The Pressure Is On Mailers

While traditional mailers are not obsolete, pressure seal continues to set the pace in the self-mailer market

WITH THE RISE in the popularity of pressure-seal mailers, conventional mailers have taken a hit, but they are a long way from being obsolete.

"We have seen some erosion in the market for traditional mailers, due to the increased installation of non-impact printers, but heavy demand for the product still remains," said Deanna Day, senior brand manager at Montrose, Alabama-based PrintXcel, A Quality Park Brand. "Customers who have not made a software or hardware transition still depend on these products and their utility."

In regard to traditional mailers, David Yost, general manager at Roanoke, Virginia-based InfoSeal, noted that the multi-part, Quick Mailer product is the industry's most popular. He agreed that while pressure seal is replacing some traditional mailer products, Quick Mailers remain a force to be reckoned with, especially in direct mail. "Distributors can find the most opportunities for conventional mailers in direct mail," he said. "All of our new orders for Quick Mailers have been in this area."

Dan Hopkins, national sales manager at InfoSeal, echoed Yost's sentiments. "Traditional mailers are far from being extinct because they continue to do very well in direct mail applications," he said. "Direct mail is probably the largest single component of the traditional mailer market today."

Seal in the Profits

The rise in laser printers has propelled pressure seal to the forefront of the forms industry. Much like its traditional counterparts, pressure seal has made a name for itself in direct mail. "Our pressure seal business continues to grow as customers who enjoy the utility of a self-mailer make the transition to non-impact technology," said Day.

"Pressure seal is our biggest seller, thereby making up the majority of our product line," Yost said. "We continue to experience higher growth with this product than with any of our other product lines. There is more opportunity, as far as volume, in direct mail than in any other area." He noted that direct mail orders tend to be much larger than transactional applications for pressure seal, such as payroll, which may yield approximately 20,000 documents per cycle, compared to a 250,000 piece direct- mail application per month.