Mailable documents

Claim 1

A method of producing a mailable document in which method a piece of paper is fed to a computer-controlled printing device, variable indicia are printed on one side of the fed piece of paper, such printing being under the control of a computer and including a name and address in a first area and confidential information in another area, and the printed piece of paper is then fed to a folding machine where the paper is folded, characterised in that the paper (l0) is given four folds in the folding step, each fold being substantially parallel to the others and to an edge (l4) of the paper, the first fold being spaced from said edge (l4) of the paper and defining an area (20) on which confidential information may be printed, the second fold being in a sense which leaves exposed printing on the area (2l) the side of the second fold remote from the first fold with the distance between the first and second folds being not less than that between the first fold and said edge, the third fold being in the same sense as the second fold and being spaced from the second fold by a distance not less than the distance between the first and second folds, and the fourth fold being in the same sense as the third fold and being spaced from the third fold by a distance not less than that between the second and third folds, the fourth fold defining a relatively narrow flap to overlie that portion of the document adjacent the second fold between that second fold and the third fold whereby printed matter on the area (22) between the third and fourth folds as well as printed matter on the area (23) between the third fold and the edge of the flap may be read, and the mailable document being completed by adhering at least portions of some of the marginal regions of the paper (l0) to those parts of the paper which those marginal regions overlie.

Claim 2

A method of producing a mailable document in which method a piece of paper is fed to a computer-controlled printing device, variable indicia are printed on one side of the fed piece of paper, such printing being under the control of a computer and including a name and address in a first area and confidential information in another area, and the printed piece of paper is then fed to a folding machine where the paper is folded, characterised in that the paper (l0) is given four folds in the folding step, each fold being substantially parallel to the others and to an edge (l4) of the paper, the first fold being spaced from said edge (l4) of the paper and defining an area (20) on which confidential information may be printed, the second fold being in a sense which leaves exposed printing on the area (2l) the side of the second fold remote from the first fold with the distance between the first and second folds being not less than that between the first fold and said edge, the third fold being in the same sense as the second fold and being spaced from the second fold by a distance not less than the distance between the first and second folds, and the fourth fold being in the same sense as the third fold and being spaced from the third fold by a distance not less than that between the second and third folds, the fourth fold defining a relatively narrow flap to overlie that portion of the document adjacent the second fold between that second fold and the third fold whereby printed matter on the area (22) between the third and fourth folds as well as printed matter on the area (23) between the third fold and the edge of the flap may be read, and the mailable document being completed by adhering at least portions of some of the marginal regions of the paper (l0) to those parts of the paper which those marginal regions overlie.

Claim 3

A method according to claim l, characterised in that the flap defined by the fourth fold is adhered to that area (22) of the folded paper which the flap overlies.

Claim 6

A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the adhering is performed using a pressure-sensitive or a heat sensitive adhesive.

Claim 7

A method according to any of the preceding claims, further characterised in that lines of perforations (l5,l6,l7) are provided to separate the adhered marginal portions from the main areas (20,2l,22,23) of the document, such that the document may be opened by tearing off the marginal regions along said perforations.

Claim 8

A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the adhesive is applied to the paper during or after the folding of the paper (l0).

Claim 9

A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the paper fed to the printer is pre-printed with non-variable information, on either or both faces of the paper.

Claim 10

A method according to any of the preceding claims, further characterised in that the paper (l0) is provided with at least one line of perforations (l8,l9) extending thereacross, which line of perforations coincides with a fold line.