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DISTRIBUTION OF YOUR PRINTED MATERIAL
Distribution + Distribution FAQs

Customer service + Delivery + Glossary + Products and services + Start an order

Consider distribution when you plan your printed material, not as an afterthought - especially if the items will be mailed. U.S. Postal Service regulations may affect your decisions about paper, folds, ink, and finished sizes if you wish to take advantage of bulk or nonprofit rates.

The Printing Department's customer service reps and Copy Center staff can arrange for estimates for printing and paper expenses. The staff at Central Mail Services can help you plan for mailing costs.

Note: The Central Mail website includes information about addressing, bulk mail, endorsements, nonprofit status, permit mail, and reply mail.

Common problems
"Z" folds: Addressing equipment cannot process efficiently items with this type of fold and will damage or destroy many pieces. If you must use a z-fold, you'll have to compensate by ordering more printed pieces than you need, hand labeling, or using envelopes. Using a fold that is more compatible with automated addressing can help keep your costs down.

Dimensions of finished piece: U.S. Postal Service regulations specify the minimum and maximum sizes allowed for mail pieces to receive discounts. Surcharges are added to items not within the specified dimensions.

Weight of paper: The weight of the paper on which your order is printed can make a difference in your costs. Lighter weight papers often have a high rate of damage when they are addressed, requiring that you begin with more printed pieces than you need. It might be more economical to choose heavier paper and print the exact quantity you need. On the other hand, using lighter paper with envelopes could be the best choice. Your customer service rep can give you pricing information to help you make these decisions.