Print Solutions Magazine

Distributors can add value to their services by offering new document flow strategies. One method that’s been around for a while and is increasingly popular in state-of-the-art mailrooms is self-mailers. Pressure seal, the latest version of self-mailers, has emerged as an efficient alternative to folding and inserting.

Pressure seal mailers are laser-printable forms with a pre-applied cohesive glue line around the form’s edges. Once the form is folded, the glue patterns line up on all sides, and the form is sealed by pressure. This creates a folded document sealed on four sides that’s ready to mail without an envelope conforming to U.S. Postal Service regulations.

Companies looking for a fast, reliable, low-cost alternative are opting for pressure seal, which is ideal for a broad range of applications. For example, the process is used in checks for payroll, accounts payable, refunds and settlements. Pressure seal mailers can incorporate various security features, including imprints, watermarks and serial numbers. The checks require less manual handling and limit access to classified information. Pressure seal also is used for tax forms such as 1099s and W-2s. These security-sensitive mailings are difficult to handle on most folder inserters because of form and envelope design. Other popular uses of pressure seal include PIN codes, renewal or appointment notices, packing slips, class schedules, lab reports, statements and invoices.

Differences exist between folder/sealers for pressure seal and folder/inserters or inserters. Folder/inserters and inserters provide a level of flexibility because they can handle multiple sheets and inserts, unlike self-mailers. They also don’t require specialized forms. Although an inserter can’t match the cost-effectiveness of a folder/sealer, the typical long-term cost difference between pressure seal forms and paper/inserts and envelopes is marginal.

Pressure seal equipment retains a strong advantage in terms of machine output per dollar. Whether leasing or buying a folder/sealer, the initial investment is typically 50 percent less than a folder/inserter with equivalent monthly output capacity, which translates into annual savings.

Pressure seal equipment also offers advantages in terms of the number of documents processed per dollar. At equivalent price points, the output of pressure seal equipment is up to four times faster than that of an inserter. In an office, a $10,000 folder sealer will output documents at 11,000 per hour while a $10,000 inserter will output at 2,300 per hour. At the production level, a $50,000 folder/sealer for pressure seal will output at 35,000 documents per hour, and a similarly priced inserter will output at 8,000 documents per hour. The cost efficiencies gained through equipment cost and labor have led to the increased use of pressure seal.

“After reviewing the different options available to us, our decision became a no-brainer,” says Bob Hindle, payroll manager for the U.S. division of Sylvania, a lamp and materials company headquartered in Danvers, Mass. “Using a pressure seal form with pressure seal equipment for payroll checks and W-2s reduced our costs and headaches, and enabled the payroll department to be more productive” and focused on customer service.

But why is pressure seal just now becoming a standard process in today’s mailrooms? First, pressure seal’s predecessors used heat-seal and water-based techniques. It’s understandable why these processes didn’t find acceptance—both have issues inherent with their sealing methods. Glue seal machines utilize pumps, reservoirs and applicators to lay glue on normal paper, but haven’t gained popularity because of the complexity of the task and difficulties experienced due to machine error. In the pressure seal process, forms are passed through a set of stainless steel rollers, which activate the cohesive glue. The result is a simple, clean process. Second, manufacturing sources and capacities for pressure seal forms have increased during the past few years. New manufacturers and higher production have increased supply to a point where the costs associated with pressure seal forms have been driven down to a level comparable to envelopes and paper.

Different formats are available for duplex and simplex printer types using pressure seal mailers. Duplex printing utilizes a C-fold format that allows maximum printable space. A 14-inch version of this format incorporates a tear-off remittance as well as a return envelope with return address. To maximize printable space on a simplex printer, the most common form type is an uneven Z-fold. Certain form manufacturers incorporate built-in windows to allow addresses to show through using a C-fold format. Perforations on pressure seal forms ensure crisp, concise folds resulting in the address being located squarely in the window.

Pressure seal technology also offers security, which can be measured in two ways: the recipient’s safety, and the confidentiality of the recipient’s information. Pressure seal eliminates the likelihood of putting wrong information into an envelope or stuffing two checks into one envelope. Also, the time and resources used to correct such mistakes disappears.

Pressure seal forms are available in a generic blank format or preprinted in up to six colors. They’re available in cut sheet, continuous fanfolded, or as 50-inch rolls to easily adapt to various processing systems. They can incorporate bar codes, integrated cards or labels, and include a registered-mail format.

Advantages of pressure seal mailers include stretching budget dollars by eliminating envelopes and storage costs, and maximizing postal discounts by printing postal net bar codes directly on the piece. Also, not utilizing a window envelope reduces problems associated with documents shifting within an envelope and limits readability concerns. The direct-to-mail pressure seal approach also lends itself to simplified sequencing for mail preparation and sorting.

It’s time to revisit 1-piece mailers. They’re a superb solution for customers who want a more streamlined and productive solution, and a safe, secure way to mail.

Eric Flinton is vice president of sales at Dover, N.H.-based pressure seal equipment supplier Formax, a division of Bescorp Inc. Email us your comments at editors@printsolutionsmag.com.