| pect Ratio: The dimension of a mailing piece | | | | piece.Example: To place a card with directions inside |
| expressed as a ratio of height to length. | | | | an invitation. To place a reply card inside the flap of a |
| Bangtail: That little piece of paper on the back of an | | | | reply envelope. When a multi-page letter needs to be |
| envelope that gets removed via perforation and is | | | | folded together as one, often a mailhouse will z-fold |
| another opportunity to get your advertising message | | | | the letters individually and hand put them together. |
| seen. Commonly seen on credit card envelopes that | | | | Then the entire letter can be inserted as one |
| are included with your monthly invoice. | | | | multi-paged document. The process of putting the |
| Barcode: A series of vertical full bars and half bars | | | | letters together would be nesting. |
| representing Post Code information relative to the | | | | OCR (optical character reader): A computerized mail |
| address on the mailpiece. | | | | processing machine that scans addresses on mail and |
| Barcode Read Area: The clear zone on the lower part | | | | applies the proper barcode. |
| of an envelope that must be kept free of printing and | | | | OE (outer envelope) or Outer: The envelope that your |
| symbols except for the barcode itself. | | | | package will be delivered in. Usually, a "teaser" line is on |
| BRC: Business Reply Card | | | | the front to entice the recipient to open your letter. |
| BRE: Business Reply Envelope | | | | Overs (or overruns): The portion of a print run that |
| Bursting: The process of separating continuous forms. | | | | exceeds the quantity specified in the purchase order. |
| Carrier Sheet: A sheet of paper that is inserted into a | | | | Allow 2% on small mailings and 1% on larger runs |
| polybag or is polywrapped. It usually contains a | | | | (100,000+) |
| personalised address and PPI | | | | Perf: Perforation |
| Cheshire - Label: These types of labels look like normal | | | | Periodicals: A class of mail consisting of magazines, |
| white computer paper. A special machine, called the | | | | newspapers, or other publications that are issued |
| Cheshire machine can cut this paper into label sized | | | | throughout the year at regular, specified intervals. |
| strips (usually 3 5/16" x 1") and glue them onto mailing | | | | Personalised Laser Letter: A document printed from a |
| pieces. | | | | laser printer where each page has some form of |
| Cleaned List: One that is up to date and free of | | | | personalisation such that each one is unique. |
| duplication and unwanted names/addresses. | | | | Point: A typographical unit of measure equal to |
| Collate: To put together a number of inserts or pieces | | | | approximately 1/72" (0.0138"). |
| of paper for a purpose. Such as collating 10 pages | | | | Polybag: A clear polythene bag often used to mail |
| together, so as you can staple them. | | | | magazines and newsletters. |
| Control: The mail package format/creative that's done | | | | Polywrapping: A method where a piece of flat |
| the best for you; the one that's yielded the greatest | | | | polythene is wrapped around a mailing piece and |
| response. | | | | sealed. Usually cheaper than polybagging and usually |
| Data Enhancement: Improving the quality of the data | | | | thinner. |
| i.e. Changing the casing of the data, improving the post | | | | PPI: The Postage Paid Impression or postage mark. |
| code, breaking up the salutation field into Title Initial | | | | Precancelled Stamps: Stamps cancelled by printing |
| Surname, and much more! Call us if you need some | | | | across the face before they are sold to mailers. |
| help. | | | | Presort: The process by which a mailer prepares mail |
| Data Entry: Entering names and addresses into a | | | | so that is sorted down to the finest extent required by |
| computer one at a time from printed or hand written | | | | the Post Office. |
| material. | | | | Presstream: A method of presorting mail for |
| Database: Can be as simple as a card file; a collection | | | | periodicals. There are two services available with |
| of information stored in a computer medium that can | | | | varying discounts |
| be easily accessed and manipulated. | | | | Pressure Sensitive Continuous Feed - Labels: Pressure |
| Deduplication (Dedupe): An electronic process where | | | | sensitive type labels, peel off a backing and stick onto |
| two or more records are compared and if same | | | | another surface, such as a mail piece. Continuous feed |
| duplication is removed | | | | means the label pages are attached to each other |
| Demographics: Those characteristics that define a | | | | and are fed through the printer by pin holes. |
| particular group of people, including HHI, age, education | | | | Proportional Spacing: The spacing of characters in a |
| level, family size, etc. | | | | line where the space occupied by a character is |
| Envelope - DL: Envelope used for 1/3 A4 mailing. Can | | | | proportional to the width of that character, as opposed |
| also be oversize and undersize. The undersize can be | | | | to fixed spacing where every character occupies the |
| used to put a BRE in a DL envelope. Oversize DL | | | | same amount of space regardless of its actual width. |
| envelopes assist in the mailing production buy giving a | | | | Psychographics: These are characteristics, habits, |
| larger clearance. | | | | attitudes, lifestyle and behaviour patterns that can help |
| Envelope - C5: Size to fit an A5 piece of paper or 1/2 | | | | you identify your audience, or eliminate names of those |
| A4 | | | | who aren't. |
| Envelope - C4: Size to fit A4 items | | | | Purge: The process of eliminating duplicates and/or |
| Font: The collection of all letters, numbers, punctuation | | | | unwanted names from one or more lists. |
| marks, etc. within a certain size and style. | | | | QMP: An accreditation from the British Accreditation |
| Fulfilment House: A company specializing in responding | | | | Bureau in conjunction with Royal Mail. Mailing house |
| to and tracking orders sold through Direct Mail. | | | | clients are randomly checked for their level of satisfied |
| Gate Fold: A type of fold where both sides of a piece | | | | customers. Check that your mailing house is approved! |
| get folded inward so the edges come together. | | | | It should be. |
| Inkjetting: A method of addressing an envelope or card | | | | Quarter-Fold: A type of fold where a piece gets |
| or other item. The machine is connected to a | | | | folded in half, and then in half again. Both folds are in |
| computer and can personalise and add graphics to a | | | | the same direction. |
| mailing piece | | | | RFM (recency/frequency/monetary): A key formula |
| Insert: Any item, such as a brochure or pamphlet, that | | | | used with most databases. It lets direct marketers |
| is placed in a Direct Mail package. | | | | know the recency and frequency of purchasing, and |
| Jiffy Bag: Generally a corrugated, padded or bubble | | | | the amount of money spent by the people in their |
| bag often used to mail an article that needs protection, | | | | database. |
| such as a cassette or video tape. | | | | Right Angle Fold: A type of fold where a mailing piece |
| Kerning: Reducing space between characters. | | | | gets folded in one direction, and then in another |
| Negative letter spacing. | | | | direction. Eg. a 17 x 11 piece getting folded in half to 8 1 |
| Laser Clear - Labels: See Laser labels, except these | | | | 2 x 11 then folded in half (or in thirds), but in the |
| are translucent in appearance. | | | | opposite direction, so that the finished size is 8 1/2 x 5 1 |
| Laser White - Labels: Laser labels are also known as | | | | 2 (or 8 1/2 x 3 2/3). |
| pressure sensitive sheet fed labels. Basically, the labels | | | | Roll Fold: A type of fold where one side of a piece |
| peel off a backing and stick onto another surface, and | | | | gets folded inward and then folded inward again at |
| each sheet of labels is independent of each other. | | | | least once more, like you are rolling a piece up. |
| Layout: The arrangement of text blocks, headlines and | | | | Saddle Stitching: Stapling a publication from the back to |
| graphics on a page. | | | | the centre. |
| Letter Fold (Writing In): Piece is folded inwards from | | | | Self-Mailer: A mailing piece that mails without the use |
| both sides in such a way so that they overlap each | | | | of an envelope. An example of this is an 8 1/2 x 11 |
| other. When completed the writing of the front page is | | | | sheet tri-folded, addressed and mailed by itself. |
| folded facing inwards. | | | | Self Seal: An envelope which has glue in two places |
| Letter Fold (Writing Out): Piece is folded inwards from | | | | on the envelope. They are not machinable and must |
| both sides in such a way so that they overlap each | | | | be sealed by hand.Serif: The short crosslines at the |
| other. When completed the writing of the front page is | | | | ends of the main strokes of letters in certain type |
| folded facing outwards. | | | | styles. |
| Lettershop: A company that personalises, labels, sorts | | | | Shelf Life: The length of time before an item (such as |
| and stuffs envelopes in preparation for mailing. | | | | a catalogue) becomes obsolete. |
| Lift Note: A folded sheet that is a "last chance" to | | | | Skew: The misalignment or slant of a character, bar, |
| deliver an advertising message. Usually written by a | | | | line of characters, or barcode with respect to the |
| person other than the main writer of the letter. Good | | | | bottom or top edge of the mailpiece. |
| place for a testimonial. | | | | Sorting: In Direct Mail, the arrangement of pieces in a |
| List Broker: An individual or company that brings | | | | bulk mailing by Post Code to facilitate processing and |
| together owners of lists and the Direct Mailers who | | | | more reliable delivery. |
| use them. | | | | Suppress: Using information on one or more lists to |
| List compiler: An individual or company that specializes | | | | remove duplication of specific names before a mailing, |
| in gathering names, addresses and information from a | | | | or to eliminate those undesirable names, or the names |
| variety of sources to produce a customized list of | | | | of the deceased, or people on the Mailing Preference |
| prospective customers. | | | | Service |
| Live stamp/live postage: A "normal" stamp which a | | | | Tracking: The maintenance of records concerning |
| consumer would use, as opposed to metered mailings. | | | | various aspects of mailings, e.g., response rate, date |
| Machinable Wallet: An envelope that is machinable. | | | | mailed, location of respondents, etc. |
| The flap is gummed and on the long edge of the | | | | Tri-fold: A type of fold where the sides of a piece both |
| envelope. | | | | get folded inward, usually one third of the length of the |
| Mailsort: Mail which has been presorted for Royal Mail. | | | | piece. |
| There are three levels of service with varying | | | | Typesetter: An individual or company that generates |
| discounts. | | | | high-resolution text and graphics. The typesetter can |
| Matching: The process of keeping together a unique | | | | produce the high-quality output needed to produce |
| insert to the addressee that goes with at least one | | | | professional-looking printed matter. |
| other unique insert in the same package, or a unique | | | | Walksort: A process carried out by the mailing house |
| insert to the addressee that goes with the address | | | | to sort mail down to the postman's walk from the post |
| information located on the outside of the package. For | | | | code in the data. There are two levels of service and |
| example a personalized letter that needs to be | | | | varying discounts available. |
| matched with the address displayed on the outside of | | | | Web Press: A press that prints on rolls (or webs) of |
| the envelope. | | | | paper instead of single sheets. |
| Merge: The process of combining two or more lists | | | | White Space: Areas on a page that have no printing |
| into a single one using the same sequential order, then | | | | on them. |
| sorting them together, usually by Company Name or | | | | Window Envelopes: Envelopes having an opening |
| Postcode | | | | through which an address printed on an insert is visible. |
| Merge/Purge: The process of combining more than | | | | Z-Fold: Piece is folded inwards once and outwards |
| one data file and deleting out the duplicate entries. | | | | once, like in the shape of a Z. |
| Nest: To place a piece inside a part or all of another | | | | |