How it works
From an offer and a city to the mailbox, in four steps
A direct mail order with us has four steps: tell us the job and the city and get a written quote, add the design and the audience, approve the proof, and the partner that fits the job prints, presorts and enters the mail on its mail date. Delivery follows the USPS class you chose: one to five business days First-Class, three to ten Marketing Mail. Mail aimed at whole neighborhoods goes out on the mail dates of the partner that covers them.
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1
Tell us the job
A 5×8.25 or 6×11 postcard, to your list or saturating the neighborhoods you pick; how many, from 1,000 up; and which city. That is enough for a written quote, priced for your city.
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2
Add the design and the audience
Send your artwork, or we design the card for you. Send your list, have one built to your criteria, or name the neighborhoods and ZIP codes to saturate. We clean the addresses and confirm the count.
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3
Approve the proof and the quote
A digital proof with the address block and indicia in place, and the written quote for your city: printing, processing, postage. Nothing prints until you say so.
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4
We print, mail and report
Printed and entered on the mail date set with the partner that takes the job. Delivery scans by ZIP and day, and every response tracked to the drop that produced it.
Step 1: tell us the job and get the quote
Send the quote form from any page: the postcard (5×8.25 or 6×11), whether it goes to your list or to every household in chosen neighborhoods, roughly how many (orders start at 1,000 pieces), the city it is going to, and when it needs to arrive. Pricing is set for the city and the job, so the written quote covers printing, mail processing and postage. If you are not sure which piece fits, the industry pages describe what works in your field, and the form accepts "not sure yet."
Step 2: add the design and the audience
You do not need a file or a list to start. We design the card, offer and copy included, quoted with the job; if you have artwork already, send it and it is preflighted free for bleed, resolution, color, fonts and USPS clear zones. For the audience, send your own spreadsheet, tell us who you want to reach and we build a list to those criteria, or name the neighborhoods and ZIP codes you want saturated and we confirm the household count before you pay. Every list goes through CASS, DPV, NCOA and de-duplication, and we tell you how many pieces will actually mail.
Step 3: approve the proof and the quote
You receive a digital proof of both sides with the address block, indicia and barcode zone in place, alongside the written quote. Nothing prints until you approve both. Printed proofs are available on request.
Step 4: we print, mail and report
Jobs are printed, addressed, presorted and entered at the USPS on the mail date set by whichever of our three partners has the distribution and the mail date your job needs. Every piece carries an Intelligent Mail barcode, and delivery scans are reported by ZIP and day. Reordering the same mailing is two clicks, and the list is re-run through NCOA before every drop.
What you never have to do
- Get a bulk mail permit or pay annual mailing fees
- Buy presort software or an addressing machine
- Fill out a postage statement
- Drive trays to the Business Mail Entry Unit
- Guess whether a design meets USPS rules
- Pay for postage twice because a list was not move-updated
Answers
Process questions
What do I need to start a direct mail order?
Less than you might think. A design is optional, because we can make one, and so is a list: send yours, have one built to your criteria, or name the neighborhoods you want saturated. Then add a quantity of 1,000 or more, a postcard size and the city. Send those through the quote form; the written quote and a proof follow, and nothing prints until you approve both.
What file format do you need for the artwork?
A PDF at 300 dpi in CMYK with 0.125 inch of bleed and fonts embedded is ideal if you have your own artwork, and you do not have to: we can design the card. We also accept Adobe files, high-resolution JPG and PNG, and Canva exports. Everything is preflighted free of charge and we tell you exactly what to fix if something is off.
Do I get to approve a proof?
Yes, always. A digital proof of the front and back, with the address block and indicia in place, is sent before production and nothing prints until you approve it. A printed proof mailed to you is available on request.
How do I know the mail was delivered?
Every piece carries an Intelligent Mail barcode that USPS equipment scans as it moves through the network. We report the scans by ZIP code and day, so you can see when the bulk of the mailing hit mailboxes and time your follow-up.
Can I reorder the same mailing?
Yes. Every job is saved with its design, list and settings, so a repeat drop is a quick confirmation. The list is re-run through NCOA before each drop so movers are updated.
Request a free quote
Tell us what you want to mail. We will price it for your city.
Send the postcard size, the quantity and the city it is going to. Pricing is set for your city and your job, so you get a written quote — printing, mail processing and postage — with no obligation. No finished design or mailing list needed.