A flysheet is a visible sheet of paper which can be seen through plastic-wrapped mail items and displays the recipient address, return address and "Postage Paid Australia" imprint. The flysheet can also be printed with your logo, images and personalisation for a creative touch.
Australia Post, however, has some very strict specifications for the layout of flysheets and failing to meet these requirements could end up a very costly exercise. While we take care of most of the process for our clients, in this blog we unbox each element to help you design a great flysheet that makes a memorable first impression of your brand.
Size
The size of the flysheet should match the publication, catalogue or brochure being mailed. If the flysheet is a different size it may move inside the plastic wrap and could be rejected by the scanners/lasers used during the mail sorting process at Australia Post. This may incur unexpected charges and/or result in the item not being delivered at all. So, for example, and A4 Magazine should have an A4 flysheet when in a plastic mailer.
Postage Zone
The postage paid imprint must say, in capital letters "POSTAGE PAID AUSTRALIA" inside a box. There must be no other wording and the box must not exceed a maximum of 26x40mm or be smaller than 19x25mm. The postage paid imprint must be in the top right corner, an area of 90mm wide and 40mm high referred to as the "Postage Zone".
The only other inscription permitted in this area is the "Priority" indicator if this service is applicable or a Print Post Indicia which is required if the project is a Print Post job. The words "PRIORITY" in capital letters and bold, white font, should be printed in a solid box below the postage paid imprint. This box must be 4mm-6mm high for horizontal imprints or 6mm-10mm high for vertical imprints.
Return Address Zone
There must be a return address and company name on every article, with either a street address or post office box, appearing in the top left of the flysheet and positioned no lower than 40mm from the top. Preferably it should say "If undeliverable return to" followed by the address in 8 point font size and not bolded. Other things like a logo, URL or email are permitted here providing it does not obstruct the visibility of the return address or other zones.
The Address Block Zone
Generally, our data team will set this up for you and help to cleanse and optimise your database for the best results but it is still valuable to understand the different requirements of this very important element to flysheet design.
The barcode and delivery address zone must be no more than 100mm from the bottom, have a clear buffer of 15mm along the bottom and 10mm from the sides and also be clear of the postage zone.
The address block and barcode, if used, must be straight and LEFT aligned.
The address block must not contain anything other than the addressee's details. An exception is made for a barcode and customer/campaign reference numbers which must be above the address block.
The second last line of the address block must be the number and name of the street or the post office/bag number.
The bottom line of the address block must contain, in order: Location, State/territory abbreviation and the postcode last. This line must be printed in capitals with no punctuation or underlining and no more than two spaces between each.
Barcodes if used, must have a clear zone that is free from any printing that may obscure the scanner from accurately reading the barcode. This clear zone should be 6mm left and right and 2mm above and below around the barcode.
General Design Requirements for Flysheets
Text for the return address, postage and address zone elements must not be cursive or decorative fonts and should not be italics, bold, shadowed or underlined. Decorative designs, logos and branding can be situated anywhere on the flysheet as long as it does not obscure the return address, postage or address block zones or the clear zone around the barcode.
Personalisation
The direct transfer process in digital printing means every sheet can potentially be different, either with variable text or variable images. Campaigns featuring personalisation often stand out from their static competitors and see higher response rates. Variable Data Printing (VDP) is one of the often-overlooked benefits exclusive to digital.
The above specifications are correct at the time of publishing this blog and are available for reference in further detail from Australia Post here.
We warmly welcome our clients to liaise with us as early as the design stage. Even though questions like mailing and delivery to your clients may seem like a long way away when you're only just starting a project, there are many aspects that we can help with which may save you time, money and stress. With over 35 years of experience, we offer our expertise to help your project run smoothly.
See also our blog on How to mail your magazines for less and Reasons why you should use a direct mail house like Printcraft.
Alternatively, you can Contact Us to chat about your upcoming project or Request a Quote. We would love to help.