Concept Caveats

Welcome to the mailing package concepts segment of the Highland Marketing knowledge base. Before we start, please take a look at the notes, below.

1. The packaging concepts presented here are acceptable under Canada Post guidelines. Please ensure to check with your postal authorities if you are designing packages to be mailed in another country.

2. Each class of mail has its own specifications for length, width, thickness and weight. Please visit our page under tips titled “Watch the Size and Weight if the Mailing Piece” to see how dramatically these items can affect costs. Additionally, the Canada Post web site contains detailed size and weight specifications for all classes of mail.

3. Some of the self-mailers presented are acceptable as pre-sorted, Addressed Admail, Publications Mail and Unaddressed Admail, but would be charged at the more expensive Non-Standard Lettermail rates if they were mailed as Lettermail. Additionally, they may not qualify for Machineable Addressed Admail. Cautionary notes are included for these items.

4. Note that national delivery times for Addressed Admail, Unaddressed Admail and Publications mail can be three business weeks, whereas Lettermail is usually delivered with a few days. This must be taken into consideration when planning a national mailing.

5. The postal indicia identifies the class of mail. If you print a postal indicia onto a self-mailer, you cannot mail it as a class of mail other than that specified in the indicia. For example, Canada Post will not accept pieces containing an Addressed Admail indicia as Unaddressed Admail.

6. Provided the item is securely bound and cannot come apart, a self-mailer does not have to be tabbed (sealed along the edge). The exception being that when laying flat the outer edges of a folded mailing piece may not open more than 20 mm.

7. Give careful consideration when shipping environmentally sensitive items via the postal system. Typically, Addressed Admail is shipped via truck. Therefore, in our northern climate, your samples or novelty items may be exposed to temperatures of –40 to –50 degrees Celsius. Of course, you can experience the opposite in the summer, when temperatures my reach 35 to 40 degrees in confined areas. This would certainly not be a good time to be mailing chocolate samples!

Thanks for taking the time to read these tips. This knowledge can save you a lot of aggravation by avoiding the Gotcha Gang that is only too eager to bite or sting the uninformed.