You can take this particular example one step further.

Include a Personalize URL (PURL) mysite dot com /jeff.smith . html - if you are sending to Jeff as example.

When he visits that PURL then you can do so many things like include a personal audio message and video message.

Did you know 42% of people want to respond online vs phone when they receive direct mail? If you are not directing people to a website you are missing out on a lot of people.

The problem though would be trying to print this. You'd be printing the yellow in addition to to the text.

I created my letter yesterday using the same paper Michael suggested (I'm using 8.5 x 11) and vLetter handwritten fonts. I think the vLetter fonts are among the best available and honestly, other than the lack of an impression left by the pressure of a pen, you can't tell it was printed.

One problem I'm experiencing though... if I print out just one letter the text lines up perfectly with the lines on the paper, but if I print more than one letter at a time the text doesn't line up exactly... it's a little off. It must be the way the printer pulls in the paper for a multi-page print job.

Does anyone know if it's possible to buy the same yellow paper but without the lines (and if so, where)? I checked at OfficeMax and they don't carry anything like this. This way, I could print the lines in addition to the text, so lining it up wouldn't ever be a problem.


Thank you.

Put some money into a better printer. It should be the same every time no matter how many you print. If you're using a laser printer, replace your feed rollers.

You also might find more accuracy in each printed copy if you're using the printer's main tray and not a manual feed / bypass tray.

I've certainly found that to be true at times when we have tight alignment requirements: the paper sits the same in the tray and doesn't get pushed out as the sheet above is fed in.

Just wondering - For those avid testers...

Have you tested the results of Yellow paper? If so, increased response?

Yellow Letter works nicely. I actually used it as a marketing campaign to find my lost ferret in my neighborhood... My ferrets kept running away for month after month, and my neighbors still bring them back to me due to that letter

I have also used it to generate response for my investing, and again it worked well. The envelope needs to match the letter though (not professional looking one).

Here is how I did it:

1. I purchased large number of yellow pads from HomeDepot
2. I ripped the pages out of the pads and stacked them up
3. I placed once plain white 8x11 paper ontop of one of the letters wrote my letter aligning them on the lines seen through the white page (an alternative is to just not align it on purpose and write in an angle).
4. Since notepad papers are 16# papers, regular printers tend to jam and you won't be able to run large numbers of them. My brother printer jamed every 5 to 8 pages while my HP printer jammed every 20 or so and I needed to print thousands
5. I went to Kinkos and used their $5k copy machines... I took out their paper and placed my notepad papers in the tray... placed my handwritten letter on the copier and ran a test copy to see the alignment.
6. Realigned the handwriting to the lines and ran the large print job. It jammed once or twice on 1000 or 2000 print job, can't remember.
7. I took the white paper I took out since I provided my own paper

I did not use blue ink, I used black ink so I can use the black&white printers.

Hope this helps

What a great thread!

I've seen this yellow notepad gimmick before, but never used it. Now that I know how to do it, I'm going to try it with my database.

For more than one reason:

1. the time to tear up 20 to 40 pads is much less than driving down to the printshop. I dont tear them up 1 page at a time, I just remove the top of each pad
2. The tear effert of the paper versus clean cut of a machine. Gives it more genuine look

As far as the ink goes, thats an idea I did not look into. I will have to discuss it with local printer to see if they would do that.