Mail Fulfilment Services
If you have a product that needs mailing then mail fulfilment is another element of print services which needs your careful consideration. Your options are influenced, and also limited, by many variables, for example:-
- the type of product to mail out
- the volume being mailed out
- whether it is just domestic or includes international mailing
- your timescales
- your budget
- what your product weighs
Mail Fulfilment Options
Firstly, it’s important to consider the unwrapped weight of your product. This may effect how you choose to mail it. If your product is close to a mailing weight or size boundary then the type of wrapping you use will affect the overall weight. This, in turn, may affect the overall mailing cost.
There are four main fulfilment options:
- poly-wrapping
- bio-wrapping – using potato starch
- naked mailings (no outer to protect the mailed item)
- envelope stuffing
- paper-wrapping
Getting wrapped
Poly-wrapping
Poly-wrapping is a polythene wrap which can be used for a variety of your different sized mailings. Even non-standard sized or shaped items can be poly-wrapped. Most poly-wrapping can accommodate A6 brochures to large tabloid newspaper sized mailings with machinable inserts.
Poly-wrap is a plastic and is therefore both waterproof and highly durable (compared to a paper-wrap for example), and as the the contents are easily visible it is s a great option for marketing impact. It is light weight, from around 2gm for an A4 poly-wrap, compared to 10gm for an envelope. This lighter option can therefore reduce your mailing costs.
Poly-wrap can easily be printed on. So, for example, you can print addresses, marketing text, logos and mailing barcodes and reducing the need for address inserts and an extra production process (and cost!).
Poly-wrapping is fast. Some machines can wrap around 12,000 items per hour. This makes it ideal for large direct marketing fulfilment projects, as well as smaller bespoke projects.
Bio & Paper-Wrapping
With a drive towards sustainable practices within print, both bio-wrap and paper-wrap are becoming an increasingly more popular choice.
Bio-wrap is made of potato starch is biodegrable and can be even be composted at home. Its durable and can be printed on, however due to is slightly ‘milky’ appearance, there have been issues with Royal Mail scanning the mail marks.
Paper wrap is is 100% recyclable and more durable than poly and bio-wrap. There are multiple printed options possible and as any logos, sales message and images can be printed directly onto the outside of the mailing, the marketing impact is fantastic!
Stuff it
Envelope enclosing is often chosen when the content is sensitive and requires confidentiality. As a paper option, mailing addresses can be printed along with logos and other information. A range of fonts and colours can be used, in line with any branding.
Envelope insertion can be either be done by hand or machine. Depending on the machine configuration up to 20 additional inserts can be included.
Recycled envelopes are widely available and used envelopes can be recycled with paper recycling. Envelopes are heavier than poly-wrapping, but some Royal Mail mailing discounts can be higher on envelopes than poly-wrap.
A downside to using envelopes is that they may not offer the same durability as poly-wrap. They can get crushed or torn in the mailing process, especially if they get damp which can affect the quality of the contents.
Considering mail fulfilment before you print can influence the choice of printers and mailing house, because in some cases it can all be done in-house. Most of the significant catalogue, magazine and brochure printers offer some form of mail fulfilment, but their expertise is limited to their in-house abilities and their knowledge on postage solutions may not be as comprehensive as it could be.
What next?
This guide is a ‘rule of thumb’ so please contact us to discuss the mail fulfilment services you are looking for so we can advise you on what options will provide the quality and pricing required.
Contact us now for a no obligation quotation, either by call 01323 419701 or email simon@cliffe-enterprise.com.
Feel free to look at our other blog posts on Brochure Printing, Fulfilment, Direct Mailing, Paper, Printing and News.