How much does it cost to mail a letter?

There are many different ways to design and mail a letter, each of which has their pros and cons and different price points. Below are a few factors that will effect the price of your letter mailing.

Envelopes: There are many different envelope options which include different size, types (window, security, invitation, or regular envelopes), colors, and paper weights.  Window envelopes are more expensive but you save money by avoiding printing the address directly on the insert as opposed to directly onto the envelope.  Window envelopes are recommended for letters that include personal information because it is much easier to audit and ensure that the addressee is receiving the correct information.  Envelopes can also have return addresses, taglines, and/or art printed on them in either black and white or color.  All these options will cause variance in the price of the envelope.  There are also a wide variety of envelope sizes and qualities. Standard #10 envelopes are the most cost effective while larger less common envelopes with linen or colored stocks are more expensive.  The design of the flap can also save money, as only specific flap styles can be processed on automated machinery.  Please contact one of our design consultants to help select the best envelope for your campaign (760 480 2323).  

Inserting: Inserting prices will depend on the number of inserts, their size, and the organization of the inserts.  Inserts that are nested are much more expensive than those that are inserted one after the other.  To reduce inserting costs ensure that the envelopes you would like to use are machinable so that the inserts can be inserted by machine as opposed to by hand.  Inserting personalized information into an addressed envelope will also be more expensive because additional auditing will be required to ensure that the address matches the information on the envelope.

Inserts: The price of the folding of inserts depends on the quantity of inserts, how they are folded (letter fold, half fold, z-fold), and if they are nested or inserted sequentially.  Printing costs will depend on whether the letter is generic or personalized and whether the letter will be printed in black and white or color.  One way to reduce costs for color printing of personalized letters is to offset print generic color shells then digitally print the personalized information onto the shells.

Postage:  Most letters will qualify to be sent at the USPS letter standard rate. Depending on the distribution of the mailing list and class of mail postage should costs between $17/1000 and $49/1000.  Non-profit postage rates are generally half that of standard postage rates.  Letters sent in larger envelope (like a 9" x 12" envelope) or that weigh more than 3.5oz will have higher postage rates.  Postage is paid directly to the USPS and we will process your list to get the best rates possible.