Sheridan Magazine Services: News Releases

USPS Finalizes Address-Requirement Rules

May 2008 — As expected, the U.S. Postal Service has adopted new rules regarding the placement and appearance of mailing labels on all flat mail pieces, publishing "New Address Requirements for Automation, Presorted, and Carrier Route Flat Size Mail” in the Federal Register earlier this month.

Designed to ease the implementation of its Flat Sequencing System (FSS), the new rules restrict the positioning of mailing labels and requires larger fonts, more-generous line spacing and the inclusion of a new 11-digit Postnet barcode or Intelligent Mail Barcode, rather than the current 9-digit barcode. (Read more about the ramifications of the Intelligent Mail Barcode.)

For the first time, the USPS will restrict the location of the address on flat-sized mail and call for specific standards for type size and font design, noting, “We are adopting new standards to require the delivery address in the upper portion of all Periodicals, Standard Mail, (…) flat-size pieces mailed at automation, presorted, or carrier route prices.”

Of critical importance to publishers is the fact that those who do not follow these rules must pay first-class postage, since there are no single-piece rates for these classes of mail.

With respect to label placement, the new rule reads as follows:

“Mailers may place the address parallel or perpendicular to the top edge, but not upside down as read in relation to the top edge. The new standards define upper portion as the top half of a mail piece, but we encourage mailers to place the address as close to the top edge as possible (while still maintaining an 1/8" clearance from the edge).”

Below is an example of the required placement and orientation of the label for a bound flat-size piece that is not in a polybag or an envelope. Note the bound or spine edge is on the right side of the example regardless of whether the label is on the front or the back of the piece. If the label is on Cover 1, it must be at the physical foot of the piece with its orientation being upside down to the graphics on the book. If the label is on Cover 4, it must be at the physical head of the piece and the orientation will be right-side up in relation to the graphics on the book.

label placement without envelope or polybag

Because a flat-size piece in an envelope or a polybag may be fed into the sorting equipment in either direction since all edges are sealed, the bound edge is no longer a factor in the placement of the label.

label placement with envelope or polybag

In addition, the USPS has implemented actual size requirements for the font used for the address label: “Mailers must address all presorted, carrier route and automation flat-size mail pieces using a minimum of 8-point type or — if the mailpiece bears a POSTNET or Intelligent Mail Barcode with a delivery point routing code — a minimum of 6-point type in all capital letters. In addition, for all automation price pieces, the characters in the address must not overlap, the address lines must not touch or overlap, and each address element may be separated by no more than five blank character spaces.”

In response to objections noting that the 8-point type size requirement will require either larger address labels or the elimination of some of the data currently included on labels, the USPS noted, “We reduced the requirement to 6-point type (using all capital letters) on pieces that bear a POSTNET or an Intelligent Mail barcode that contains a delivery point routing code. In our models, we were able to place an Intelligent Mail barcode, the barcode clear zone and 6 lines of text on a 1-inch label."

Under current rules, we've been able to format 8 lines of text on a label, but given the font-size requirement, the size of the IMB, the barcode clear zone and the clearance required to cut the label in the binding process, we'll need to reduce the number of lines to 7. Publishers will have to weigh the desire for a 1-inch label around their need for other content on the address label.

Although these new standards will not be enforced until March 29, 2009, they are in effect now and the USPS expects mailers to begin to observe these new requirements immediately where possible. The grace period is intended to permit mailers to use up existing cover wraps, onserts, tip-ons, etc. that do not allow for compliance as currently designed, and to develop and manufacture new product designs.

The complete set of comments and the official DMM regulations may be reviewed in full here.

Get more information on other postal developments here.