EDDM Postcard Printing & Every Door Direct Mail Services

What is Every Door Direct Mail?

Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a USPS program that lets you mail printed pieces to every address on a carrier route without buying a mailing list or printing individual names and addresses. You choose the routes on the USPS map, we print your postcards or flyers to the program's specs, bundle them with the required facing slips and paperwork, and drop them at the accepting post office. Because postage is paid at a simplified saturation rate, EDDM is usually the lowest cost way for a local business to reach an entire neighborhood.

USPS EDDM size and format requirements

EDDM Retail pieces must exceed at least one of these dimensions: 6-1/8" high, 11-1/2" long, or 1/4" thick. Common compliant sizes we print are 6.5 x 9", 8.5 x 11", and 6 x 12". Each piece needs an indicia (postage marking) reading "ECRWSS" along with the "Local Postal Customer" address block, and pieces are limited to 3.3 oz. EDDM Retail allows up to 5,000 pieces per ZIP code per day and does not require a permit; larger campaigns run through EDDM BMEU, which does. We build the indicia and address block into your artwork so the mailing is accepted the first time.

When EDDM is the right choice

EDDM works best when your customers are defined by geography rather than demographics — restaurants, dental and medical practices, home services, gyms, salons, real estate agents, and grand openings all fit well. Routes average roughly 400–600 households, so you can scale a campaign block by block and keep the budget predictable. If you need to reach a specific list of people or exclude non-prospects, targeted direct mail is a better fit; see our guide on EDDM vs. targeted direct mail for a side-by-side comparison. For repeat campaigns, mailing the same routes two or three times over several weeks reliably outperforms a single larger drop. Not sure which piece size to mail? Our postcard size and USPS dimensions guide covers which sizes qualify as EDDM flats and what each one costs to print.

What your EDDM quote covers

Every quote we send breaks the campaign into the same parts, so you can see exactly what you're paying for:

• Printing — piece size, paper stock, coating, and quantity.
• USPS postage — the simplified saturation rate, billed per piece for the routes you select.
• Mail prep — bundling, facing slips, and the PS Form 3587 paperwork.
• Drop-off — delivery to the accepting post office for your routes.
• Artwork setup — indicia and "Local Postal Customer" block built into your file.

Cost per household comes down as quantity goes up, so tell us the routes or ZIP codes you're considering and we'll price a couple of options side by side.

What an EDDM campaign costs

Every EDDM budget has the same two halves: USPS postage, which is a published per-piece simplified saturation rate that is the same for everyone, and printing, which depends on piece size, stock, and quantity. Use the table below to size a campaign, then ask us for exact figures at today's rate — we quote print and postage as separate line items so nothing is buried.

Postage is charged per address on the routes you select, so your quantity is set by the route counts rather than a number you pick. Printing, mail prep, paperwork, and drop-off are all included in the print side of our quote — there is no separate mail-house fee, and you don't need your own USPS permit. Send us your ZIP codes or routes and a piece size and we'll return itemized pricing, usually within one business day.

EDDM printing in Boston and Greater Boston

We're a commercial print shop based at 867 Boylston St in Boston, MA, and we run EDDM campaigns for businesses across Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Quincy, Newton, and the surrounding towns — as well as nationwide, since bundles ship to whichever accepting post office serves your routes. Because printing, bundling, paperwork, and the post office drop are all handled in house, you don't need a mailing permit, a bulk mail account, or a separate mail house. Send artwork by email and we'll handle the rest.

To price a campaign, send the ZIP codes or carrier routes you want and a piece size. A typical neighborhood test runs one or two routes (roughly 400–1,200 households); a full-ZIP saturation is usually several thousand. We'll quote both print and USPS postage as separate line items at the current simplified saturation rate, so you can compare quantities before committing. Call (617) 297-8428 or email quotes@oddjobsmedia.com if you'd rather talk it through.

Boston-area ZIP codes and household counts

Most EDDM planning starts with one question: how many households am I actually paying to reach? The table below lists the ZIP codes we mail most often around Boston with approximate household counts and how many USPS carrier routes that typically works out to. Counts are rounded estimates based on U.S. Census household data — the exact residential and business counts for each route come from the USPS EDDM tool, and we confirm them on your quote before anything prints.

A few planning rules of thumb: a carrier route averages roughly 400–600 residential addresses, EDDM Retail caps you at 5,000 pieces per ZIP code per day, and dense city ZIPs such as 02127 or 02135 need to be split across two drop days to saturate. Neighboring ZIPs are usually cheaper to add than they look, because the print run gets longer while postage stays flat per piece. Not in the list? We mail every ZIP in Massachusetts and nationwide — send yours and we'll pull the route counts.

How the USPS mailing process works

1. Pick your routes. Choose ZIP codes or individual carrier routes. Each route shows an address count, which sets both your quantity and your postage total.
2. Approve artwork. We set the piece up at a USPS-approved EDDM size with the simplified indicia and the "Local Postal Customer" block, then send a digital proof.
3. Print and bundle. Pieces are printed, counted into bundles of up to 100, and banded with facing slips for each route.
4. Paperwork. We complete PS Form 3587 for the drop and pay the simplified saturation postage.
5. Drop-off and delivery. Bundles go to the accepting post office for those routes, and carriers deliver them with the regular mail over the following days.

EDDM Retail is capped at 5,000 pieces per ZIP code per day, so larger campaigns get split across ZIPs or drop days. We handle the scheduling either way.

EDDM vs. targeted direct mail

Both reach mailboxes, but they solve different problems. EDDM saturates every address on a route at the simplified postage rate; targeted mail uses a purchased or supplied list and costs more per piece, but only reaches the people you picked.

Read the longer EDDM vs. targeted direct mail guide if you're deciding between the two, or tell us your goal on the quote form and we'll recommend one.

EDDM questions we get most

How many households are on a Boston EDDM carrier route?

A USPS carrier route in the Boston area averages roughly 400–600 residential addresses, so a one-route neighborhood test is usually 400–600 pieces. Full ZIP codes range from about 6,000 households in Mission Hill (02120) to roughly 19,000 in Brighton (02135) and Dorchester (02124). Because EDDM Retail caps mailings at 5,000 pieces per ZIP code per day, the larger ZIPs are split across two or more drop days.

How much does EDDM cost per household?

An EDDM campaign has two costs: printing and USPS postage. Postage is the simplified saturation rate charged per piece for every address on the routes you select, and printing depends on size, stock, and quantity. Per-piece printing cost drops as the run size grows, so we usually price two or three quantity options side by side.

Do I need a mailing list for EDDM?

No. EDDM delivers to every residential address on the carrier routes you choose, so no address list, names, or permit-holder data are required.

Do I need a USPS mailing permit?

Not for EDDM Retail. Pieces mail with a simplified indicia and the 'Local Postal Customer' endorsement, which we build into your artwork.

How many pieces can I mail with EDDM Retail?

USPS allows up to 5,000 pieces per ZIP code per day under EDDM Retail. Larger campaigns are split across days or ZIP codes.

How long does an EDDM campaign take?

Printing and mail prep typically take a few business days after artwork approval, and USPS delivery of the routes usually follows within a few days of drop-off. Tell us your in-home date and we'll schedule backwards from it.

Can you design the postcard for me?

Yes. Our graphic design service can build the piece from scratch or adapt existing artwork, including the indicia and address block placement EDDM requires.