The ability to personalize is one of digital printing’s greatest strengths. And it pays dividends. Research by Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (PIA/GATF) found that adding color and personalization—like the recipient’s name—to a direct mail piece increases responses by 135%! If even more personalization is added to the color piece, responses increase 500% over a static black-and-white mailer.1
1 Peroni, C. Digital by Design. www.paperspecs.com. Accessed December 2007

Design | Print

If your piece includes variable data fields, allow enough space to accommodate worst-case text length. Talk to your printer about their preferred format for personalization.

“I ask the client to supply me with possible worst-case scenarios for personalization. It is important to get the personalization right—if you don’t execute it correctly, you’ve missed the opportunity.”

Tip: Ask your printer what software they support for personalization and design to this standard. Leverage as much personalization as possible to increase the piece’s performance.