If you mail Flats, you need to read this.

The Postal Service is looking to cut costs where they can. One of the ways they do this is by giving mailers lower postage rates if the mailer designs the mail piece in a way that allows the Postal Service to automate the way they handle the mail. Processing Flat-Size mail by machine (Flats are defined as a piece taller then 6 1/8" or wider then 11 1/2") will require a new layout as of March 29, 2009. The new standards are radically different from what was acceptable before.

These new addressing standards include:

• The delivery address must appear in the top half of the mail piece.
• The bound edge of the mail piece must be on the right in relation to the delivery address.
• The delivery address cannot appear upside down when the bound edge is on the right.
• The delivery address must be below and to the right of the return address.

Other addressing rules apply for Flat-Size mail pieces. For more complete information on the new rules that pertain to Flat-Size mail addressing, contact your Project Manager, or visit the USPS site by clicking here.