| Before you start designing your electronic art for machine automated mail, the very first thing you need to think about is what mail classification your finished piece fits into. The classification determines the cost of the postage; which can vary considerably between a letter and flat piece.
The three primary classifications Holley’s Printing sends are:
• letters
• flats
• postcards
The terms used for these classifications is very confusing. For example, there are times when you mail a letter the post office will classify it as a “flat”, and times when you mail a flat card the post office will classify it as a “letter”.
Keep in mind that how these pieces are classified is determined strictly by the size and shape of your mail piece. The content of the piece doesn’t figure into it at all.
Classification: Letter
For sorting purposes, a letter is ANY piece of mail shaped like a rectangle or square and ALL of the following are true:
• No side is longer than 11.5”, AND,
• The shorter side is 6.125” or less, AND,
• The piece is no more than .25” thick.
So, if you draw a rectangle that is 6.125” by 11.25”, and you can set your mail piece down on the rectangle and not have any of it outside of the rectangle, then it is a letter (as long as it is not more than .25” thick).
Classification: Flat
Any rectangular or square mail piece that exceeds the maximum size limits in at least one direction to be a letter is a flat.
That means that you have a flat if ANY of the following are true:
• The shorter side of the piece is more than 6.125”, OR,
• The longer side of the piece is more than 11.5”, OR,
• The piece is more than .25” thick.
Well, not exactly...
The maximum dimensions that the piece cannot exceed are listed below. To be a flat, ALL the following must also be true:
• No side is longer than 15", AND,
• The shorter side is 12" or less, AND,
• The piece is no more than .75" thick.
Classification: Postcard
For sorting purposes, all cards are considered to be letters or flats, depending on their size as described above.
However, cards that fall below a certain size qualify for a special First Class postcard postage rate. If you are sending barcoded postcards smaller than the size shown below, and you have at least 500 pieces in each mailing, we will use the First Class postcard rate instead of the Standard Class letter rate (with the exception of nonprofit mailers, who still receive a better discount using Standard Class nonprofit rates.)
Cards are eligible for the First Class postcard rate if:
• The card is rectangular in shape; AND,
• The height of the card is from 3.5” to 4.25”; AND,
• The width of the card is from 5” to 6”.
If your cards are larger than the size shown above, you should use the Standard Class letter or flat rate, as applicable according to the size of the card.
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