News

From Interlink

Newspapers claiming automation mailing rates for their Periodicals newspapers and some Standard Mail flats should be preparing for the U.S. Postal Service’s requirement for Full-Service Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMbs) which kicks in Jan. 26, 2014.

USPS announced earlier this year that the new Full-Service IMbs would be required for all mail seeking automation discounts. The first step toward the USPS program to achieve greater service accountability began this January when many mailers began using the Basic IMbs.

The January 2014 change requires — with few exceptions — individual numbering on mailpieces, sack and tray tags and pallet placards so that USPS can track mail throughout processing and delivery. Those individual numbers must also be provided to USPS through electronic documentation, again, with some exceptions.

Included in the move to Full-Service IMb is a requirement for the electronic submission of postal reports. Some Interlink customers, who are part of an eDoc testing group, currently are submitting their postage reports electronically to the USPS, eliminating the need for printed postage statements and qualification reports.

USPS has been accepting eDoc through the Mail.dat file format, which can be complex and may carry additional licensing fees for usage. Interlink’s support for eDoc is through the Mail.XML format, created by the USPS to support real-time, “conversational” interactions regarding electronic documentation, FAST appointments, ACS data and more.

As Interlink continues preparations for the move from Basic to Full-Service IMb in a few months, we encourage publishers to begin planning for the move in order to maintain their automation discounts without interruption. And, www.ilsw.com/imb-savings-calculator can help you assess your potential extra postal charges without automation rates. As with the numerous past USPS DMM changes, Interlink will have your back on Jan. 26 if you are an Interlink customer.

As we move through the coming months, watch our website (www.ilsw.com) for additional Full-Service IMb information and explanations about preparations you will need to make for the switch to Full-Service IMb. And, check out our Full-Service IMb Countdown Clock – a reminder for all of us as the date nears. (Jan. 26 will be here before you know it.)

From Interlink

Newspapers claiming automation mailing rates for their Periodicals newspapers and some Standard Mail flats should be preparing for the U.S. Postal Service’s requirement for Full-Service Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMbs) which kicks in Jan. 26, 2014.

USPS announced earlier this year that the new Full-Service IMbs would be required for all mail seeking automation discounts. The first step toward the USPS program to achieve greater service accountability began this January when many mailers began using the Basic IMbs.

The January 2014 change requires — with few exceptions — individual numbering on mailpieces, sack and tray tags and pallet placards so that USPS can track mail throughout processing and delivery. Those individual numbers must also be provided to USPS through electronic documentation, again, with some exceptions.

Included in the move to Full-Service IMb is a requirement for the electronic submission of postal reports. Some Interlink customers, who are part of an eDoc testing group, currently are submitting their postage reports electronically to the USPS, eliminating the need for printed postage statements and qualification reports.

USPS has been accepting eDoc through the Mail.dat file format, which can be complex and may carry additional licensing fees for usage. Interlink’s support for eDoc is through the Mail.XML format, created by the USPS to support real-time, “conversational” interactions regarding electronic documentation, FAST appointments, ACS data and more.

As Interlink continues preparations for the move from Basic to Full-Service IMb in a few months, we encourage publishers to begin planning for the move in order to maintain their automation discounts without interruption. And, www.ilsw.com/imb-savings-calculator can help you assess your potential extra postal charges without automation rates. As with the numerous past USPS DMM changes, Interlink will have your back on Jan. 26 if you are an Interlink customer.

As we move through the coming months, watch our website (www.ilsw.com) for additional Full-Service IMb information and explanations about preparations you will need to make for the switch to Full-Service IMb. And, check out our Full-Service IMb Countdown Clock – a reminder for all of us as the date nears. (Jan. 26 will be here before you know it.)

July 3, 2013
Interlink Circulation 2.2.9 is available with postal updates, enhancements and fixes.  Click here for download information.

June 5, 2013
Interlink Circulation 2.2.7 is available with postal updates, enhancements and fixes.  Click here for download information.

To successfully register the Interlink Circulation program, your computer must have a broadband connection (DSL, Cable Modem etc.) to the Internet. Additionally, you will need your account number (also known as your Site ID) and Registration Password (not your zip code).

WHAT IS HAPPENING:

Each time the Interlink Circulation program starts up, it verifies the registration information and services that your company has available for your lists. If there are problems with any of these items mentioned, you will receive an error message that says the program is unable to register with Interlink or has failed.

WHAT IS THE CAUSE:

If you are running Circulation in Windows 7 for the first time, it is most likely that you have to “Run as Administrator” as noted under “What is the Solution?” below.

If you are not running in Windows 7 for the first time:

Read more …

From National Newspaper Association 

DES MOINES—The Iowa Newspaper Foundation is hosting a webinar on the savings, costs and the how-to on full-service Intelligent Mail barcode implementation.

Effective January 2014, newspapers must implement Full-Service IMb in order to be eligible for USPS automation rates. Unlike today’s Basic IMb, Full-Service covers much more than just the address barcode. This webinar will provide an understanding of what Full-Service is, how to decide if it’s right for you and how to make the transition from Basic IMb to Full-Service IMb.

The presenter, Brad Hill, is one of the National Newspaper Association’s representatives on the Postal Service Mailers Technical Advisory Committee. In that role he works with postal executives and implementers on issues such as electronic documentation address quality and the IMb. Hill is president of Interlink, a Michigan-based circulation software company.

The webinar will take place Friday, July 12 from 2 -3 p.m. eastern time / 1 – 2 p.m. central time.

Registration deadline is Tuesday, July 9. Cost to register is $35.

To register, go to www.onlinemediacampus.com

Talking postal at SD

Kathy Nelson of the Timber Lake Topic talks with NNA postal expert Max Heath about her newspaper’s postal report during the joint South Dakota-North Dakota Press Association convention held in Rapid City, SD, in late April. (Click here to see more photos from the convention.)

Interlink photo/Helen Sosniecki

It’s not too early to plan for move to Full-Service IMb

From Interlink

Newspapers claiming automation mailing rates for their Periodicals newspapers and some Standard Mail flats should be preparing for the U.S. Postal Service’s requirement for Full-Service Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMbs) which kicks in Jan. 26, 2014.

USPS announced a couple of months ago that the new Full-Service IMbs would be required for all mail seeking automation discounts. The first step toward the USPS program to achieve greater service accountability began this January when many mailers began using the Basic IMbs.
Read more …

From Kansas Press Association

At its annual convention banquet on May 3, the Kansas Press Association unveiled a new video, “What We Do Still Matters,” to mark the association’s 150th anniversary.

To view the video, click here.

The video was underwritten by the Kansas Newspaper Foundation and features a cameo appearance by cowboy poet Baxter Black.

Participating publishers were Dena Sattler, Garden City Telegram; Susan Lynn, Iola Register; Dolph Simons Jr., Lawrence Journal-World; Dan Thalmann, Washington County News; John Baetz, Lincoln Sentinel-Republican; and Sarah Kessinger, Marysville Advocate.

Check out this short tutorial on how to change the ribbon of your Citizen CL-S621 printer.

Citizen CL-S621 Ribbon Change – YouTube

Q.     What resources are available for checking address quality?

A.     Interlink maintains a CASS look-up suitable for checking to see if an individual address is correct, and if so, what routing information we have on file.  CASS look-up is available at:

http://interlink.flywheelsites.com/postal/cass.php

The USPS also maintains a tool similar to Interlink’s CASS look-up, available on their website here:

http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

Q:     How do I print or re-print mailing labels for a specific bundle?

A:     It is possible to print, or re-print mailing labels for a specific bundle. This may be desired if the labels for that bundle fell out of order, or were damaged during the labeling process. This option is available for Periodical or Standard mailing labels.

1.  Click the Print Reports button

2.  Select the category for the class of mail you wish to print labels for, e.g. Periodical Mail or Standard Mail

3.  Select the Mailing Labels report

4.  Click the Print All button

5.  Enter the number of the bundle you wish to print in the top field. This number is printed on the right-side of the               second row on the label, as well as on the Statistics report

6.  Click the Continue button to begin printing

To Re-Print starting from a specific sub:

1.  Click the Print Reports button

2.  Select the category for the class of mail you wish to print labels for. (e.g. Periodical Mail or Standard Mail)

3.  Select the Mailing Labels report

4.  Hit Print Special

5.  Choose “restart from” and enter the subscriber # you wish to restart from

6.  Click Continue to begin printing