{"id":3331,"date":"2012-12-20T09:19:54","date_gmt":"2012-12-20T14:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mmprint.com\/blog\/?p=3331"},"modified":"2013-01-03T11:11:15","modified_gmt":"2013-01-03T16:11:15","slug":"usps-folded-self-mailer-regulations-update-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mmprint.com\/blog\/2012\/usps-folded-self-mailer-regulations-update-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"USPS Folded Self-Mailer Regulations Update 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

Effective January 5, 2013, the United States Postal Service (USPS) is revising the regulations governing the Folded Self-Mailer Standards. The final rules were published in the Federal Register on December 1, 2011 and can be found in the Federal Register \/ Vol. 76, No.231 \/ Thursday December 1, 2011 \/ Rules and Regulations<\/a> [PDF].<\/p>\n

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USPS Working with Mailers to Get It Right<\/h2>\n

After 2 years of collaboration and testing between the Postal Service and mailing service providers, the final rule<\/em>\u00a0was finally adopted. The USPS took comments and suggestions made by the mailers who tested and analyzed the proposed changes into consideration during the process.<\/p>\n

The purpose of the new self-mailer regulations is to introduce\u00a0mail piece\u00a0design options that streamline into the current mail processing capabilities.\u00a0Mail pieces\u00a0that meet these rules will qualify for automation and machinable discounted postage pricing.<\/p>\n

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Folded Self-Mailer Definition and Specifications<\/h2>\n
\"USPS<\/a>
USPS Postal Service Mail Processing Machinery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Folded self-mailer (FSM) is simply a sheet that is folded to create panels and sealed to letter size. The self-mailer may contain more than one sheet but cannot be bound in any way, including by staples.<\/p>\n

A self-mailer may have a maximum height of 6 inches and a maximum length of 10.5 inches. The maximum thickness is 0.25 inches and can be up to 3 ounces.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0mail piece\u00a0must have the main fold at the bottom except for oblong shaped mailers. Having the fold at the bottom allows the\u00a0mail piece\u00a0to run smoothly through the USPS automated mail system which is composed of extensive belts and roller platforms. Although oblong\u00a0mail pieces\u00a0are not required to have the final fold at the bottom, they cannot be tabbed at the bottom to prevent snagging or getting caught as they pass through the system.<\/p>\n

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Common Fold Methods<\/h2>\n