Create & Post is a hybrid mail system that enables you to produce and send physical mail directly from an internet-enabled computer, saving you time and money. Simply upload your letter and mailing list, select a few simple options, look at the on screen proof, pay by credit or debit card and we do the rest.
Create & Post
We Print, Stamp & Post
As well as creating targeted mailing lists for your business, Selectabase will take all the headaches out of printing and dispatching direct mail. Check out our Create & Post mailing service.
Complete solution
We offer a start-to-finish service for all your direct mailing needs.
No minimum order
Whether your campaign is 500 or a million, you’ll receive exactly the same service.
Try us out free
Your first letter will be sent free, letting you experience our service before parting with your money.
Accessible
You have a choice between paying as you go and monthly payment.
A complete mailing house solution
Whatever you want to send, we have the specialist equipment to make it simple. From letters, certificates, leaflets, brochures and postcards to multiple inserts — all you need to do is let us know what you’re sending and to how many addresses. It doesn’t matter if your campaign is for 500 or a million — we handle any volume efficiently and effectively. We’ll quote on all mailings, regardless of numbers, size, weight or format.
Online hybrid mail — A4 sales letters in C5 envelopes
For one of our most loved services, our online hybrid mail services will set up your mailing list for you and then print and send a professional-looking letter to your target audience, all for a very low cost. Highly cost effective and time efficient, this service is enormously valuable for your business — you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.
When you use Selectabase Direct Mail, the process couldn’t be simpler —there’s no minimum order, and your first letter is sent free *. That lets you see the quality and speed of our service before parting with any money. Just upload your PDF letterhead, text and address list, review the proof, and then complete your order and send.
See how much you will be saving
To meet your every need and help manage a successful marketing campaign, we offer:
- Bulk mail — send a large quantity of identical letters to different addresses at a lower rate, helping your marketing campaign.
- Direct mail — direct mailing will give you a better response rate than email marketing, as it’s a more personal approach and makes customers feel valued.
- Hybrid mail — we’ll set up your mailing list and then print and send a highly professional letter to your target audience
- Polywrapping — for maximum exposure, we’ll seal your magazine or brochure into a see-through polythene wrap for dispatch.
- Envelope inserting — our envelope inserting service offers a quick and low-cost option for your direct mailing campaigns.
- Hand fulfilment — to complete the tasks that not even modern machinery can manage, our hand fulfilment service ensures a professional mailout.
- Data management services — our data management services provide the first step to success for your campaign.
- Leaflet distribution — puts your brand message straight into over 30 million homes across the UK without any need for personal data.
Frequently asked questions
How does Create & Post work?
Simply upload your PDF letter, upload your CSV address list and map your fields, choose the print and postage options, pay and send!
When you use Create & Post the system merges the documents into print-ready files and sends them to print on state-of-the-art digital print presses. They are then inserted into envelopes using modern industrial machines, Mailsort is applied, and collected by Royal Mail or Downstream Access providers.
Start Now!
How do I start using Create & Post?
Simply login or register and follow the simple online steps!
What will I need?
1. Your own database of names and addresses.
Your address list needs to be saved as a CSV file (30,000 rows max). If you wish to mail to more than the maximum please contact us. If you have a list saved in non CSV format this can be converted with most recent versions of office software.
Please note that your file must include the minimum required fields: Business Name or Surname, Address Line 1, Town and Postcode.
Alternatively, your own list can be purchased and downloaded from our Prospect Download (business or consumer) mailing list solution.
2. Your letter that you wish to send saved as a PDF document. You can include your letterhead, logo, letter text, pictures and your signature. Download a sample template. If you need help writing your letter, you can use our online letter writing tool.
A PDF is a widely used name of a format of document that’s a bit like an image. PDF documents can be created in different sizes from an original electronic document of some kind. With Create & Post you can use an A4 sized PDF or letterhead as the background of your mailing letter.
If you have a document that is not in PDF format this can easily be converted with most recent versions of office software.
Please note Create & Post will handle one CSV file address list and one PDF document at a time. Don’t forget – you won’t need to use any of your own stationery, envelopes or stamps – we take care of everything else for your mailing.
What do I need to use Create & Post?
All you need to access the system is a computer with internet access and a web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Safari or Firefox). No special software is required – just the internet. You may need Office document software to create or view PDF files, and you may also need a spreadsheet package to prepare your address data files. There are many free or paid Office or Open Office software programs that can be used.
How can Create & Post save me time?
Your business no longer has to spend time printing, folding and addressing all your correspondence. For many businesses this means their staff can be more productive and focus on more important things. For some, it even means costly in-house print/mail rooms are no longer necessary. Create & Post is also perfect if you need to send a mailing urgently as you can produce mail in minutes to be despatched the next working day (for mail submitted before 4pm). Create & Post can provide significant savings, some less obvious than others.
How can Create & Post save me money?
– Increased staff productivity. Your staff will not have to man printers and stuff envelopes. They can do more valuable work.
– Reduced staff costs. Would you still need your own print/post room if you used Create & Post?
– Reduced postal costs. We sort your mail and consolidate it so you achieve significant postage discounts.
– Reduced stationery and consumables costs. We can print millions of letters so our buying power is excellent.
– Reduced equipment costs. General office printers, inserting machines and franking machines are not as efficient or reliable.
– Reduced energy costs. With less machinery and people, your energy costs will be lower.
– Less wastage. Create & post includes address enhancement and returns management to maximise delivery and future targeting.
– Pay as you go. It’s like having your own state-of-the-art print and mail facility, but without the fixed costs.
– Reduced staff costs. Would you still need your own print/post room if you used Create & Post?
– Reduced postal costs. We sort your mail and consolidate it so you achieve significant postage discounts.
– Reduced stationery and consumables costs. We can print millions of letters so our buying power is excellent.
– Reduced equipment costs. General office printers, inserting machines and franking machines are not as efficient or reliable.
– Reduced energy costs. With less machinery and people, your energy costs will be lower.
– Less wastage. Create & post includes address enhancement and returns management to maximise delivery and future targeting.
– Pay as you go. It’s like having your own state-of-the-art print and mail facility, but without the fixed costs.
Industry research suggests that printing and mailing your own mailing letters in house can cost from 85p to £1.05, when you include printer ink, paper, envelopes, postage and your time. The cost of printing and mailing letters using Create & Post starts from just 54p each. This is also much lower than using a mailing house which can often have a minimum charge of 1000 items. Total savings achievable through Create & Post can be viewed using our Cost Savings Calculator.
What does it cost?
You are charged per mail piece you send. The cost typically starts at 54p for each letter depending on whether you choose single or double sided, additional sides and the class of postage required. There is no minimum order or contract and no software to install. The price includes paper, envelope, print, inserting, sorting and postage.
You can also trial Create & Post at no cost – when you place your initial order we will deliver your first letter free of charge!
What postage options does Create & Post offer?
– 2nd Class
With a 2nd class stamp costing 75p alone, Create & Post starts at just 54p online, and that includes the paper, printing, envelopes, inserting and the postage!
1st Class mail can be sent offline by contacting us on 01304 383838.
What can I send?
You can send A4 documents with up to 4 sides, which would be inserted into C5 envelopes. These can be full colour or black and white documents, ideal for marketing material.
Can I send full colour letters?
Yes, you can send full colour mailings which can include your artwork, logo, and letter text.
Can I include an insert or additional sheet?
Yes, we can print additional pages or double sided if required – simply choose from the options provided. If you already have your own inserts printed, contact us for a quote using our offline mailing solutions.
I already have brochures, can you mail them for me?
Create & Post is a print to mail service that’s been designed to provide bulk mailing discounts for A4 letters only, so the online service cannot handle bespoke mailings of your own existing leaflets or brochures. However we can help offline with traditional mailing house options – simply contact us and we will provide a bespoke quotation for your requirements.
What paper and envelopes do you use?
The price includes all the paper and the envelope required. Your letter is printed on 100gsm standard white matt paper. We fold A4 letters once to A5 size and then insert them into plain white C5 envelopes. The address is printed onto the envelopes.
How is it printed and inserted into envelopes
We print your letters using state of the art digital printers, and then use industrial mailing equipment.
What are the cut off times?
Submit your mailing by 12pm to be processed the same day. Start Now!
How long will it take for letters to arrive with recipients?
Our Second Class service should deliver in 2 to 3 days from despatch. Although we can’t guarantee this as our routes network is covered by third parties in some instances, we are confident that it will – our downstream access providers are all very experienced and reliable.
Can I get a copy of my mailing?
Yes, you can include your own address within the mailing list to ensure you receive a copy. This can be useful for you to know the exact date the mailing has landed. In addition, after you have uploaded your artwork, we provide a digital proof which you can download.
How do I know when my letters have been produced and mailed?
If you submit your mail before 12pm this will be produced the same day. If you submit your mail after 12pm it will be processed the following working day.
Why is my post delivered by Royal Mail?
Almost all mail handled by Downstream Access postal operators i.e. UK Mail, TNT etc, is still finally hand delivered in the UK by a Royal Mail postman/woman.
What happens to any letters that cannot be delivered?
Any mail that comes back from Royal Mail as “undeliverable” is returned to the fulfilment depot. Selectabase also offer various address enhancement tools to minimise non-deliverables before your mailing is dispatched.
If you require assistance with cleansing your data before mailing, visit our Clean My List page.
Can I cancel a mailing?
Once an order is paid for, we will produce it during our next available production slot. Therefore it is not currently possible to cancel a mailing once it has been paid for.
Is there an ongoing contract?
No. You can use Create & Post as much or as little as you need to. There’s no minimum order, and no contractual tie in. However, if you are a large user you may benefit from maximum volume discounts. Contact us for details.
Is Create & Post secure?
Yes. Your letter will be securely encrypted by Create & Post which means that your letter cannot be read by others whilst in transit and will be printed automatically and securely at our secure print and production facility which has CCTV and secure entry doors. The Create & Post website uses the highest strength 128 bit encryption, so you can be sure that your details will be safe, and we are Data Protection Act Registered.
Why is it called hybrid mail?
The term hybrid mail has been established because it is a hybrid of online communications and postal communications.
What if I need support?
We provide online and offline support – we are a real company with a friendly customer services team! If you would prefer that we deal with your mailing offline we can help with that too.
Is Create & Post environmentally friendly?
Yes. The Create & Post hybrid mail solution can help you reduce your organisation’s carbon footprint. This is because our system:
– saves energy.
– reduces waste.
– uses less paper.
– uses FSC paper.
– our digital printers use no chemicals and emit no gases etc.
– reduces trucking miles because we have access to an extensive network of mail routes through our downstream access providers.
– pre-sorts the mail, saving the postal operators from having to double handle the mail, further saving resources.
Do you amend my addresses after I upload them?
Your address list will be cleaned before your mailing is sent. This is an automatic process that checks the correctness of the addresses and amends them as necessary.