Standard Envelope Weight

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Standard Envelope Weight: What Letter Weights You Must Use to Mail Effectively?

Did you ever think about the weight of the envelope you use to send your letters? Probably not until you realise Australia Post charges extra on non-standard weights. Knowing the standard envelope weight can help you plan your mailings better and save a lot on postage!

You must select an envelope weight that best fits your requirements and budget. The costs depend on how much the overall envelope weighs after you stuff it with your contents. 

This blog discusses the Australia Post standard envelope weight and how you can manage your postage rates. 

Let’s dive in!

How Much Do Envelopes Weigh?

#10 envelopes weigh 6.75 g—which is the base weight you can use for comparison with other envelope types. The weight limits range to 500 g to allow you to select according to your mailing purpose. 

For instance, you can use thicker packaging going up to 200 to 400 g as the max weight for envelope to send marketing mailers. They impact your audience positively and depict that you have put adequate effort and thought into the items. 

Marketers prefer using the envelope max weight to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Using these envelopes can help them get more attention and responses. 

They have several options to make their envelopes more unique, but it can increase the weight further. For example, adding clasps, buttons, etc., to envelopes may give an appealing look to them. 

But does Australia Post allow using such features for your mailings? No!

You must follow the Australia Post standard envelope weight and mail preparation guidelines to avoid paying hefty surcharges on shipping. If you want your mailers to look good, you can use techniques like

• Embossing. 
• Using colourful envelopes. 
• Adding teasers. 
• Printing eye-catching graphics, etc. 

Transactional mail works differently and does not demand the use of heavier envelopes. It includes invoices, statements, bills, reports, contracts, forms, etc., requiring the standard envelope weight of 6.75 g. 

Companies send such mailings to already existing customers regarding a transaction. This audience is already familiar with the business and expects to receive mail from them. Thus, they can skip using fancy items of the envelope max weight as they do while sending promotional materials. 

What Is the Australia Post Standard Envelope Weight?

Before we get into the weight of a standard envelope, let us discuss what qualifies as a letter to Australia Post. You may need to send the other items as parcels and pay extra postage. 

A letter must: 

• Weigh no more than 500 g. 
• Have a maximum thickness of 20 mm. 
• Consist of flexible contents only (if being sent domestically). 
• Not be broader than 260 x 360 x 20 mm envelope (B4 size). 
• Only carry printed material with zero commercial value (sending overseas).
• Be rectangular. 

Australia Post ensures that mailers focus on the weight of a letter envelope and several other aspects to ship the item smoothly. If you don’t fulfil one or more of these requirements, you may need to send the mailers as parcels. 

Here are the limits for the max weight for envelope and size for domestic and international shipments for your reference:

Mailing Location	Size	Max Weight for Envelope	Max Dimensions	Max Thickness
Domestic and International	Small envelope	250 g	130 mm x 240 mm	5 mm
	Large envelope	500 g	260 mm x 360 mm	20 mm

Avoid stuffing your envelopes with pens, pen drives, clips, etc., as they can damage the postal equipment during mail processing. These items might also damage your materials, and you cannot claim a refund for such cases. It is also why Australia Post has a standard envelope weight limit—to fit the mailers in the sorting machines and speed up the delivery process. 

Managing how much does an envelope weight regularly can be daunting and puzzling. Thus, companies use automated direct mailing services like PostGrid to complete the legwork on their behalf!

PostGrid allows you to send crucial documents and appealing marketing mailers according to Australia Post’s regulations. It helps you get discounted rates and save on the overall campaign cost, from design to delivery. 

What Is the Max Envelope Weight for One Stamp?

The current Australia Post stamp rate is $1.10! The weight limit for envelope with one stamp is 500 g. Very cost-effective, don’t you agree?

But the rates differ, depending on the mailing service you select. Here is a quick rundown of the domestic Australia Post shipping options:

Regular

The Regular mailing service offers one of the most affordable ways to send something across the country. But try sticking with the envelope max weight to get the lowest rates. 

You can use this option to send items that are not urgent, like marketing postcards, flyers, personalised letters, etc., that don’t have a time-sensitive CTA. 

Australia Post can deliver your items intrastate in only two to four business days if you follow the standard envelope weight and size specifications. Interstate deliveries take three and six working days, depending on the item’s origin and destination. 

You can buy the $1.10 stamps online or at the Post Office to send Regular mail items. 

Priority

Opt for Priority post if you want a faster delivery service to send your letters. Again, you must follow the guidelines around the weight of a standard envelope to avail yourself of all the benefits. 

The Priority labels’ prices start at $1.60, which you can also buy online or offline. Not following the Australia Post standard envelope weight regulations may result in using more stamps as surcharges. 

If you buy them in booklets of five labels, you only need to pay $2.50, which is a highly-discounted rate. Alternatively, you can use two or a Regular one and five 10c stamps. 

The Priority mailing option helps you get your letters having the standard envelope weight to their destinations in only two days. Interstate items may reach within four business days, depending on the mailing distance. 

Express

It is the most premium Australia Post domestic mailing service that helps you ship letters in only one business day. This next-day delivery option enables you to send urgent items with the envelope max weight with end-to-end tracking!

You can buy Express post satchels and prepay for your letters effortlessly. The rates begin at $7.80 for mailers with the standard envelope weight and may rise according to various factors, like shape and size. 

How Does PostGrid Help Businesses Use the Standard Envelope Weight?

PostGrid offers numerous customisation options to its clients, like the type of format, sizes, shapes, finishing, etc. And it helps you maintain the postal services-approved weight of a letter envelope to keep your postage rates at the minimum. 

Here are some more ways PostGrid adds value to your mailing campaigns:

• Reduced clerical overheads: You don’t need to spend much on buying printing paper or envelopes of the standard envelope size for sending letters. Also, you don’t have to hire extra staff to handle labelling, affixing stamps, etc., because PostGrid can help you complete these tasks online. 
• Automate workflows: PostGrid allows you to benefit from automation using direct mail triggers, large-volume mailings, low rates, etc. You can integrate our direct mail API into your Hubspot account and mail items directly, merging your workflows seamlessly. 
• Maintain data privacy: Apart from helping you send letters with the standard envelope weight, PostGrid helps you ship items safely. Our direct mailing solutions comply with the Privacy Act, 1988, PCI DSS Level 1, ISAE 3402, SOC 2 – IRAP (Australia), ISO 27001, and ISO 9001. 
• Send letters to the correct addresses: PostGrid offers free address verification for your direct mailing campaigns. Our dashboard, API, and automation software automatically validate every delivery address on your list to ensure you ship your letters with the standard envelope weight to the correct recipients!
• Improve customer experience: Companies can use the correct max envelope weight and size to speed up customer orders. The outcome? Improved customer satisfaction and higher demand for your products, primarily through people who need fast deliveries (aka everyone!)

Conclusion

It is advisable to know the Australia Post standard envelope weight if you mail frequently and want to avoid burning a hole in your pockets. Learning these specifications empowers mailers to take a more systematic, cost-efficient approach to shipping plans. 

Companies can launch small or bulk mailing campaigns and know the postage costs in advance instead of getting a lengthy bill later. And they can ship transactional items knowing how much they would spend and the different ways to reduce it. 

PostGrid’s direct mail services can assist businesses of all sectors to know the maximum weight limit for envelope with one stamp and pay the minimum rate. But it offers a broad suite of other features, like metadata tagging, per-piece tracking, detailed API docs, etc. 

Click here to explore more aspects and how PostGrid helps you send letters with the standard envelope weight and size!

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The post Standard Envelope Weight appeared first on PostGrid.

source https://www.postgrid.com.au/standard-envelope-weight/

Types of Printing

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Top 5 Types of Printing to Make Your Items Stand Out From the Crowd

Did you know that the inventor Johannes Gutenberg created the first printer in 1450? 

It was called the Gutenberg press and changed how humans perceived printing processes! Of course, you can see its traces in the modern types of printing, but the print industry has come a long way. 

With the rise in web printing solutions, businesses and individuals can place custom orders and get their items to look however they want! They can design their materials directly on a web browser, incorporate variable data printing, and automate everything. 

However, knowing the popular types of postcard printing options can help you make the right choice! 

This blog uncovers the most-commonly used print methods you must consider for your next event, marketing campaign, etc.  

Let’s dig in!

What Is Web-to-Print?

The web-to-print sector covers various types of printing options for B2B and B2C companies. It helps recreate digital pictures on any physical surface, like plastic, apparel, photographic paper, etc. 

Unlike the traditional types of postcard printing using print plates, web-to-print enables businesses to produce hundreds of customised items. They can also control the outcomes by reviewing the changes at the last minute before printing items in large volumes. 

Typically, a web-to-print platform is a digital storefront wherein you can upload the types of printed items you need. You may add the artwork or use the platform’s pre-built design templates. 

For example, PostGrid’s web-to-print API allows you to use multiple types of printing and lets you select from the in-built templates. You can add your company branding by inserting your logo, tagline, etc., and adding personalised imagery and text. 

Web-to-print ensures that businesses have a comprehensive printing solution at their fingertips to order materials, like:

• Newsletters and letterhead. 
• Business cards. 
• Flyers. 
• Brochures and catalogues. 
• Postcards. 
• Formal and marketing letters.
• Banner and standees. 
• Posters. 
• Signage, etc. 

Some of these materials are general pieces you may need to print throughout the year, like business cards. Others are apt for a specific event or program, like brochures. Either way, ensure your vendor offers affordable and high-quality types of printing solutions so you can make a good impression in front of your audience!

5 Types of Printing You Must Use for Web-to-Print Solutions

Modern printing methods have numerous applications, and you can print on almost any surface from your laptop or phone. However, it is worth studying the printing types in-depth to ensure your selected methods can help make your materials look elegant and eye-catching. 

Here are the most popular types of printing to look into

#1 Offset Lithography

Offset printing or litho is one of the most suitable types of postcard printing to produce printed items in large quantities. It uses aluminium printing plates to hold the picture of the content you need to print! 

The printing vendor usually transfers these plates onto rubber blankets or rollers before moving them to the printing surface. It can be any paper stock you want to use, from glossy sheets to a bumpy canvas. 

Since the surface does not touch the metal plates, printing companies keep them for several years without issues. It is the reason offset lithography is one of the most affordable types of printing to employ. 

Also, the flexible materials in the rubber blankets make this method one of those types of printing that helps print on rough-surfaced items. Hence, though businesses use litho to produce newspapers, stationery, or magazines, you may use it for printing on cloth, wood, etc. 

Offset lithography is excellent for producing high-quality items with the same quality and consistency. You can use it for small-volume printing jobs, but the costs may rise. 

One of the primary reasons offset lithography is among the top 5 methods of printing is its ability to personalise materials. Thus, you can plan your tailored marketing programs without worrying about multiple printing runs and the costs associated with variable data printing. 

#2 Flexography 

Flexography is also among the types of printing suited for printing on rough surfaces. Also, it helps print on large media with solid colours, making it the best choice for food packages, wallpapers, gift wraps, and labels. You can use flexography to print anything with continuous patterns. 

Isn’t it amazing how you can print hundreds and thousands of labels or branded wrapping materials in one go using flexography? 

These features make it the most popular choice among restaurants, educational institutions, media houses, etc. 

Flexography is among the top 5 types of digital printing to help you print on a wide range of media, including cellophane, metallic film, and plastic. 

But how does it work? It is a letterpress printing method with photopolymer printing plates covering the rotating cylinders. Some people call it a new outlook to letterpress types of printing, helpful to print on uneven media. 

Flexography uses semi-liquid, quick-drying inks and helps vendors complete high-volume print jobs. The printing plates have embossed artwork images, and the cylinders help rotate and transfer the content onto a surface. 

These methods make the print jobs faster than usual, making flexography one of the speediest types of printing suitable for urgent orders. 

#3 Digital Printing

Digital printing is one of the easiest and most cost-effective types of postcard printing options. It takes a digital approach to print jobs, eliminating the use of plates and reducing setup costs. 

There is a wide range of printing techniques available, like inkjet and laser. Digital printing helps produce high-resolution postcards, menus, newsletters, stationery, photos, etc., using these methods. 

It allows you to print your artwork on cardboard, magnets, plastic, cloth, film, labels, etc. Usually, printing vendors use desktop and industrial-sized printers to use these types of printing for your materials. The good news is that you can use as many colours as you want to make your design look the same as its digital version. 

The digital types of printing methods allow fast turnaround times and printing items on demand. Businesses can print as little as one material and still save costs. It works the same way when you take a printout of a document or bill—you send the PDF file directly to a printer and get the item instantly. 

However, you need to design high-resolution artwork to use digital types of printing options and achieve the desired effect on paper. Your image resolution must be at least 300 dpi, or it can be a complete waste. However, the upside is that you get a lot of time to perfect your format and image size to fit the requirements. 

#4 Screen Printing

With the screen printing method, printers use a screen or a stretched-out mesh to print the artwork on a surface. They press the ink against the mesh to transfer the picture to the print media. 

Earlier, printers confided screen types of printing on silk materials only, but now they use several kinds of other materials. During the printing process, they lay the artwork on the top of the screen and cover it with photo emulsion. Then, the printer exposes the entire screen to light, hardening the emulsion and washing away the rest. At last, only one type of stencil remains, and the vendor pulls the ink with a squeegee. 

Among the 5 methods of printing- screen printing is most commonly used for adding logos and graphics on clothes and producing fabric banners. However, screen printing demands a lot of preparation, so consider choosing it only for large-volume jobs for repeat materials. 

The types of printing that involve screening are not very cost-effective, making it impossible to use them for on-demand or small orders. But, it is an excellent option if you want to print thousands of copies of the same image over time—meaning there is less scope for personalisation.

Screen printing is among the top 5 methods of printing because it is a reusable, versatile printing method, allowing you to use various brightly coloured inks to print:

• T-shirts. 
• Posters. 
• Event standees. 
• Promotional flyers. 
• Brochures. 
• Postcards, etc. 

#5 Large-Format Printing

It is one of the most helpful types of printing to cover maximum roll width. Large-format printing is apt for offline marketing channels, like billboards, signage, etc. Businesses looking to grab their audience’s attention and make an influential impact should use large-format printing. It gives them a larger area to work with, unlike digital printing. 

Instead of printing artwork on individual paper sheets, these types of printing use print rolls that printers feed incrementally to create one large sheet. Thus, you can print items, like banners, building wraps, murals, etc., without trouble!

Most companies use large format printing to print flat items, but don’t restrict yourselves! You can make these promotional materials stand, hang them somewhere, or fold them to create a specific illusion.

How Do PostGrid’s Print and Mail Services Let Businesses Benefit From Different Types of Printing?

Web-to-print solutions transform how quickly and conveniently companies can print and use materials. There are no limits regarding the type, quality, or quantity if you use a print and mail API like PostGrid!

Our automated print and mail services help you design, produce, and ship items like postcards, letters, etc. You can use the different types of printing discussed in this blog and customise your materials. PostGrid offers impeccable personalisation options to help you target your intended audience effectively and drive responses. 

Here is a case study of how PostGrid helped a client pull a product launch event within a short span using our different types of printing and quick turnaround times:

The B2B company wanted to host a big event to launch its new range of products and invite all its clients. But they had a short time to send invitations, marketing mailers, registration forms, etc. So they approached PostGrid to assist them in promoting the event, bringing in more visitors, and increasing the overall ROI. 

PostGrid offered them many types of printing and customisation options. Thus, they could send attractive invitation postcards and get a 90% RSVP rate. Almost 85% of these customers visited the event with hundreds of other potential clients. We can give credit to the 2,000+ advertising mailings they sent using our automated solutions. 

Thus, PostGrid’s direct mailing solutions with custom types of printing help businesses get closer to their audience and increase revenue. Moreover, they don’t need to invest too much because we offer flexible pricing plans with numerous advanced features to keep costs low. 

Conclusion

Using multiple types of postcard printing helps companies produce various items that represent their brand and help them communicate with their customers. Choosing one from many methods may be complicated, but you can switch to different types for every campaign. 

You need a reliable, efficient, affordable service provider like PostGrid to help you along the way. Sign up now to see how PostGrid’s print and mail services help you use various types of printing and conduct successful marketing campaigns!

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The post Types of Printing appeared first on PostGrid.

source https://www.postgrid.com.au/types-of-printing/