Printed matter is a term to describe printed material produced by printers or publishers, such as
books,
magazines, booklets, brochures and other publicity materials and in some cases,
newspapers. Because much of this material is mailed, it is also a category of
mail, accepted for delivery by a
postal administration, that is not considered to be first-class mail and therefore qualifies for a special reduced printed matter postal rate. Depending on the specific postal regulations of the country, it is usually non-personal correspondence and printed in multiple quantities. Most postal authorities do not permit additional services, like
registration or
express services, to be added to items mailed as printed matter.