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(also know as customized printing or
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How can I incorporate my mailpiece into another document?
Sometimes it's necessary to incorporate a reply mailpiece electronically into another document. For example, you'll need to do this if you are creating a brochure that will have a perforated area that contains a Business Reply postcard.

While it is certainly possible to use a manual process (scissors and glue) to paste up your reply mailpiece on the other document, you might want to do it electronically instead. This page explains how to do it electronically.

You'll need the full version of Adobe Acrobat (not just the free Adobe Reader software) when following the instructions on this page, and you'll also need page-layout software (for example, Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Word) or illustration software (for example, Adobe Illustrator). You'll use the page-layout software or illustration software to incorporate your reply mailpiece into a document that you are creating.


A word about "Free tryout" files

You will be able to use the techniques described on this page if you're working with a PDF file that you paid for at ReplyMailOnLine.com, but you will not be able to use these techniques with mailpieces that are created during "Free tryout" sessions on the ReplyMailOnLine.com Web site. That's because mailpieces that are created during "Free tryout" sessions are encrypted and cannot be manipulated electronically.

For your convenience, we have created unencrypted PDF files that contain various kinds of sample mailpieces. One of these unencrypted PDF files can be e-mailed to you automatically, and you can use it to experiment with the techniques described below. That will help you to decide whether or not it makes sense for you to pay to create a mailpiece at ReplyMailOnLine.com.

Click here if you'd like to have one of these unencrypted PDF files e-mailed to you.


Contacting your U.S. Postal Service Mailpiece Design Analyst

WHEN YOU ARE USING THE TECHNIQUES DESCRIBED BELOW, IT IS VERY EASY TO UNKNOWINGLY MAKE A MISTAKE THAT VIOLATES THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE'S RULES. THEREFORE, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU SHOW A SAMPLE OF THE FINISHED DOCUMENT TO YOUR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE MAILPIECE DESIGN ANALYST AND ASK HIM OR HER TO APPROVE IT BEFORE YOU START USING IT FOR REAL MAILINGS. TO GET THE NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE MAILPIECE DESIGN ANALYST FOR YOUR GEOGRAPHICAL AREA, POINT YOUR BROWSER TO http://pe.usps.gov/mpdesign/mpdfr_mda_lookup.htm.
Before trying any of the techniques described below, be sure to save the PDF file that you got from ReplyMailOnLine.com under a new name, and work with the new file when you're trying these techniques. That way, the original file will remain intact, and you'll still have it in case you make a mistake. To save the file under a new name, follow these instructions:

These instructions explain how to work with your artwork in four different formats:
  1. PDF format
  2. EPS format
  3. JPEG format
  4. TIFF format
Your decision about which format to use will depend upon the skills that you have and the software that's installed on your computer. If you aren't sure which format to use, experiment with the techniques described below to see what works and what does not.

If possible, you should use the PDF format or EPS format instead of the JPEG or TIFF format. That's because saving mailpiece artwork in JPEG or TIFF format doesn't work very well on some computers. The problem is that the artwork looks rough and jagged when it is printed, in some cases.


How to use Adobe Acrobat to convert your PDF file to a different format

 If you want to use a format other than PDF, do this:
In Adobe Acrobat, click File > Save as.

If you want to convert your artwork to Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) format, choose "Encapsulated PostScript" for "Save as type."

OR

If you want to convert your artwork to JPEG format, choose "JPEG" for "Save as type."

OR

If you want to convert your artwork to TIFF format, choose "TIFF" for "Save as type."

How to incorporate the PDF, EPS, JPEG, or TIFF file into another document

Now you'll use an illustration application (such as Adobe Illustrator) or a page-layout application (such as Adobe InDesign, Microsoft Publisher, QuarkXPress, or Microsoft Word) to import your PDF file, EPS file, JPEG file, or TIFF file into the document you're creating. For example, if you're using Adobe InDesign to create a brochure that is to have a tear-off Business Reply postcard, you'll use Adobe InDesign to import the PDF, EPS, JPEG, or TIFF file and position it in the proper location on the brochure.

And when you're finished with the brochure, you'll use Adobe InDesign to print it.

 IMPORTANT: Make sure that you do not resize the reply mailpiece by mistake when you import it! It must be printed at the exact size for which it was designed; otherwise, it will not meet the U.S. Postal Service's requirements!

If you need help with these techniques, send your questions to us via e-mail at support@ReplyMailOnLine.com.

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