Presorted VDP

[Lammy]

I would like to hear how everyone handles tray separation for presorted mail pieces?

Last shop I was at printed the entire job as one long run, then someone in the bindery separated the pieces. The shop I'm in now has the digital operators printing each tray as a separate job and then each tray is finished separate. Makes it easy for bindery but a huge PIA for the digital operators, especially when you get a half dozen trays all with only one piece.

I keep thinking there has to be a better way but I don't know enough about mail and the machine or software options to suggest anything.

 

[DCurry]

I don't do any VDP at my current job, but at my previous shop we printed as one long run.

 

[Craig]

Less than 10,000 mail pieces are one long run in cut and stack order based on the tray. It takes the bindery less than 5 minutes to separate trays in piles for the mail dept. to do a final check and rubber band. If the job is larger than 10,000 then the files are output into "chunks" than are faster to rip. I have on occasion set the output to stacks of 200 (whatever fits in the cutter as a single lift) to make cutting even faster.

 

[MailGuru]

We run it in one large run. However, as Craig correctly states, depending upon the art, the complexity of the variable data, and the software you are using to spool the print to your printer, you may need to actually send the print in smaller chunks (usually 2 - 3 thousand per spool), but, still the bindery will receive it as one large job.

Your presort software should have an option to define & output "sort markers". You need to print these "sort markers" in an obscure area in the address block of your mail piece. We are using BCC MailManager 2010, but I have used Accumail, Group One, SmartAddresser, etc., and, they all have the ability to output sort markers.

For us, we use the "#" (pound sign) symbol, but, you can define any character you want. You can even output the actual bundle & tray number on each piece, if you don't mind having that on your mail piece (we think it cheapens the look of the piece, so, we don't do it that way)

Here's what we do:

"##" = End of a bundle
"###" = End of a Tray

 

[MailGuru]

There is another option - you can include the counting number (presort sequence number) and print it on your piece. It doesn't have to be in the address block unless it's an insert piece into a window envelope, but, it does need to be somewhere visable as you are looking at the address block (way off to the right in a small 8-pt font, upper right hand corner, upper left hand corner, etc.)

Now, along with your postal documentation, your software will print out a PAVE report (also known as a "Qualifications Report"). This report tells the USPS what is included in each tray. Along the right-hand side of this report, you will see a running total of record numbers. These numbers should match exactly to the "counting number" that you have printed on the mail piece. With this information, your bindery will be able to accurately sort the job, bundle properly, and place the bundles in the correct trays.

Even though we always use sort markers, we always use the "counting number" approach as a precaution, also. It comes in real handy when either the laser operators, or someone in the bindery has dropped a stack, papers are all over the floor, and now it needs to be put back in correct order.

 

[Lammy]

we print an endorsement line on the last piece of each tray. This is basically our "double check" that the trays are correct. I like the idea of running numbers though since that is how we figure out what record ranges to print anyway.

 

[Keith]

I seperate trays during prepress- when I'm putting the list with art and imposing, I save each tray as a seperate file so if there is a problem; it is easier to look at a file with 500 records instead of an entire run of 5000. When I cut them, I seperate each tray with a setup sheet that has the tray number and stack position written on it and pile them together to maximize my cutter. It's nice to hear that other shops are doing similar techniques. I've wanted to do sort markers but really haven't since I don't know/unaware of postal requirements. One time I did it and the post office didn't reject my mailing so I guess it was ok. lol!

 

[MailGuru]

The problem with saddling your pre-press, or, even digital print operators with "pre-separating" the sort process is one of production throughput and efficiency. Typically, bindery equipment will out-pace digital print equipment hundreds of times over. For instance, your digital printer may print 8.5 x 11 letters at a speed of 100 pages per minute (6,000 per hour), but, your folder in the bindery runs at 40,000/hr. Your inserter, probably 10,000 per hour +. The best option for being profitable is to run your digital print equipment flat-out, as fast as it will go, and then let the bindery do it's thing. This is easily done with a minimal amount of training and can be simplified even more by the use of sort markers or presort numbers.

 

[Craig]

@MailGuru - Very well said!!! Exactly how we operate here.

 

[MailGuru]

Thanks, Craig. Until I read this thread, I had no idea that others were actually bottle-necking the process. Not only would it take much, much longer to produce the job (equates to more labor hours and less profit), but, my bindery people would friggin' kill me if I put a job out there that forced them into a "go-stop-go-stop-go-stop" production pace for each tray, instead of letting the speed of the equipment work "for" you as opposed to "against" you. Having worked in bindery, there is nothing more frustrating than getting 2 to 3 thousand per hour off of a machine built to produce forty-thousand per hour. Also, nothin' worse than some PO'ed bindery guys wanting to separate your scalp from your head..........

Besides, what with loading/unloading paper, RIP control/profiling, QC checks, quality issues, paper jams, toner reloads, coretron replacements, labeling stacks, etc. The print guys have enough to worry about without running separate jobs for each tray...