Need a quick turnaround or have a rush job that needs to mail as soon as possible. Quick turnarounds and next day jobs depend on the mailing type (postcards, self-mailers, letters), complexity, readiness of the artwork and proof approval, availability of postage funds, size of the mailing, among other variables. The typical turnaround time for mailings is 2-3 days and for printing and mailing is 2-6 days depending on the complexity and requirements of the job, but contact us if you have a rush job, we can see if we can accomadate your needs. We highly recommend having everything ready for your mailing well in advanced to ensure ample time to review artfiles, check noncassed and moved records, use less expensive postage, and ensure everything is ready well ahead of the scheduled mail date but we understand that this is not always possible. Rush and next day turnaround mailings are more expensive, but sometimes there is no choice. If you have a rush mailing and printing let us know when you need the mailing out by and we can see if we can complete the turn around for you.
Reducing Direct Mail Turnaround Times
Getting your direct mail piece out on time and on budget is our priority. If you have a rush job there are a few things you can do to help expedite processing and get your order out as soon as possible. Action Mail’s turnaround time for mailing jobs is generally 2-3 business days after you have approved samples and authorized the mailing for standard mailings. Jobs that involve printing usually take an additional 3-5 days, though depending on the size, type, and urgency of the mailing we can expedite processing to meet your needs. Please contact one of our sales representative for rush turnaround times to see how we can meet your deadlines. Please also keep in mind the tips below to reduce turnaround times.
Data File Preparation
Receiving data files that are ready to be put into production saves time on revisions and back and forth. Data files should be sent in an excel document with the name, address, city, state, zip code, and any other data that is to be mail merged into the mailing clearly labeled in the header records. Data should be clean and uniform to avoid additional time, costs, and inaccuracies associated with bad data.
Pre-processing information
The more information available before the mailing the faster the setup and processing of the job. Please provide the piece size, paper weight and type, clear directions for inserting, class of mail, and any other instructions or request when placing an order. Additionally providing directions on what to do with CASS (undeliverable address) and NCOA (addresses that have moved and provided a new address and addresses that have moved and not provided a new address), will reduce back and forth after the processing of data.
Print File Preparation
Art files for printing should be sent in high resolution PDFs. The art should by in CYMK and have full bleeds in order to expedite printing. Art should also be provided to one of our sales reps during the creative design process to ensure that the design meets postal regulations. We will provide a proof of the printed piece, and a quick response and approval will help increase printing turnaround times.
Postage
Many times jobs are ready to go but we cannot mail without postage. For rush jobs make sure you are ready to add funds into your permit or provide a postage check as soon as we process the job and calculate postage, in order to avoid delays associated with waiting for postage to arrive.
Advanced notice
The more advanced notice we have the more efficiently we can schedule the job and decrease turnaround times. Even if you do not have the data, art, or materials, let us know your timeline and needs so we can prepare for and schedule the job.
First Class
Another option to decrease the time necessary for the mailing to reach the target audience is to mail first class. Postage is considerably more than Standard Mail but your mail piece should reach homes and businesses in 1-3 days.
The best way to reduce turnaround times and get your mail out as soon as possible is to prepare as much as possible for the mailing. The more information you can provide the faster we can get the piece out. Planning your mail far in advanced is always the best way to mitigate rush mailings, but this is not always possible and there are often delays and changes during the planning process. We recommend planning as much as possible and providing as much information to us as possible as soon as possible. This will help us quickly process your mailings and meet your deadlines.