Mailing/Fulfillment - Hardware

WITH MORE than 1,000 exhibitors expected from more than 40 countries, IPEX 2010 is the British version of Drupa.

University of North Texas Print & Mail Services is one of the most quality-conscious in-plants in the country. Since 2004, the in-plant has won an impressive 38 In-Print awards, earning it great respect across the 36,000-student university.

Here are seven misconceptions about the plan gleaned from news accounts, conversations, and the Postal Service’s own presentation.

The U.S. Postal Service in late February published a final rule regarding eligibility for commercial flats failing the deflection or “droop” test in the Federal Register.

This final rule provides revised mailing standards and price eligibility for commercial flats of all classes that don’t meet the deflection standard—meaning that the books are too floppy to be processed by the postal equipment.

The USPS had relaxed the deflection standards in 2007 by increasing the permitted deflection to up to 4" for flat-size pieces at least 10" long. The new deflection standards allow 1” less of vertical droop.

At Metro, the transit agency serving the St. Louis region, the five-employee in-house printing and mailing facility recently executed multiple, multi-faceted initiatives that have resulted in improved quality, increased efficiency and major cost savings. The in-plant has been supporting Metro for more than 20 years, producing platform schedules, training and employee documentation/manuals, forms, business cards and stationery, newsletters and board meeting materials, among other jobs. The facility also houses a full-service mail center. Both printing and mailing functions are considered part of Metro's Office Services department.

With the direct marketing industry in the grip of a series of upheavals, from the digital revolution to the economic meltdown, figuring out what’s coming next is becoming progressively more difficult. Creating effective strategies based on these expectations is the toughest part of all.

When money is tight, even the worthiest causes feel the pinch. But The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center has found a way to boost donations even as other charities are seeing declines.

Though attendance was noticeably down on the first three days of Print 09, by Monday morning it was starting to look like a trade show again. Booths were packed with attendees, and vendors were busy giving demos, trying to capitalize of the sudden resurgence of interest after a lackluster weekend. IPG spent four days at the show, and the first three...let's just say we never had any problem finding someone to talk with at vendors' booths. Perhaps the beautiful Chicago weekend weather lured many to delay their arrival. (Or maybe it was the questionable wisdom of starting a trade show on a Friday.) Whatever the reason, though, by Monday morning, attendees arrived with a vengeance, including scores of in-plants managers.

To improve the quality of its brochures, booklets, post cards and color statements, the 23-employee printing and mailing operation at Western & Southern Financial Group recently became one of the first in-plants to install the new Xerox iGen4 digital press. Dan Cowan, Print/Volume Document Production Manager, feels the quality of the iGen4’s output is even better than that of the iGen3. “It’s much closer to offset,” he contends.

PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. Eisenhower had a dream of developing a program that would promote international understanding and friendship. So in 1956, Eisenhower founded People to People, basing the organization on his idea that direct contact between ordinary citizens from different parts of the world can encourage cultural understanding and world peace. Eight U.S. Presidents have served as the honorary chairman of People to People International.