By: T.J. Tedesco, John Leonard, and David Engel
Publisher: GATFPress
Published: 2006
Pages: 310
Binding format: Soft cover
Price: $20
ISBN# 0883625431

Direct Mail Pal—Canada is a direct mail production handbook serving the informational needs of the Canadian direct mail industry and provides a thorough exploration of the world of direct mail. Fifty concise yet informative chapters and twenty-four appendices provide a truly substantive overview of this powerful marketing tool used by companies of all specialties and sizes. Direct Mail Pal—Canada casts light on every corner of the direct mail process, including direct mail planning, preproduction, production, and postproduction procedures. It strikes a perfect balance between being detailed yet not overly technical.

Some of the topics covered include:

• Canadian postal rules and standards
• Data cleansing and management
• Address and barcode standards
• Mailing lists, including merge/purge procedures
• Inserting technology
• Postcard and label programs
• Levels of personalization
• Folding and gluing
• Quality assurance and testing
• And the list goes on…

Technical tips and pertinent illustrations are sprinkled throughout the text; also included are additional features such as sample checklists, forms, and glossaries. If you’re going to read one book on direct mail, this comprehensive yet accessible book is it.

Table of Contents

Section 1
Direct Mail Today: 1. Direct Mail: A Compelling Way to Spread Your Word 2. A Brief History of Direct Mail 3. Convergence: Direct Mail, Electronic, Print, and Airwave Media 4. An Overview of CPC Mail Classifications and Rates 5. Postal Rate Changes: A Fact of Life 6. Set Realistic Mailing Objectives 7. Direct Mail Program Planning 8. Account Management 9. Communication 10. Testing 11. Quality Assurance 12. Privacy Issues

Section 2
Direct Mail Pre-Production: 13. Production-Friendly Direct Mail Layouts 14. Choose the Right Paper 15. Postal-Friendly Envelope Design 16. Data Processing: Format and Record Layout 17. Mailing Lists 18. Data Cleansing 19. Programming Issues 20. File Transportation 21. Building Data Tables 22. Nth or Criteria Select 23. Address Standards 24. PDF Workflow 25. 100% Mailings 26. Self-Mailer Programs 27. Postcard Programs 28. Personalized Labels

Section 3
Direct Mail Production: 29. Letter Text and Variable Imaging 30. Levels of Personalization 31. Continuous Laser Imaging 32. Variable Colour Imaging—Is It Finally Here? 33. Inserting Technology 34. Automatic Label Application 35. Inside/Outside Inkjet Imaging on Saddle-Stitching Machinery 36. Specialty Direct Mail Products and Finishing 37. Cutting 38. Folding 39. Gluing 40. Remoistenable Gluing 41. Tipping 42. Integrated Cards and Labels 43. Matching and Converting High-Volume Mailings 44. Poly-Bagging and Shrink-Wrapping 45. Mail Security 46. Sometimes Downstream Induction Is Necessary 47. Materials Handling and Logistics 48. Track A Mailing 49. Response Management 50. Electronic Updates: The Wave of the Future

Appendices: 1. General Questions for a Typical Direct Mail Campaign 2. Sample Job Checklist 3. Sample List of Required Information 4. Sample Quality Checkpoints Form 5. Incoming File Preparation Form 6. De-Dupe Merge/Purge Form 7. Merge/Purge and Data Manipulation Questions and Answers 8. Sample Merge/Purge Report Fields 9. Bar Code Standards 10. Image Proofing Procedural Standards 11. Lettershop Procedures 12. An Overs Guide for Specialty Finishing 13. Addressed Admail Definition 14. CPC Addressed Admail Service Standards 15. CPC Lettermail Specifications as of April 2006 16. CPC Admail Specifications as of April 2006 17. CPC Unaddressed Admail Specifications as of April 2006 18. Typical Material Management Guidelines 19. Managing Client Samples 20. Account Management Materials Handling Tips 21. Fulfillment 22. Grain Direction on Sheet Laser Printers 23. Form and Label Printing Orientation Coming off Feed Rolls 24. Common Folding Diagrams

Glossaries: 1. Data Terms 2. Lettershop Terms

To purchase Direct Mail Pal, click on link: CDMP: GATF Press or CDMP: Amazon.com.