Clear answers before your mailing begins.

We help turn a list and printed materials into a mail-ready campaign. Depending on the job, that can include data cleanup, address standardization, postal sorting, barcoding, addressing, folding, inserting, sealing, tabbing, metering, permit use, paperwork, postage preparation, and delivery to the postal facility.

Not necessarily. Customers can use our permit when it is appropriate for the mailing. If you already have a permit or nonprofit authorization, we will review the best way to use it.

We print letters and envelopes as part of a mailing project. For postcards, flyers, brochures, and other printed pieces, we work with trusted local printers in Northwest Indiana to coordinate a practical production plan. Bring us print-ready files or involve us early so we can review the format, stock, coating, quantity, and timing.

Excel and CSV files are usually the most practical. Keep names, company names, street addresses, cities, states, and ZIP Codes in separate columns when possible. Do not send the mailing list as a PDF.

Usually not. Providing the list electronically allows us to standardize, barcode, and sort the records as part of the postal preparation. Pre-addressing or applying labels can reduce flexibility and may increase the total cost.

We can estimate early, but exact postage depends on the finished piece, final quantity, mailing list, sort results, entry location, and selected mail class. We confirm the amount after the necessary job data has been processed.

Delivery time depends on mail class, destination, postal workload, and other USPS conditions. We will help choose an appropriate class and production schedule, but the USPS controls delivery after acceptance. Build extra time into date-sensitive campaigns.

Minimums and qualification rules depend on the mail class and current USPS standards. Send us the quantity and piece details and we will confirm which options are available rather than relying on an old rule of thumb.

Qualifying organizations need USPS nonprofit authorization; IRS nonprofit status alone does not automatically establish postal eligibility. We can help review the authorization and mailpiece identification requirements.

We first provide an estimated postage total and invoice a postage deposit. You can pay online by ACH or credit/debit card, or by physical check. After we process the job and deliver it to USPS, we send a final invoice that applies the deposit against the final postage amount and includes our service fee.

Targeted mail uses a list of selected people, businesses, or audience criteria. EDDM reaches every eligible delivery address on selected USPS carrier routes, usually using a general designation such as “Postal Customer.”

Every Door Direct Mail® is the USPS program for reaching every eligible address on selected carrier routes. It has specific mailpiece, route, addressing, bundling, paperwork, and entry requirements. We can help confirm whether EDDM is the right fit for your goal.

Yes. We can help with route and quantity planning, format guidance, printing coordination, bundling, facing slips, paperwork, postage preparation, and delivery coordination with the appropriate Post Office.

We can help with occupant, consumer, business, specialty, or EDDM options. The right choice depends on whether you want broad geographic reach or a more specific audience.

Size, orientation, folds, tabs, address placement, coatings, and paper stock can affect machinability and postage. A preflight review can identify problems before they require a reprint.

No—avoid gloss or UV coating on the mailing side. We will do our best to work with a coated piece, but our ink may not adhere, which can make the job ineligible for our standard processing or require labels and a higher fee. Ask your printer to leave the address area uncoated and show us a sample before production.

Yes. Folded self-mailers require wafer tabs to remain closed during USPS processing. We will confirm the required number, size, fold direction, paper, and placement for your specific piece.

Tell us the page count, black-and-white or color, single- or double-sided printing, personalization fields, envelope style, inserts, matching requirements, quantity, and desired mailing date.

No. An indicia may say “US Postage Paid,” but postage is not actually paid until the prepared mailing is accepted. Extra pieces cannot simply be dropped in a mailbox under the permit. A First-Class stamp may be placed over the indicia when an individual extra needs to be mailed.

We deliver mailings only to the Valparaiso, Indiana Post Office. Your mailing must use our Valparaiso permit, or, if you use your own permit, it must be issued by the Valparaiso Post Office.

No. The overall mailing must meet the applicable USPS minimum, but the pieces do not all need to go to one ZIP Code. The concentration of addresses affects presort depth and the final postage rate, which is why we process the completed list before confirming postage.

Yes, qualifying presorted mail can be addressed throughout the United States. The mailing must meet the applicable quantity and preparation rules, and the final rate will depend on the finished piece, list, sort results, postal entry and current USPS standards.

National Change of Address processing compares a mailing list with USPS move information to identify address changes submitted by individuals, families and businesses. It helps reduce undeliverable mail and supports USPS move-update requirements, although no database can identify every recent move.

We avoid labels whenever possible because they add labor and cost. Direct inkjet addressing is normally preferred; labels may be needed only when the piece’s coating, finish, color, or layout prevents reliable ink adhesion or contrast. We will explain any added labeling cost before production.

Pieces within a mailing generally need consistent physical characteristics and preparation. Differences in size, weight, shape, construction or mail class can require separate mailings or additional postal review. Variable names, addresses and personalized content can still be used when the underlying piece remains eligible.

USPS classification depends on the finished length, height, thickness, weight, flexibility and construction—not the name used by a printer. Review our mailpiece dimensions guide or enter the finished size in the postage calculator, then let us preflight the physical piece before printing.

For a rectangular letter-size piece, the aspect ratio is the length divided by the height. Automation-compatible letters generally need a ratio between 1.3 and 2.5. The address orientation determines which edge USPS treats as the length, so layout and fold direction matter.

Folded self-mailers must be constructed so they travel through postal equipment without opening or catching. Fold location, tab placement, paper weight, number of panels and final dimensions all matter. Send us a proof before printing so we can review the proposed construction against current USPS rules.

No. USPS tab requirements are strict, and customer-applied wafer tabs can cause a mailing to be ineligible. We provide machine tabbing and will apply the correct tabs for your piece.

For more than 30 years, Flanagin’s has built strong working relationships with the Valparaiso Post Office and USPS. We combine address hygiene, postal software, barcoding, presorting, production, and documentation into one efficient workflow—helping you avoid rework, qualify for available rates, and get the mailing accepted smoothly.

Mailability depends on how the promotion is structured and on current postal and legal requirements. Do not print or mail raffle, lottery or sweepstakes material until the specific offer has been reviewed. We can help identify the postal question, but the organization is responsible for obtaining appropriate legal guidance.

Our shop has limited storage space. Please call to discuss your needs; depending on the quantity and timing, we may be able to store mailpieces for a future mailing for an additional fee.

Yes, if the mailing will be processed and released promptly. We require 24 hours’ notice for large deliveries and a lift gate on the delivery truck because we do not have a loading dock. We reserve the right to turn away a delivery that arrives without a lift gate.