USPS Changes Tabbing Standards

September 8 is the date when the U.S. Postal Service is adopting new tabbing standards that might affect the format, size, and postage cost of your self-mailer.

“Tabs” are the wafer seals that secure the open edges of booklets and other self-mailers. They help to prevent mail from jamming in the high-speed automation machines.

The new standards include increasing the size and number of tabs required, redefining what qualifies as a “booklet,” and reducing the maximum dimensions of a booklet for the “letter“ rate. 

So, for instance, your self-mailer booklet may have been sized accordingly to qualify for the lower-cost letter rate in the past but, if left unchanged, it now might have to be mailed at the more expensive flat rate.

It would be wise to either create a mock-up of your new self-mailer or have a sample of your current self-mailer, and show it to a U.S. Postal Service official or your mailing services provider for further guidance.

A PDF of the USPS “Quick Service Guide 201b Commercial Letters and Postcards: Using Tabs, Wafer Seals, and Glue Strips” (with a visual chart illustrating the new tabbing standards) can be found on our website (HowardPrintingInc.com/Links.htm#mailingshipping) or the USPS website (pe.usps.com/text/qsg300/Q201b.htm).

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