Print & Distribution FAQ

Distribution

What is the annual Residential Distribution Overview?

Each year, your distribution is reviewed. If changes are needed, you’ll receive an email summary including:

Current routes
Recommended routes to retain, remove, or add
Recommendations are based on median home values and income data for your area.

Why is my lowest home value lower than it used to be?

As you increase residential distribution, the lowest home value will naturally decrease. This is a good thing!

We already target top-tier demographics
Adding routes means reaching more homes, including younger homeowners with disposable income
This expands your reach and selling power

Example Tiers:

Launch (6,500) – Max: $5.5M | Min: $550K
Gold (7,800) – Max: $5.5M | Min: $470K
Platinum (10,000) – Max: $5.5M | Min: $350K

Can I make changes to my distribution?

Yes—outside the annual review, you can request distribution adjustments, which are subject to:

Significant demographic changes
Tier-related updates
Must be within assigned ZIP codes

Gold tier + may request 1 free change per year. Others may incur a fee. Read more here: Distribution Policy

Can I increase my distribution?

Yes, based on your tier:

Gold Tier:

One free annual change
Up to 8,000 residential single-family homes
Requires $30K+ 3-month revenue forecast
Recommended to keep the business & clients combined to 500
Publisher copies and additional readers are additional distribution

Platinum Tier:

One free annual change
Up to 10,000 residential single-family homes
Requires $40K+ 3-month revenue forecast
Does not affect the quantities of publisher copies, clients, businesses, or additional readers

Can I add a ZIP code to my distribution?

No. ZIP codes are set in your franchise agreement and cannot be added to your existing magazine.

Why is my client/reader not receiving a copy of my magazine?

Check ARC: Distribution > Additional Readers
Verify the address is listed and correct (include unit/suite)

If it’s correct, submit a support ticket (after the 7th of the month) for investigation. Read more here: How to Navigate the Additional Readers Tab

Why is an address in my carrier routes not receiving the magazine?

Two likely reasons:

The home was for sale when the list was pulled
The recipient is on the national "do not mail" list

You can add them to your Additional Readers in ARC. Read more here: How to Navigate the Additional Readers Tab

Why haven’t my magazines been delivered yet?

Magazines are delivered between the 25th and the 5th. If not received by the 10th, submit a support ticket.

Why are my magazines arriving early? Can I move the shipment date?

No. Shipment dates are fixed to maintain national consistency. Magazines are delivered between the 25th and the 5th, depending on your deadline.

Can I get a receipt for the shipment of my magazines?

USPS does not issue receipts for our pre-sorted drops. However, under special circumstances, we can provide a 3602 postal report showing mailing quantities for a specific issue.

City Lifestyle dropships all magazines to major postal sorting facilities, ensuring they are pre-labeled, presorted, and securely stacked on pallets. All required mailing paperwork and postage are submitted electronically and are linked to the barcoding on the pallet labels. As this process is handled internally on your behalf, there is no physical mailing receipt available.

How do I verify if a route is currently in my distribution?

You can use Every Door Direct Mail by USPS to verify if neighborhoods, specific areas, or specific addresses are or are not within their residential distribution. Here’s a step-by-step tutorial on how to use the tool: Identifying Residential Distribution in EDDM

How do I remove an address from my distribution?

Residential address: ARC > Distribution > Exclusion List (How to Navigate the Exclusions Tab)
Client/business/additional reader: ARC > Distribution > Additional Readers and remove manually (How to Navigate the Additional Readers Tab)

Make sure to enter the address exactly as it appears on the magazine label. The address may receive one more copy of the magazine, but should not receive any subsequent issues.

Publisher & Client Copies

Can I get additional publisher copies for an event?

Yes. Request in ARC:

Go to Distribution > Additional Readers > My Copies
Submit by the first ad deadline for that issue
Don’t forget to adjust it back for the next month

How do I change the number of copies my client receives?

In ARC:

Distribution > Additional Readers
Click the client’s address, update quantity, and click Save

If a client requires more than 15 copies per month, you, as the Publisher, must include these extra copies as part of your publisher copies each month. These copies should be hand-delivered or mailed directly to the client. Please remember, you are charged for every magazine printed each month, regardless of whether it's for residential, business, subscriber, or publisher copies. Read more here: How to Navigate the Additional Readers Tab

What are the costs to order additional copies?

Use the Profit & Loss Report to determine the per-magazine cost. Read more here: How to Review the Profit and Loss Report

Who can receive “My Copies” or publisher copies?

The Publisher
One other team member (e.g., Publication Director)
- Update the address info in ARC accordingly.

Where are my publisher copies? Can I track them?

Delivered by FedEx before residential copies go out. To track:

Go to ARC > Distribution > Additional Readers
Use arrows to select the correct month
Tracking # will appear next to your name/address

Note: This information will only be available once your magazines have shipped. Publisher copies typically arrive between the 18th and 5th of each month, depending on your deadline dates. If it's after the 5th of the month, or if your tracking shows delivery but you have not received your copies, please submit a support ticket for further investigation. Read more here: How to Navigate the Additional Readers Tab

How do I update my client’s mailing address?

In ARC:

Go to Distribution > Additional Readers
Find the client, click their address, edit, and save

Page Count

How can I increase my page count?

Once you reach Silver Tier ($25K+), you can increase by 4 or 8 pages manually in ARC (before editorial deadline). Please note that any changes are subject to associated costs. If your tier falls below Silver, the option to manually adjust the page count will be automatically disabled in ARC. Read more here: How to Manually Increase Page Count

Printer

Was there a change in my printer paper?

We want to assure you that the paper we use has remained consistent and unchanged for several years. However, quality is our top priority. If you believe there has been a change in paper quality, please submit a support ticket with a photo and any relevant details. Our team will pull the current and last copy supplied by the printer and provide them to the Distribution team for evaluation to ensure a thorough investigation.

Why is my mailing label upside down on my magazine?

To maintain USPS compliance and keep rates low, mailing labels are:

Placed on the front cover (because of a full-page back ad)
Rotated upside down so USPS can scan it properly

Why are there only two staples in my magazine? Can I switch to perfect bound?

36–40 pages: Saddle-stitched with two staples
44+ pages: Automatically perfect bound

If you are noticing an issue with the stitching of your magazines, please submit a support ticket, along with any supporting photos, for further investigation.

Can I change the finish on my magazine?

Yes. You can switch between matte and gloss. Submit a support ticket before the Ad Deadline. Note: This change stays until you request another update.

Print Quality

Why did my client’s ad print darker than the digital proof?

The colors you see in proofs on a computer screen might look a little different compared to the printed advertisement because a computer screen is backlit, which can make colors appear brighter than they do in a print magazine.

Here are some photography tips that may help your photographer understand the colors vs the overall ink limit required to help with printing:

Use CMYK (images submitted as RGB will be converted)
Overall ink limit: 240%
Highlights: 10c, 5m, 5y, 0–3k
Midtones: ~50c, 40m, 40y (adjust on this scale if needed)
Shadows: 85c, 75m, 75y, 10–20k (adjust if more black/less detail is needed)
Based on pleasing color standards (green grass, blue sky, etc.)
SWOP standards for dot gain on a 60# gloss text sheet range from 7%-20%

Here’s a useful link for skin tone colors: Skin Tone Color Palette.

Why did my magazine print weird/blurry/low quality?

If you have concerns about the quality of your magazine, please submit a support ticket with:

Clear photos showing the issue
Type of copy (publisher, business, or residential)
Number of affected copies
Address(es) of impacted magazines to review the mailing list and verify the location

Why is the white border around my cover uneven?

Slight border variation is normal due to production tolerances. If it looks significantly off, submit a ticket with photos for review.