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Mail Services
A mail service employee is preparing mail for delivery.

Bulk Mail

Jetmail Information & Procedures

Please allow three(3) University business days for processing

Jetmail is the process through which Mail Service Center (MSC) compares and corrects address lists against the USPS database. This allows you to send out your mail at reduced rates. The fee charged includes address hygiene, address updating, presorting, generation and application of address label and tabbing if required.

The fee is $0.05/piece.

  • Step 1:

    Contact MSC to discuss mail piece design and processing before going to print.

    • Basic Mail Piece Design Must Do's located here.
    • If mailing Non-Profit, check this link also.

  • Step 2:

    Fill out Bulk Mail Job # Request Form on MSC website to receive a MS Job #.

    • This should be done no more than ten days prior to expected mail date. The MS Job # is used to identify and match the bulk form to mailing lists and mail pieces.

  • Step 3:

    Send mail piece to be printed.

    • Mail pieces must be identified by a MS Job # whether they are delivered by Printing Services, vendors or a University department.
    • Allow for extra printed mail pieces due to mechanical setup and possible malfunctions. All extras will be returned to department.
    • Use caution when selecting paper types. Avoid light paper stock, slick finishes and sloppy folds. These do not process well.

  • Step 4:

    E-Mail address list to msc@ilstu.edu.

    • Designate the MS Job # in the subject line.
    • For more detailed instructions about the mail list, click here.

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Bulk Mail List Instructions

Include MS Job # in subject line of E-Mail
Send only the address information that you wish to have on the address label.
Send only the addresses that you want to send out.

Label Limitations

5 Address Lines for a Label
Limit of 30 Characters

Inkjet Limitations

6 Address Lines for printing directly on the mail piece
Only limit is length of mail piece

Acceptable File Formats:

  • Excel [Preferred]
  • Access Database Files
  • Comma or Tab Separated Text
  • Macintosh Files Exported as DBF, Comma or Tab Separated

Basic Address Fields:

  • Name - can be separated into first and last if desired.
  • Address
  • City - should contain City, State and Zip Code unless each one has its own field.

If you have further questions about content, please contact Mail Service Center.

Important Information about address files:

  • It is very important to keep fields separate from one another.
  • If an address has an Apt # or Suite #, it must be placed in the primary address field.
  • Do not put the primary and secondary addresses in the same field.

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Mail Piece Design Must Do's

These are important point's to check before you send your piece to be printed.

  1. Show a sample to Mail Service Center to review the layout and content of your piece to avoid any problems later in the process.
  2. "Illinois State University" must be the first line of your return address for any non-profit mailings. Any logo included to the left of the return address is considered the first line of the address.
  3. The permit has to be located in the upper right 1.5" of the address panel. The return address cannot go beyond 50% of the mail piece's length or 1/3 of it's height. For more information about the different permits, click here. See below for example. Locations of all important design elements of a letter.
  4. The fold needs to be at the bottom of the mail piece and the tab at the top. The fold needs to be clean and crisp with the top and sides of the page lining up or it will be refused.
  5. A folded self mailer has a maximum of SIX (6) 8 1/2" x 11" pages. If your self mailer has more than SIX (6) 8 1/2" x 11" pages then the piece will have to be stitched and sent out at the flat rate for an additional 22¢/piece charge.

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Move Update Requirement

The United States Postal Service (USPS) requires all address databases be updated within 95 days of mailing to receive a discount when mailing. There are several different ways to meet this requirement. The Mail Service Center has investigated the choices offered by the USPS and has come up with the most economical and easiest way to implement a process called "Fast-Forward". This process allows us to review your mail list for any moves that have been registered with the USPS prior to mailing. This saves the cost of mailing a piece to an addressee that has moved to a new address. If a forwarding address has been given to the USPS, then the program will change your address to the new address automatically. After the mailing is complete, a report comprised of changed new addresses will be returned to you to update your address database. It is your responsibility to keep your address databases up to date in order to receive postal discounts. This new service is automatically part of the jetmail process at no additional charge.

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Permit Comparison

  First-Class Mail
U.S. Postage Paid
Illinois State
University		 Presorted
First-Class Mail
U.S. Postage Paid
Illinois State
University		 Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage Paid
Illinois State
University		 Non-Profit Org
U.S. Postage Paid
Illinois State
University
Minimum # of Pieces 200 500 200 200
Cost of Postage for 1 oz $0.64 $0.571 $0.385 $0.228
Mail Service Charge $0.01 $0.050 $0.050 $0.050
Total Cost/Piece $0.65 $0.621 $0.435 $0.278
Total Savings over 1st Class $0.00 $0.009 $0.215 $0.372

The above are the minimum savings for each class. The actual savings can be greater.

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Non-Profit Warning

Warning:

The U.S. Postal Service has increased their enforcement of design and content eligibility regulations. This escalated effort is due to nationwide abuse of non-profit eligibility

Non-Profit Standard Mail

Non-Profit Standard rate is a cost effective way to send large quantities of identical mail. The postage is less than first class rate, but to qualify, the mail must be prepared to meet specific requirements established by the U.S. Postal Service.

The Requirements

  1. The top line of the return address MUST BE Illinois State University.
  2. 200 piece minimum.
  3. If the mailing is a cooperative mailing, you must show proof by attaining the organization’s non-profit authorization number and providing this to the post office of mailing.
  4. Each piece must contain identical materials to ensure uniform weight: same envelope size, same materials inside envelope (e.g. one brochure and one letter in each envelope).
  5. No personal correspondence, travel advertisements, or insurance solicitations may be enclosed.
  6. No pieces may be mailed to foreign countries, including Canada and Mexico.

Non-profit standard mail is subject to postal inspection. The mail piece may be reviewed by the postal facility prior to acceptance to ensure that contents meet the eligibility requirements of nonprofit mail. If the contents fail inspection, the mail may be returned or sent at either the regular standard mail or the first class rate.

The content and design of all mail pieces should be reviewed by Mail Service Center (438-8383). To ensure that your mailing meets the non-profit standard mail requirements, please contact the Mail Service Center prior to printing the mail piece.We will review the contents to guarantee that it will qualify for the non-profit rate.

When planning a non-profit mailing, remember to take into consideration the extra time necessary for processing at the Mailing Center, which (depending on the quantity of the mailing) can be up to three business days.

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MS Job's Info