Mailing Machines From letter folders to postal scales, here are some tools to save you time and money.

Start-up BIZ Experiencess are notorious for trying to do it all,often because they have no choice. You have fewer resources at yourcommand to help ease your workload. But you don't always haveto increase your payroll to increase efficiency. Theseletter-folding machines, postal scales, postage meters andletter-opening machines can help you handle your mail quicker andbetter, allowing you to spend your time on more important aspectsof your business.

Letter-Folding Machines

When you're preparing a promotional mailing, you may findyourself dealing with hundreds--perhaps thousands--of letters orbrochures. Folding letters yourself can be time-consuming; it'salso unnecessary.

What to look for when buying: Consider the volume the machine iscapable of processing. Low-end equipment can process a few hundredpieces per hour; high-end equipment can operate at speeds from1,500 sheets per hour to more than 4,000 sheets per hour.

You'll also want to consider the types of folds theequipment will provide. Some possibilities are c-fold (standardletter), z-fold (accordion fold), double fold, single fold,right-angle folds and brochure folds.

Sheets are fed either through a friction feeder or a vacuumfeeder. Friction feeders have rubber wheels that pull the sheetsthrough; frequent use can cause the feeder to wear out. Frictionfeeders can also smudge your newly printed documents. Vacuumfeeders, while more sturdy and more effective for handling coatedpapers, can be substantially more expensive and are only availableon the high-volume machines.

You may also want to consider a model that includes a batchcounter or a total counter. Batch counters keep the machine fromfolding too many sheets together. Total counters will tell you howmany sheets have already been folded. You'll find a memorysetting useful if you typically produce the same types of jobs on aregular basis. The memory setting allows you to enter theinstructions for processing a particular type of job once, thencall up that job whenever you need to apply the sameparameters.

You should also check to see how the equipment handles paperjams. Better-designed machines can release rollers for easieraccess to the problematic sheet.

Finally, you may wish to consider a model that offers aninserter, which will automatically insert your documents intoenvelopes.

Questions to ask the dealer:

• How many pieces can it process per hour?
  
• Does the machine offer friction or vacuum feed?
  
• What types of folds is the machine capable of?
  
• How many sheets of paper can it fold at once?
  
• How effective is the equipment at handling stapled sheets?(Many are not able to do this automatically and will require handfeeding.)
  
• What counter features are available?
  
• What types and sizes of paper can it handle?
  
• How should the machine be maintained?
  
• What type of maintenance agreement is offered?
  
• Does it have an automatic feeder?
  
• Does it have a memory setting?
  
• How are paper jams handled?
  

Martin Yale Model 959 Friction Feed AutoFolder
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail price (MSRP): $2,695
Phone: (219) 563-0621
Description: A friction-feed folder that processes 18,000sheets per hour with a maximum sheet size of 14 inches by 20inches. Handles maximum fold lengths of 13 inches and includes aslitter/scorer/perforator bar.

Martin Yale Model 1501 (CV7) Auto Folder
MSRP: $849.49
Phone: (219) 563-0621
Description: For the low-volume user who folds letter, legaland similarly sized sheets. Feed speed of 9,200 sheets per hour.Includes preset guides for the most common folds and adjusts easilyto any fold dimension. Accepts sheets up to 9 1|2 inches by 14inches and weights of 18-pound to 90-pound bond or equivalent.

Francotyp-Postalia Model 1001 Letter Folder
MSRP: $995
Phone: (800) 95-NO-INK
Description: Handles any stock up to 60 pounds. Top-feedsystem for multipage projects. Folds up to three stapled orunstapled pages at a time, in single-fold, standard letter-fold oraccordion-fold formats. Takes single sheets from a150-sheet-capacity feed tray at up to 140 sheets per minute,including gloss-coated and carbonless sheets.

Francotyp-Postalia Model 2001 Letter Folder
MSRP: $2,895
Phone: (800) 95-NO-INK
Description: Handles up to 500 sheets of almost any type ofpaper with sizes up to 11 inches by 14 inches (Model 200l-L workswith paper up to 11 inches by 17inches). Variable speed settingadjusts from 45 sheets per minute to 130 sheets per minute,depending on the type of fold--single-fold, standard letter-fold,accordion-fold, brochure-fold, double-parallel-fold andhalf-accordion-fold.

Pitney Bowes FD30 and FD40 Folders
MSRP: Call for prices
Phone: (800) MR-BOWES
Description: The FD40 can fold up to 20,0008.5-inch-by-11-inch sheets per hour; the FD30 can handle up to10,000 pieces. Both are easy-to-use, tabletop units that offer avariety of folding applications. Both can feed and fold variouspaper sizes and weights (from 14 pounds to 50 pounds), includingNCR paper and laser-printed materials. Each unit has a variablespeed control.
FD30 features: Processes material up to9-inches-by-14-inche. Can store up to 15 sheets in feed tray.Self-centering side guides, fingertip adjustment for paperthickness and four folding options.
FD40 features: Programmable memory for up to 10 jobs,electronic adjustment for paper thickness, an easy-to-use controlpad and five folding options.

Postal Scales

Postage costs can represent a substantial portion of yourbusiness's mailing expenses. A postal scale will ensure thatyou're not paying more than necessary for your outgoing mailand can easily save you 10 percent to 15 percent on postage.

What to look for when buying: Postal scales are available inboth manual and electronic versions. Because manual scales requireyou to read the postage amount, they increase the chance for humanerror. While electronic versions are the most expensive, thedigital readout will reduce errors and ensure that you'regetting maximum value from your postal scale.

Depending on the type, size and weight of letters and packagesthat you'll be mailing, you may wish to look for a machine thatoffers you the ability to compare rates between various postalcarriers, such as Federal Express, United Parcel Service (UPS) andthe U.S. Postal Service. You'll may also want a feature thatautomatically converts a ZIP code to the proper zone forcalculating zone-dependent rates for carriers such as RPS andUPS.

Consider ease of use if a number of people will be using thescale. Some models offer easy-to-read keypads and user prompts.Consider the size of the weighing platform and maximum weight themachine can handle to make sure it will be able to accommodate thetypes of packages you'll be sending. For shipments that exceedthe weight capacity of the scale, look for a scale that will allowyou to manually enter the weight for rate calculation.

If you need your scale to interface with a postage meter (see"Leasing Postage Meters"), you'll want to make surethe model you select is compatible with your meteringequipment.

Questions to ask the dealer:

• What adjustments will need to be made to the scale if postagerates change? What charges are involved?
• Does the scale offer alternative pricing options based onvarious postal classifications?
• Does the scale offer a password feature to help guard againstunauthorized use?
• What size and weight limitations does it have?
• How should the machine be maintained?
• What type of maintenance agreement is offered?
• Does the scale offer rates for foreign mailings?
• Does the scale offer rates for Federal Express and UPS?

Francotyp-Postalia FP-5Li Postal Scale
MSRP: $495
Phone: (800) 95-NO-INK
Description: Connects to T-1000 postage meter for automaticpostage setting. Calculates postage for packages as heavy as fivepounds with your choice of domestic USPS rates plus letter rates toCanada and Mexico. Allows you to send mail using any specialservice: certified, registered, return receipt or insured.

Francotyp-Postalia FP-15 Postal Scale
MSRP: $1,195
Phone: (800) 95-NO-INK
Description: For people who send packages as well asletters. Loaded with all domestic and international USPS rates,including ZIP-to-zone, Express Mail and all special services, aswell as Federal Express and UPS rates. Capacity of up to 15pounds.

Pitney Bowes Integra 2
MSRP: Call for prices
Phone: (800) MR-BOWES
Description: 2-pound weighing capacity. Directly connects toa postage meter; positive touch keys; large display. One rate chipincludes USPS rates (first-class, priority, standard, postcard,express and P.O.-to-addressee) and fees. (Certified, return receiptand nonstandard are included on a single chip.)

Pitney Bowes Integra 3
MSRP: Call for prices
Phone: (800) MR-BOWES
Description: 3-pound weighing capacity. Directly connectsthe scale to a postage meter, ink density adjustment, resettablecounters. Easy-to-operate control panel uses prompts such as"Check Meter Date" and "Clear Counters" to helpensure error-free processing.

Pitney Bowes Integra 5
MSRP: Call for prices
Phone: (800) MR-BOWES
Description: 5-pound weighing capacity. All the features ofthe Integra 2 and 3, plus eight-line graphic display with menuselection, international rates with country name entry and UPSshipment capability.

Letter-Opening Machines

Letter-opening machines can greatly speed up the opening ofmail; some models can process as many as 600 envelopes perminute.

What to look for when buying: There are two types of letteropeners--chadders and slitters. Chadders open envelopes by cuttingoff 1|8 of an inch from the top. Slitters, while quite a bit moreexpensive (as much as $1,000 or more), will reduce the risk ofdamaging envelope contents by cutting through the top seam of theenvelope.

Most models can handle the standard #10 envelope. More expensivemodels will accommodate different sizes and thicknesses of incomingmail. An automated feeder will send your mail through the machine;joggers will help settle the contents of the envelopes and helpminimize the possibility of cutting off important materials;counters will let you count the number of mail pieces beingprocessed. Another feature you may find handy is an automaticdate-and-time stamp to help you keep track of when mail arrives.Because letter-opening machines are quite durable, maintenancecontracts are not usually required.

Questions to ask the dealer:

• Does the opener use a chadder or a slitter?
• What sizes of envelopes can the equipment handle?
• What envelope thickenesses can the equipment handle?
• Does it have an automatic feeder?
• Does it have a jogger?
• Does it have a counter?
• Can incoming mail be date-and-time stamped?

Francotyp-Postalia Model 4000 Letter Opener
MSRP: $1,495
Phone: (800) 95-NO-INK
Description: Fully automatic machine opens envelopes of allweights and sizes with thicknesses of up to two-fifths of an inch.The self-sharpening cutting wheels can be adusted to vary the widthof the cut strips up to nearly 1|4 inch. Handles up to 24,000envelopes per hour (six per second) with a slitting operation. Cutstrips are deposited in their own side of the divided receivingtray. Automatically shuts off if the cutting wheels are exposed.Easily accommodates unsorted envelopes of various formats andthicknesses.

Omation Model 2000 Letter Opener
MSRP: Call for prices
Phone: (650) 966-1396
Description: A tabletop mail opener that uses the samemilling cutter technology as the larger, high-speed Model 202C.Precision speed of up to 450 envelopes per minute. Ideal for mixedsizes of mail--requires no sorting or jogging. Available with anoversized-envelope support for flats and wide envelopes.

Martin Yale Model 62001 Letter Opener
Retail Price: $1,495
Phone: (219) 563-0621
Description: Slits up to 17,500 pieces per hour. Handles aload capacity of 6 inches with a maximum envelope thickness of 1|4inch. Dimensions are 36 inches by 10 5|8 inches by 12 5|8 incheswith tray. Precision cutters can be adjusted to suit mail-flowrequirements and to vary slitting width. Envelope and chip catcherare included. The unique cross-drive system automatically opensenvelopes of many different sizes, without the need to sort.

Omation Model 202C Letter Opener
MSRP: Call for prices
Phone: (650) 966-1396
Description: Processes up to 36,000 envelopes per hour witha milling cutter that protects envelopes' contents from gettingsliced. Accommodates up to 250 envelopes in a feeder hopper and upto 800 envelopes with power conveyor/stacker. Handles all types andsizes of envelopes, including flat, oversized andthicker-than-normal envelopes. Envelope sizes may be mixed withoutpresorting. Standard counter with five-digit LCD display. Optionaldate imprinter available.

Leasing Postage Meters

In addition to providing your outgoing mail with a professionallook, postage meters will save you time you'd otherwise spendgoing to the post office.

U.S. Postal Service regulations require that the meter portionof postage meters be leased--not purchased--from a manufacturer.The base, however, which feeds envelopes through the meter, can bepurchased. Because bases and meters from different vendorsaren't compatible, you'll need to buy the base from thesame manufacturer from which you lease the meter.

What to look for when buying:

The primary difference between bases is how letters are fedthrough the machine. The most inexpensive models require you tofeed letters, one at a time, through a roller. More expensivemodels offer semiautomatic or fully automated letter feeding.

Options for the base include stackers, which stack your mail,and sealers, which automatically wet and seal each envelope as itpasses through the base.

Questions to ask the dealer:

• What is the difference in cost between purchasing and leasingthe base?
• Can the meter be refilled by phone, or will I need to go to thepost office?
• How should the machine be maintained?
• What type of maintenance agreement is offered?

Francotyp-Postalia Conquest T-1000 Postage Meter
Price: $31.50 per month, standard; $38 per month with unlimitedreset rates (scaled pricing available)
Phone: (800) 95-NO-INK
Description: The Conquest T-1000 is totally electronic anduses nonimpact printing. Includes automatic date changes;preprogrammed, personalized meter ads that allow you to incorporateyour logo or message on the stamp; an electronic scale interfaceand departmental accounting. The entire postage resetting processruns automatically through a built-in, self-dialing modem. Choosefrom three full-featured, electronic scales that directly interfacewith the T-1000.

Pitney Bowes Personal Post Office
Price: $19.75 per month
Phone: (800) MR-BOWES
Description: A desktop, digital postage meter with abuilt-in modem for downloading postage online. Can be refilled inless than 30 seconds--24 hours a day--over a secure modemconnection, and prints up to 10 envelopes per minute.