -A one-color representation of what a printing job will look like. This is the final stage at which to make any corrections; however, please remember that any changes at this point will usually require correcting and reoutputting the film and making a revised blueline. These last-minute changes can be costly and could delay delivery dates. What to look for in a blueline:
*Indicate any changes directly on the blueline, mark the blueline proof slip, and sign it. Press Run -Once the blueline has been approved, the printing plates will be prepared and the job will be scheduled for press. Running a large offset printing press is a complex balancing act to control a number of variables, including ink flow, paper feed rates, fountain solution concentrations and flow, movement of the press sheet, vibration, humidity, and press powder. For complex projects, a press check may be requested; this means that you will be called in during the initial part of a press run to review the press sheet to make sure it meets your expectations. Because of the high costs involved once a project is on press, any undue delays, changes, or modifications made at this point will be at premium rates. If you do request to be at a press check, your Coordinator will try to notify you 24 hours beforehand. Occasionally, however, if an opening develops during the press schedule, your project may be run on shorter notice. Also please be aware that we run several shifts; your press check could happen during non-standard hours. Bindery and Finishing Work -Finished press sheets are trimmed, scored, folded, bound, and final trimmed in the bindery area. Sequential numbering, padding, and shrink-wrapping are also handled. Special processes such as embossing, foil stamping, die cutting, and some varnishes and coatings can also be requested. Preparing and Submitting Electronic Files Printing can be done using hard-copy originals. However, the printing process is faster, less expensive, and better quality if electronic files are used. These may be submitted on floppy or ZIP disks. Our company supports the following file formats:
Mailing Industry terms defined: Army post office (APO) —A branch of a designated USPS civilian post office, which falls under the jurisdiction of the postmaster of either New York City or San Francisco, that serves either Army or Air Force personnel. Automated area distribution center (AADC) —A distribution center that uses multiline optical character readers (MLOCRs), barcode sorters, and other equipment designed for processing automation-compatible mail. Automation-compatible mail —Mail that can be scanned and processed by automated mail processing equipment such as a barcode sorter. Barcode clear zone — A rectangular area in the lower right part of a letter-size mailpiece that must be kept free of printing and symbols, except for the barcode itself. This requirement allows automated processing machines to read or apply a barcode. Barcode read area —A small area within the barcode clear zone in which the barcode must be printed. This area is defined by the position of the leftmost bar of the barcode and the bottom edge of the bar. Bound Printed Matter (BPM) —A subclass of Package Services that consists of permanently bound sheets of which at least 90% are printed with advertising, promotional, directory, or editorial matter (or a combination of such matter). Bulk mail center (BMC) —A highly mechanized mail processing plant that distributes Standard Mail and Package Services in piece and bulk form. Business reply mail (BRM) —A service that allows a permit holder to receive First-Class Mail and Priority Mail back from customers and pay postage only for the returned pieces. These pieces must have a specific address and format. Postage and per piece charges are collected when the mail is delivered back to the permit holder. Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) —A service offered to mailers, service bureaus, and software vendors that improves the accuracy of matching to delivery point codes, ZIP+4 codes, 5-digit ZIP Codes, and carrier route codes on mailpieces. CASS provides a common platform to measure the quality of address matching software and to diagnose and correct software problems. Delivery point barcode (DPBC) —A POSTNET barcode that consists of 62 bars with beginning and ending frame bars and 5 bars each for the nine digits of the ZIP+4 code, the last 2 digits of the primary street address number (or post office box, etc.), and a correction digit. The DPBC allows automated sortation of letter mail to the carrier level in walk sequence. Destination delivery unit (DDU) rate —A rate available for Periodicals, Standard Mail, Parcel Post, and Bound Printed Matter that is properly prepared and entered by the mailer at the delivery unit that serves the delivery address on the mail. Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) —The USPS manual that contains the basic standards governing domestic mail services; descriptions of the mail classes and services and conditions governing their uses; standards for rate eligibility and mail preparation; and all postage rates and fees. Domestic mail is classified by size, weight, content, service, and other factors. Endorsement —An authorized marking on a mailpiece that shows handling instructions, a service, or a request for an ancillary service. Facing identification mark (FIM) —A series of five or six vertical bars used by automated postal equipment to identify, orient, and separate reply mail. Flat —The general term for flat-size mail, so called because the large mail is sorted without bending it so that the mail remains flat. Indicia —Imprinted designation on mail that denotes postage payment (e.g., permit imprint). International Mail Manual (IMM) —The USPS manual that contains classification regulations and other requirements for mailing between the United States and other countries. Irregular parcel —A mail processing category for a parcel that does not meet the dimensions of a machinable parcel. Irregular parcels and pieces —Parcels that do not meet the dimensional criteria of machinable parcels and other parcels that cannot be processed by parcel sorters (for example, a noncaseable flat, small cube or fragile parcel, paper or sleeve-wrapped catalog, and sackable roll, tube, or film). Keyline —Optional mailer information printed in or above the address or in the lower left corner of the envelope. The information in a keyline identifies the mailpiece and its presort level. Under some postage payment systems, the keyline is a required line that contains specific information about the mailpiece. Letter-size mail —A mail processing category of mailpieces, including cards, that do not exceed any of the dimensions for letter-size mail (that is, 11 ½ inches long, 6 1/8 inches high, ¼ inch thick). Line-of-travel (LOT) sequence —A presort for Enhanced Carrier Route rates in which mailpieces are arranged by ZIP+4 codes in the order in which the route is served by the carrier. The mailpieces are sequenced in delivery order. Media Mail —Formerly Special Standard Mail. A subclass of Package Services that consists of books, sheet music, printed educational material, film, videocassettes, CD-ROMs, or other computer-readable media. Meter Reply Mail (MRM) —A preprinted return envelope, card, or label provided by a meter license holder as a courtesy to customers on which the postage is prepaid as a meter impression. Compare to business reply mail and courtesy reply mail. Meter stamp —A postage imprint (either on meter tape or as a direct impression) applied in the upper right corner of the envelope, address label, or tag. The type, size, and style of the imprint must be fixed when the postage meter is approved for manufacture by the USPS. For letter-size mail, the imprint must be set in fluorescent ink. Meter stamps may be used to pay postage for all mail classes except Periodicals. Military post office (MPO) —A branch of a U.S. civil post office, operated by the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps to serve military personnel overseas or aboard ships. National Change of Address (NCOA) —An address correction service that the USPS provides to mailers through USPS licensees. The licensees match mailing lists submitted to them on tape or disk against change-of-address information for the entire country from all Computerized Forwarding System units. If a match is made, NCOA can correct the address before it is printed on a mailpiece. Nonmachinable —The inability of a mailpiece to be sorted on mail processing equipment because of size, shape, content, or address legibility. Such mail must be processes manually and could be subject to a surcharge. Nonprofit rate —A preferred rate for a Periodicals publisher authorized to mail as a nonprofit organization. Nonprofit Standard Mail —A subclass of Standard Mail that is available only to qualified organizations specified by U.S. statute. Nonstandard surcharge —A surcharge on any piece of First-Class Mail weighing 1 ounce or less that has an aspect ratio less than 1.3 or greater than 2.5. This surcharge does not apply to pieces claimed at card rates. Optical character reader (OCR) —An automated mail sorting machine that interprets the address information on a letter-size mailpiece and sprays the corresponding ZIP Code information onto the piece as a barcode. The OCR consists of a mail feed unit, transport unit, stacker modules, computer with a control system, video monitor, and printer. Parcel Post —A subclass of Package Services with rates based generally on weight and zone. Periodicals —A class of mail consisting of magazines, newspapers, or other publications formed of printed sheets that are issued at least four times a year at regular, specified intervals (frequency) from a known office of publication. Periodicals usually must have a legitimate list of subscribers and requesters. Permit —Any authorization required for specific types of preparation or postage payment. Specifically, an authorization to mail without postage affixed by using indicia or an imprint. Payment is made against an advance deposit account that is established with the USPS for postage and services. Permits also are required to participate in certain programs such as business reply mail. Permit imprint —Printed indicia, instead of an adhesive postage stamp or meter stamp, that shows postage prepayment by an authorized mailer. Piece rate —For some mail classes, the postage charged for each mailpiece in addition to the pound rate change. Postage statement —Documentation provided by a mailer to the USPS that reports the volume of mail being presented and the postage payable or affixed, and certifies that the mail meets the applicable eligibility standards for the rate claimed. Precanceled stamp —A postage stamp canceled by marking across the face before it is sold to mailers for use with bulk mailings. Also, a stamp designated by the USPS as a precanceled stamp without cancellation marks. The USPS sells precanceled stamps for Presorted First-Class Mail and regular and nonprofit Standard Mail. Mailpieces with these stamps do not go through a canceling machine at the time of mail processing. Presort —The process by which a mailer groups mail by ZIP Code so that it is sorted to the finest extent required by the standards for the rate claimed. Generally, presort is performed sequentially, from the lowest (finest) level to the highest level, to those destinations specified by standard and is completed at each level before the next level is prepared. Not all presort levels are applicable to all mailings. Presort Accuracy Validation and Evaluation (PAVE) —A voluntary program in which the USPS tests vendors’ presort software and hardware products to determine their accuracy in sorting address information according to USPS standards and producing standardized supporting documentation. Presorted Standard —The postage rate for Standard Mail pieces that are part of a mailing and that meet minimum volume and preparation requirements. Qualifying Piece —A mailpiece that meets all standards for a certain rage or discount. Rural route (RR) —A delivery route served by a rural carrier. Single-piece rate —A postage rate available for individual pieces of Express Mail, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail, and Package Services. It is not available for Periodicals except under the rate category of basic. This type of rate contrasts with rates available for bulk mail and presorted mail. Standard Mail —A class of mail (formerly Standard Mail (A)) that weighs less than 16 ounces. It comprises the subclasses of Regular Standard Mail, Nonprofit Standard Mail, Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail, and Nonprofit Enhanced Carrier Route Standard Mail. These subclasses include circulars, printed matter, pamphlets, catalogs, newsletters, direct mail, and merchandise. Standard Mail may be sent at presorted rates and at automation rates. Tray —A container used in postal facilities to hold letters and First-Class-Mail flats. It is used as a basic unit of mail quantity for purposes of preparing mail to qualify for discounted postage rates. Unique ZIP Code —A ZIP Code assigned to a company, government agency, or entity with sufficient mail volume, based on average daily volume of letter-size mail received, availability of ZIP Code numbers in the postal area, and USPS cost-benefit analysis. Upgradeable mail —First-Class mail and Standard Mail that the USPS can process on am multiline optical character reader (MLOCR) to apply a barcode. Upgradeable mail is letter-size, automation-compatible pieces with machine-printed nonscript addresses, an OCR read area and a barcode clear zone meeting reflectance requirements, and paper that can accept ink. Preparation of upgradeable pieces is usually simpler than the preparation of nonupgradeable mail. Walk sequence —The order in which a carrier delivers mail for a route. This order is required for most carrier route presort mail. ZIP Code —A system of 5-digit codes that identifies the individual post office or metropolitan area delivery station associated with an address. ZIP+4 is an enhanced code consisting of the 5-digit ZIP Code and four additional digits that identify a specific range of delivery addresses. ZIP+4 Code —A nine-digit numeric code composed of two parts: (a) the initial code: the first five digits that identify the sectional center facility and delivery area associated with the address, followed by a hyphen; and (b) the four-digit expanded code: the first two additional digits designate the sector (a geographic area) and the last two digits designate the segment (a building, floor, etc.).
|
