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Mailing guide

How direct mail works, step by step

Direct mail is printed marketing delivered to a mailbox. This guide shows how direct mail works by following one mailing from list to delivery, then defines each mailing term in a glossary.

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The short version

What direct mail is and why people still use it

Direct mail is marketing you print and send through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), which sets postage rates and the rules for preparing mail.

People still use it because a printed piece arrives at a real address you chose, does not depend on an inbox, and can be aimed by neighborhood or by list. Typical uses include promotions, event invitations, fundraising appeals and customer follow-ups.

At a glanceDirect mail

Pieces
Postcards, letters, brochures, self-mailers
Audience
A mailing list, or every address on a carrier route
Prepared by
A mailing house, which readies mail for the Postal Service

The steps

How direct mail works: six steps from list to mailbox

Most mailings follow the same steps. Each step links to the page that covers it.

  1. Your list

    Data

    We merge lists, remove duplicates and check addresses, or build a consumer or B2B list for you. Our stated service level for list processing is 24 hours, for the list only. See data management.

  2. Your message

    Design

    Our graphic design team shapes the piece around your goals and brand, or you bring finished artwork.

  3. Digital & offset

    Print

    The piece is printed in-house, digitally or offset, and can be personalized with variable data. See postcard printing.

  4. Postage prep

    Presort & commingle

    Pieces that go in envelopes are inserted and sealed. The mail is then sorted the way the Postal Service asks, either on its own or commingled with other senders' mail, then barcoded and put in trays. See presorting and MLOCR commingle.

  5. Hand-off to USPS

    Deliver

    Finished trays go to the Postal Service, which takes over delivery. See our direct mail services.

  6. In the mailbox

    Mailbox

    The Postal Service delivers to each address. If you want to monitor when mail reaches your customers' homes, ask us about our live tracking system and its dashboard. We confirm tracking for each project. See mail tracking.

The piece itself

What each part of a mailed postcard does

Select a numbered dot to highlight what that part does in the numbered list.

Diagram of the address side of a mailed postcard A postcard with a message panel on the left and, on the right, a return address, a postage indicia, an address block and an Intelligent Mail barcode.
  1. Return addressShows who is mailing the piece and where mail that cannot be delivered can be sent back.
  2. Postage indiciaA printed postage mark that stands in for stamps on bulk mail, so thousands of pieces do not each need a stamp.
  3. Address blockThe recipient's name and delivery address. Address validation keeps it accurate so fewer pieces come back.
  4. Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb)A barcode that identifies the piece and the mailer. The Postal Service reads it to sort the mail, and it supports tracking.
  5. Message panelYour offer, your brand and your call to action: the part you are really paying to put in front of someone.

Glossary

Direct mail glossary: mailing terms explained

The terms you will hear when you plan a mailing.

Merge/purge
Joining lists and dropping repeat records, so one address is not mailed twice. See data management.
Address validation (CASS)
Checking addresses against Postal Service data so fewer pieces come back undeliverable. CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System) is the Postal Service's standard for address-matching software.
NCOA and NCOALink
National Change of Address. NCOALink compares your list with Postal Service change-of-address records so movers can be updated. It applies to First-Class and Standard mail, where it supports Move Update, the Postal Service's requirement to keep addresses current.
Variable data printing (VDP)
Printing that changes from piece to piece in one run, such as a name, offer or code merged in from your list.
Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb)
The barcode printed under the address block in the postcard diagram. The Postal Service reads it to sort mail.
Indicia
The printed postage mark in the top right corner of the postcard diagram. It replaces stamps on bulk mail, and the Postal Service sets layout rules for it.
Presort
Sorting mail into the groups and order the Postal Service asks for, such as ZIP Code and carrier route, so it can qualify for lower postage rates. See presorting and mailing.
Commingle
Combining mail from several mailers into one sorted stream, so pieces can qualify for lower postage rates that a small mailing might miss alone. See commingled mailing.
MLOCR
A multi-line optical character reader: a high-speed machine that reads each address, matches it to postal data, applies a barcode and sorts the piece. See MLOCR sorting.
EDDM
Every Door Direct Mail: a Postal Service program that reaches every address on the carrier routes you choose, with no list. A carrier route is the set of addresses one carrier serves. See EDDM postcards.
In-home date
The day you want your mail to reach mailboxes. Plan backward from it, and treat it as a target: the Postal Service controls delivery timing.
A file that is finished, sized for the piece and needs no more design work. If you are not sure yours is, send what you have and we will tell you.

Choosing your audience

Choosing between EDDM and a targeted list

Before you design anything, decide who gets the piece. Know the neighborhoods but not the names? Look at EDDM. Know exactly who you want? Start with a list. Our EDDM page compares the two.

EDDM is a USPS service; JMS Print & Mail is an independent printer and mailer.

Where we fit

What we do in-house and what USPS does

Design, printing and lettershop work are managed in-house at our production facility in Staten Island. Commingled sorting uses National Presort, Inc.'s equipment. Once the trays are finished, the Postal Service takes over delivery.

Need orders picked, packed and shipped, not just mailed? See our mail fulfillment and pick and pack services. Buying for an agency or organization? Vendor details are on our certifications and vendor info page.

Keep reading

EDDM postcards

Postcards for Every Door Direct Mail routes.

EDDM postcards

Take your own mailing through the six steps

Describe the audience and the date you are aiming for. We will go over the steps with you and reply with a quote. Phone hours: Mon–Fri, 9–5.

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