The only
cost-effective way to mail millions of personalized pieces is to use in-line offset print production combined with variable ink-jet technology.
So what is in-line offset print production (besides the coolest print process you'll ever see running)? It is where your marketing message enters the press as paper off rolls and comes off the manufacturing line as a mail piece already die cut, folded, glued, ink-jetted and ready for mail (including sorted for bulk mail savings).
I've seen this process in place at one of our facilities (Cyril Scott) and it is by far the most amazing process. It starts with the design of the piece by the in-house team that works with the client on branding and message and with manufacturing on how to make the piece run through the equipment and come out on the end ready to mail.
It then has a similar process to any variable data piece, data is analyzed and it is determined where the variable data will appear and how (all text based). It will then go through make-ready on the press - complex pieces might take a full week on the make-ready process. Then it is running and hitting the mail.
An interesting fact is that every day direct marketing pieces that Cyril Scott printed are delivered to mail boxes around the country. Over the holidays I counted and found that I got a minimum of 3 per week. Amazing stuff!
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