Printed Newsletters
Printed, packaged, and mailed for you
An email newsletter competes with everything else in an inbox and is gone the moment someone stops reading. A printed newsletter arrives on its own, sits on a counter or a desk, and stays there. It gets picked up more than once, and it gets passed to someone else. That is the whole case for print, and it does not require a statistic to make sense.
For anyone who sells expertise, a printed newsletter also does something a social post cannot. It is a physical reminder that you exist, delivered on a schedule, to a list you own rather than an audience an algorithm decides to show you. Authors, coaches, consultants, membership programs, associations, churches, schools, and practices all use printed newsletters for exactly that reason.
We print and ship your newsletter. You send the print ready file and your distribution list, and we handle printing, addressing, packaging, and getting each issue into the mail. There is no minimum quantity, so a list of forty is as workable as a list of four thousand.
How It Works
- You send the file. A print ready PDF of your newsletter, laid out at final trim size. We print from your file. We do not write or lay out the newsletter for you.
- You send the list. Your distribution list, with the mailing address of everyone who should receive the issue.
- We print. Full color or black and white, in the size and quantity you choose. There is no minimum.
- We address and mail. Or we ship the finished run to you, if you would rather handle distribution yourself.
- You repeat. Send the next issue when it is ready. Nothing commits you to a schedule.
You can also stop at printing. If you would rather mail the newsletters yourself, or hand them out at an event or in a waiting room, we print the run and ship it to you.
Mailing
Send us your distribution list along with your file and we mail each issue for you. Depending on the piece, that means either printing the address directly on the newsletter and folding it, or packaging it flat in an envelope. We will recommend the approach that suits your newsletter when we quote it.
One option worth knowing about is the clear envelope. Most mail is judged before it is opened, and a plain envelope gives a reader nothing to judge but a return address. A clear envelope removes that step, so your cover is doing its work on the way from the mailbox to the kitchen counter.
You can also skip the mailing entirely. If you would rather mail the newsletters yourself, or hand them out at an event, in a waiting room, or at a meeting, we print the run and ship the whole thing to you.
Specifications
| Most common format | 8.5 x 11 finished size, saddle stitched, then either folded to 5.5 x 8.5 for mailing or left flat at 8.5 x 11. |
|---|---|
| Other sizes | Available. The 8.5 x 11 format is the most requested, not a requirement. |
| Page count | Saddle stitch holds up to 52 pages. Most newsletters run far shorter than that. |
| Ink | Full color or black and white. |
| Mailing | We mail each issue for you from your distribution list, or ship the finished run to you instead. |
| Minimum quantity | None. Print as few or as many as your list requires. |
Ways Our Customers Use Them
Client Retention
A quarterly issue to existing clients keeps you in front of people who already bought from you once. Retention is cheaper than acquisition, and a newsletter is one of the few tools that works without asking for anything.
Membership and Association Communication
Members who pay dues expect something tangible in return. A printed issue is proof the membership is active and worth renewing.
Reaching an Offline Audience
Some audiences do not read email, and some are not online much at all. If your readers skew older, rural, or simply busy, print reaches people your other channels miss entirely.
Program and Course Support
A newsletter sent between modules keeps students engaged in a long program and gives them something to hold onto that is not another login.
Congregations, Schools, and Practices
Where the audience is a defined community rather than a marketing list, a printed newsletter is often the primary communication rather than a supplement to one.
A Companion to a Book or Program
If you already sell a book, a card deck, or a planner, a newsletter extends the relationship past the purchase and gives you a reason to reach a buyer again.
Preparing Your Files
We print from your print ready files. We do not create or edit artwork, so the layout, the writing, and the images need to arrive finished, at final trim size, with correct bleed and resolution.
Two things specific to newsletters are worth checking before you send:
- If we are mailing for you, tell us before you lay out the file, since some mailing formats need an area kept clear for the address
- Keep your page count consistent from issue to issue where you can, since it keeps your cost predictable and makes each reorder faster
Full requirements are on our print specifications, and templates for many of our products page. If this is your first issue, order a printed proof before you commit to the run.
Beyond Newsletters
If you are already sending mail to a list, the same setup handles more than one kind of piece. We also print and ship postcards, greeting cards, and bookmarks, and we can warehouse and fulfill products for you whether or not we printed them. See warehousing and fulfillment for how that works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you write or design the newsletter?
No. We print and ship. You supply the finished, print ready file, and we handle printing, addressing, packaging, and mailing.
Do you mail the newsletters for me?
Yes. Send us your print ready file and your distribution list, and we mail each issue for you. We will talk through the best approach for your particular newsletter when we quote it.
Is there a minimum quantity?
No. There is no minimum for newsletters. Print as few or as many as your list requires.
What size are most newsletters?
Most are printed at 8.5 x 11 finished size and saddle stitched, then either folded to 5.5 x 8.5 for mailing or left flat at 8.5 x 11. Other sizes are available.
Can the newsletter print in full color?
Yes. Newsletters print in full color or in black and white, whichever fits your budget and your content.
Can I have the newsletters shipped to me instead of mailed?
Yes. We print the run and ship it to you, which is what most customers do when the newsletters are handed out at an event, in a waiting room, or at a meeting.
Do I have to commit to a schedule?
No. Send each issue when it is ready. Many customers settle into a monthly or quarterly rhythm, but nothing requires it.
Ready to Send Your First Issue?
Whatever stage you are at, here is where to start.
