Considering your Proxy and 10-K Annual Report printing and mailing
There are several things to consider as you work towards your Proxy and 10-K Annual report shareholder mailing:
Printing
There are several ways to approach the printing aspect of your project.
Standard black and white print with "self cover"
Most companies choose this option as it is the most cost-effective way to produce your products. "Self cover" means that the cover of both books are printed using the same paper stock as the body of the documents. This provides a professional look while keeping paper, production, and mailing costs at a minimum. The standard paper stock is a light "prospectus" weight sheet of 27# offset.
Color logos are printed as black and white.
Special Cover Stock and color
Some companies, who want to use their proxy mailing to some degree as a marketing piece will choose to print their 10-K with a heavier cover (65# Vellum - non-coated) and print company logos in color. This increases costs but provides more "snap".
10-K wrap/Glossy Annual Report
Companies that require a separate Annual Report section with their printed 10-K will print a high-end glossy "Annual Report" section that will be combined with their 10-K data.
Also, some will require a full separately designed glossy Annual Report in addition to their 10-K book.
Typesetting
At Vintage, we can provide many cost-effective alternatives for the type layout of your proxy statement and 10-K Annual Report.
EDGAR filing "clean-up"
Your HTML filing of your proxy statement and 10-K (i.e. DEF14A and Form 10-K) is not a suitable format for printing as it is designed as one long file to be viewed on a computer screen.
Nevertheless, we can take that HTML data and perform a "clean up" at a much lower cost than full typesetting. While the HTML clean-up does not provide the highest level of format consistency (text page endings may be inconsistent and tables resemble internet format), it is still professional and very presentable.
Full typesetting
Although less cost-effective than "EDGAR filing clean-up", full typesetting provides a top professional look with the commonly seen consistent financial printing format. Typesetting both your proxy statement and 10-K provides a consistent professional company image.
Proxy Card and Business Reply Envelope
That single sheet of information that can be easy to overlook is arguably the most important piece of your shareholder mailing. It is very important to have your proxy card requirements sorted out as soon as possible - our suggestion is to do so long before you file your definitive proxy statement. Questions you should answer early in the process:
- Who is your transfer agent?
- Does your transfer agent require a specific proxy card format?
- Can you provide your printer a contact at the transfer agent?
Mailing
There are several things to consider for your mailing. Proxy mailings generally
have two different parts - your beneficial owners (also known as "street names")
and your registered shareholders. The beneficial owner mailing is usually done
at a large mailing house who handles those lists on contract (usually ADP). Rregistered
shareholder mailings are usually smaller using lists you provide your transfer
agent. Vintage Filings has full inkjet labeling capabilities and can handle any
sized registered shareholder mailing.
Provide us with a contact at your transfer agent and we will arrange to have them send us an electronic mailing list (or physical labels). The list should contain the amount of shares per shareholder (to be included on the label of your proxy card).
Things to consider in preparation for your mailing:
- Contracting Vintage to perform your registered shareholder mailing
- Providing Vintage with your registered shareholder mailing list with shareholding
amounts
- Address of transfer agent to be included on the Business Reply Envelope
("BRE" used to return proxy card for ballot counting at transfer agent)
- Do you want to pre-pay postage on your Business Reply Envelope - if so will
your transfer agent provide the prepaid envelopes or do you have a mail permit
number for Vintage to print on your BRE or should Vintage simply print a "Postage
Required" box on the BRE?
- Return address on mailing envelope (usually the company address)
Vintage Filings can make what seems to be a complicated project simple - we can
handle all of your filing, typesetting, printing and mailing needs and will guide
you every step of the way.
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