Skip to content
Direct Mail Servicesbuyer's guide

Print and mail services

A print-and-mail service takes your design and your list (or your chosen area) and delivers the finished mailing to USPS. One order, one vendor, one invoice.

Report
T-02
Checked
2026-11-07
Vendors named
None

What happens to your order

  1. Step 1File check
  2. Step 2Proof
  3. Step 3Data
  4. Step 4Print
  5. Step 5Address + sort
  6. Step 6Postage + entry
  1. File check. The vendor checks your artwork for size, bleed, resolution and the postal areas.
  2. Proof. You approve a digital or printed proof. After this, changes cost money.
  3. Data. Your list is standardized, checked against USPS change-of-address data and deduplicated.
  4. Print. The pieces are printed, then trimmed or folded.
  5. Address and sort. Addresses and barcodes are printed and the mail is sorted for the postage price.
  6. Postage and entry. Postage is paid, usually through the vendor's permit, and the mail goes to USPS.

What's usually included, and what isn't

Usually includedOften extra
Printing to your specDesign or design changes
Addressing and presortThe list itself
Delivery to USPSRush turnaround
A proofPrinted (hard copy) proofs
Postage, billed separately or prepaid

Postage

Postage is a pass-through cost: the vendor pays USPS on your behalf. Ask whether they bill it at cost or add a margin, and whether you pay it before the mail drops. For reference, USPS prices start at $0.255 per piece for saturation Marketing Mail letters and $0.453 for First-Class presorted postcards.

Comparing vendors

Get quotes for the identical spec: size, paper, coating, ink, quantity, list handling and mail class. The questions to ask page has a worksheet.

FAQ

What are print and mail services?

Vendors who print your mail piece and also prepare and deliver it to USPS, so you place one order instead of coordinating a printer and a mail house.

Is postage included in a print and mail quote?

Often it's listed separately. Check whether it's passed through at cost.

Can a print and mail service handle EDDM?

Many do. Ask whether they enter it as EDDM Retail or through a BMEU with their permit.