Mailing Tips For Your Announcements and Invitations - Part 2
Which way is up?
How the address is oriented on the envelope can affect the rate you pay. The post office will charge extra if the letter has a delivery address parallel to the shorter side of the envelope. Automated mail processing machines read the address on an envelope from the bottom of the longest side up. If the machines can't find a city, state, zip code, and delivery address, then your mail could be delayed or misrouted. The post office estimates that nearly 25% of all mail have incorrect addresses. If you're unsure about a zip code, go to www.usps.com and use the free ZIP Code Lookup.
Color me bad
Some types of paper make it difficult for the machines to read addresses. Besides being not too flimsy and not too stiff, envelopes should be white or lightly colored with no patterns or prominent specks. Envelopes made from shiny, coated paper stock should also be avoided.
Overseas or over land
Mail sent outside of the United States will need more postage. This includes our immediate neighbors, Canada and Mexico, which have their own specific postal rates for mail from the United States. Mail going to U.S. territories or possessions, such as the American Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and Puerto Rico, can be sent at the regular domestic postal rates.
Make it look stamp-endous!
Once you've determined the correct postage to use, choose a decorative postage stamp that complements and reinforces the theme of your special event. There's usually a good selection of commemorative stamps with various attractive themes of love, holiday, and other special interest. Or you can order customized USPS-approved stamps from www.photostamps.com. Once you have the stamps, apply them to the envelopes yourself. Avoid using a postage meter if you can since the resulting indicia can make the announcement or invitation look too commercial. And it's also a good idea to avoid having the post office affix your postage because they will probably use a machine that won't be as gentle as you'd like.
To hand cancel or not to hand cancel
Speaking of machine, should you have the post office hand cancel your envelopes? If your invitations or announcements have delicate three-dimensional embellishments such as beadwork, ribbons, etc. then hand cancellation may be an appropriate precautionary measure. The post office's automated canceling machine may introduce smudges, wrinkles, and tears especially if the envelopes are not perfectly flat. Even if your baby announcement or invitation has no bulky decorations, you may still want to opt for hand cancellation, which produces a cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing imprint on your envelope. Ask your post office if they charge for hand canceling and, if they do, ask if you can do it yourself at the post office to avoid the extra charge. One thing to bear in mind is that even if your announcements or invitations bypass the automatic canceller, they may still have to go through the sorting machine, which can inflict damage to your correspondence as well.
Safe than sorry
While it's probably safe to drop your announcements and invitations at the corner mailbox, an even safer route is to take them to your post office and personally hand them to the postal clerk. Why tempt fate if you don't have to?
So before you slap on those stamps, be sure to look through the list of postal requirements. Like they say, an ounce of precaution can prevent a pound of frustration!
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