One of the advantages of partnership with a print-on-demand company is the ability to produce mailings quickly while maintaining quality. In this article, we’ll walk you through a mailing at POD Print, start to finish.

Step 1. The Consultation

We’ll consult with you to decide what mailing option will work best for you. Whether that’s a postcard, a standard letter, or something more custom, we’ve got you covered. Our customer service team will help you choose the most effective mailing process that fits your campaign, whether that’s first class or postal presort.

During the initial discussion, we’ll also determine how much design assistance you need. POD Print can create the piece fully from scratch or work with a completed design provided by you.

Step 2: The Design

If you need a new design created by POD Print’s pre-press team, we’ll discuss your concepts and work with you to create a layout that fits your needs. Our designers are experienced in creating pieces that will stand out in a stack of mail and be memorable once it’s seen. We’ll send PDF proofs of the design and continue to make changes until you approve the layout.

If you’re providing the design, we’ll request print-ready files. For more information about submitting files, check out this blog post.

Step 3: Hard-copy proof

Once the files are ready, we’ll produce a single physical proof for your review. This finished proof is a complete, exact sample of what your final product will look like, on your paper stock and complete with any finishing such as lamination, folding, coating, or perforation. If revision is needed, adjustments will be made until you are 100% happy with the piece.

Step 4: The Mailing List and Data Merge

After you approve the hard copy proof, we’ll process the variable data (the addresses or other personalized information that will be printed on the piece). If we haven’t received a spreadsheet of the information yet, we’ll request it at this point. Our pre-press team will process the data and create a file with the addresses on each piece.

Step 5: Printing

Next, our digital printing team will produce your piece, matching any necessary spot colors and maintaining an eye on quality. The addresses will print directly onto the postcards or envelopes. We can also personalize the interior contents, such as a salutation on a letter.

Step 6: Quality Check

At this point, your mailing will undergo an additional quality check, to ensure everything is exactly as you requested.

Step 7: Assembly

If your mailing involves multiple parts for one recipient, such as an envelope and letter, our bindery team will assemble the pieces. If postage stamps are being used rather than a pre-sort imprint, the stamps will be applied during this step as well.

Step 8: Final Quality Check

The mailing now goes through one final quality check before heading out the door, to make sure it’s perfect.

Step 9: Mailing

Your completed mailing is handed over to the post office for distribution.