Services
Variable Data Printing
Get personal. Get results. Merge variable text and graphics so each mailpiece speaks to one person, then finish and mail it under the same roof.
Variable data printing (VDP) is a digital print technique that lets tailored pieces run next to each other in a single press run. The brand layout stays locked. Names, offers, images, codes, and addresses change from your list.
USPS and industry research keep pointing the same direction: relevant personalization helps mail connect and convert. Broudy puts that into practice on our production digital presses, then moves the same job into bindery and mailing so the campaign does not split across vendors.
See it change
One layout. Many versions.
Name, offer copy, accent color, and image can all swap from your list while the brand template stays locked.
How it works
The basic steps to implementing VDP
Same path the USPS Irresistible Mail program outlines for marketers, with Broudy’s plant carrying print through the mailbox.
01
Data collection
Start with a clean list: names, segments, offers, images, PURLs, or QR targets. One row per recipient. We can help clean, map, or CASS-check addresses when the job mails.
02
Template design
Lock the brand layout, then mark the fields that change. Plan for long names and short ones so the design still holds when the data varies.
03
Digital printing
Variable text and graphics print in full color on our production digital presses. Tailored pieces run next to each other in one pass, not as dozens of separate jobs.
04
Finish & mail
Bindery, inserting, addressing, and postal prep stay in-house. Personalized print and the mail stream are one workflow from Broudy.
Engage at first glance
What you can change on each piece
Ideal for targeted outreach: direct mail, postcards, donor appeals, catalogs, brochures, labels, and more.
Direct mail & postcards
Change the headline, offer, image, or address block for each recipient. Target by list segment without printing a separate job for every version.
Names, IDs & memberships
Recipient name, customer ID, member rewards number, account manager, or branch. Small fields that make a piece feel written for one person.
PURLs & QR codes
Personalized URLs and unique QR codes bridge the mailbox to a landing page tailored to that recipient. Print opens the door; digital measures who walked through.
Offers & imagery
Vary the deal, product photo, or call to action from a spreadsheet. One layout, many versions, full color on every piece in a single run.
Local contact info
Swap phone numbers, addresses, and sales reps by region so the piece lands with the right local touch.
Response cards & forms
Preprint fields the recipient would otherwise write by hand. Less friction, cleaner data back to your team.
Ideas
A glimpse of what’s possible
Personalization works when it is relevant, not when every field is filled for its own sake. Start with the data you already trust, then bridge print to a digital follow-up when the campaign needs tracking.
- ✓Lead with the recipient’s name in the headline or salutation
- ✓Vary the offer by segment, giving history, or past purchases
- ✓Add a personalized URL or unique QR code to a tailored landing page
- ✓Show contact information for the local office or rep
- ✓Preprint response cards so customers have less to fill out
- ✓Swap images based on interest, major, or prior engagement
Bridge to digital
Mail that opens a personalized next step
Variable print pairs well with QR codes, personalized URLs, and Informed Delivery-style awareness when you want the physical piece to hand off into a tailored digital experience. We print the codes and fields; you own the landing pages and tracking.
- ✓Unique QR codes or PURLs per recipient or segment
- ✓Offers and creative that match what the landing page shows
- ✓Print, finish, and mail timed so the digital follow-up is ready
File prep
Best practices before we go to press
Clean files and clean data keep VDP jobs on schedule. We can prep or clean up the data when you need help.
Static art + variable layer
Send a proof that shows where variable text or images belong, plus a clean base file without that text when we need to place fields ourselves.
Data in a spreadsheet
One row per recipient. Clear column headers that match the fields in the layout (FirstName, Offer, PURL, and so on). We can help clean or map the file.
Fonts & character length
Provide the fonts used in variable areas. Plan for long names: check character length and leave room so the design still holds.
Versions vs. VDP
Need a handful of fixed designs on the same stock? That is versioning. Need every piece unique from a list? That is variable data. Many campaigns use both.
Find the right print partner
Digital production. Variable text and graphics print in full color on our Canon and Ricoh digital presses, including short runs and highly segmented lists.
In-house mailing. Addressing, inserting, and postal prep happen here. Personalized print and the mail stream stay one workflow. Need an audience first? We help purchase targeted mailing lists.
Online ordering. Need staff to trigger personalized pieces from a branded store? MyPrintCentral can put VDP templates in front of authorized users.
More on VDP for marketers from USPS: Irresistible Mail.
Feeling inspired? Let’s get started.
Send a sample layout and a spreadsheet, or just describe the audience. We will tell you what is practical on press and what will mail cleanly.
Variable data printing, finishing, and mailing in Pittsburgh
Hyper-Personalize Direct Mail Without Losing Brand Control.
or call 412.362.6700