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If you’re a marketer or creative working in an organization with a direct mail program that isn’t yet leveraging Variable Data Print (VDP), you’re not alone.
Variable Data Print (VDP) has been around for decades—almost every piece of mail we receive includes at least a unique address. Technically, that counts as VDP. But today, the term refers to a much broader and more powerful marketing toolbox. Around 65% of direct mail includes basic personalization like a name or a variable offer. But when it comes to data-driven personalization powered by true consumer insights, adoption is much lower.
At Thysse, we’ve made significant investments in VDP capabilities because we’ve seen the value it brings. The internet is full of bold claims about VDP performance: "4X ROI" or "300% better response rates." Are they true? Sometimes. But those stats are often taken out of context and used without explaining the real effort required to make them happen.
This article focuses on the process of VDP adoption—not just the outcomes—to give your team a clear understanding of what it takes to implement variable print and why it's worth it.
The number one barrier to VDP adoption we see? Process uncertainty. Marketing and creative teams often understand the value of VDP, but they get stuck figuring out how to operationalize it. This puts internal champions in a tough spot when trying to build a roadmap or sell the idea internally.
That’s where we come in. By focusing on the step-by-step process, Thysse helps teams remove roadblocks and build confidence. This article is designed to do the same.
Getting started with VDP means understanding the three main components:
This is your mailing list—expanded. It’s a spreadsheet (usually Excel or CSV) that contains your usual names and addresses, along with any data points you want to use to personalize your mail. First names, unique offers, geographic or interest references, and tracking codes are common examples.
Additionally, the Data Source File may include references to variable assets such as images, long text blocks, or QR codes—without embedding the actual content. Instead, these filenames serve as lookups for the printer’s software, which pulls the corresponding assets from the Asset Folder during production. This connection between data and assets enables precise personalization without complicating the core data structure.
Your commercial printer’s software will use this file to populate the variables in your layout. Think of each row as one recipient, and each column as a variable you can plug into your creative.
Want to split test offers? Just add a column with Offer A and Offer B values assigned to different recipients. Want to drop in different coupon codes, QR codes, or loyalty point totals? Same logic.
For marketers, this means campaign strategy starts in the spreadsheet—and that spreadsheet becomes the engine that drives creative output.
This is your design template, often created in Adobe InDesign. If you’re already leaving space in your artwork for address blocks, you’re technically already using basic VDP.
To add name personalization or dynamic offers, your designer just needs to define fields in the layout that correspond with column headers in your Data Source File. You’ll also need to package your file so your print partner has access to the fonts and links. That’s it.
A variable name can be dropped in and matched to typeface, weight, and size to fit your design exactly. For short copy, numbers, and codes, this step is easy. And it scales. Thysse can merge these assets into print-ready PDFs faster and print them at a rate of 500 feet per minute!
For postcards and self-mailers, these mailers come off the press, get trimmed and folded and are ready to mail.
When you're ready to personalize with longer copy, images, maps, or QR codes, you'll need an Asset Folder. This is just a folder of files—JPGs, PNGs, TXT files and even software tools that build scannable codes and personalized maps.
Each row in the Data Source File includes a filename (without extension) and the printer's software pulls that asset into the layout for each specific recipient. For example:
Data Source File contains: Image1, Image2
Layout File contains: Variable field for the main visual
Asset Folder contains: Image1.jpeg, Image2.jpeg
With those three parts in place—data file, layout file, and asset folder—your printer can generate a unique print file for every mail recipient.
Using multiple versions of a mailer in the same print/mail run is versioning, and it’s a powerful marketing and efficiency-driving tool. On efficiency, versioning enables you to consolidate production of your mailings into a single run, which is more cost effective to produce and mail–and it makes timing print campaigns easier.
On the marketing value of versioning, this is truly where the magic happens. Let’s walk through the progressive capabilities it unlocks using an apparel retailer example:
Basic Versioning
Say this retailer has three geographic climate zones and two gender attributes to work with. Each climate zone gets a different product mix, and each gender gets a unique version of the mailer, resulting in a total of six. The primary benefit the retailer unlocks is serving more relevant product offers to their audience, and adding name personalization.
Improving relevance in this way, and adding name personalization are significant upgrades. The retailer probably would have used three layout files to execute this mailing. Though it could be done with just one, creative teams often find managing more layout files is more intuitive and easier to manage.
Versioning With A/B Testing
Now let’s say the retailer wants to A/B test the main visual in their next mailing. In this scenario, their six versions double to 12. They decide to incorporate a single-use personalized discount code to track results. This unlocks new data insights which can be used to improve messaging across all channels, not just mail. Aggregating improvements–small or large, over time drives meaningful growth.
Let’s say this retailer tested 20% of their overall national mailing in this way and saw an average 6% improvement across all test winners, and apply it to the rest of their mailing.
Versioning With Advanced A/B Testing
With increasing confidence in their ability to execute VDP and leverage the data, let’s say this retailer’s next move is to refine audience segments. They have income level and age data to work with. They break income into two categories and age into three.
This graphic illustrates what this mailing looks like:
Achieving this unlocks new product relevance improvements and enables them to test each segment separately and assess return on ad spend (ROAS). Where before they may have seen positive overall results, this approach enables them to measure each segment and make decisions. Perhaps they discover their youngest male segment is negative across all climate zones and versions. The insight gives the retailer an opportunity to refine offers or cut that segment from future mailings. The ROI-driving power of this VDP mail capability is clear, and it adds the missing context around claims that it can 3X your results. It can, but not because you added name personalization to a single mailing. It unlocks a completely different set of tools that can be systematically applied to drive optimization, efficiency and ROI.
The goal of this article is to help those considering VDP mail adoption do it. The following stage descriptions are intended to help break down the process so you can determine where to start. The key takeaway is personalization and versioning offer meaningful improvement opportunities at each stage, so don’t be afraid to walk before you run. Building confidence, experience and scaling positive results is a journey.
At this stage, all your variable elements live in the Data Source File. That means you're personalizing names, offers, scannable codes, and maps, but not using an Asset Folder.
You’re likely working with simple formats: postcards, letters, or self-mailers.
What to expect: Expect improved response rates—especially if your mail supports a well-optimized omnichannel funnel. You’ll be able to test and iterate easily, with no extra printing cost.
The key is to treat VDP like digital: test often, optimize continually, and look for incremental lifts. But make sure your downstream funnel (landing pages, offer fulfillment, sales handoff) is conversion-ready before investing heavily in print.
Now you're using an Asset Folder to personalize visuals, longer messages, or regionally targeted content. You’re managing multiple versions of your layout and running A/B tests within different segments.
This is also when most marketers start expanding their use cases: event triggers (like birthdays or post-purchase follow-up), re-engagement mailings, or campaign automation.
What to expect: You’re now able to gather deeper insights into what works. Does a discount outperform a bundle? Does a hero image featuring Product A beat Product B?
These learnings can inform your broader strategy. And as you test more combinations, your campaigns will become more targeted and effective across all channels.
Triggered mail is usually still manual at this stage: you or your team export a list and send it to your mail partner. In the Fly stage, that becomes automatic.
This is where your VDP process gets sophisticated. Your CRM, CDP, or marketing automation platform automatically triggers mailings when conditions you set are met. Your print/mail services provider stores the layout files and asset library associated with each mailing and receives automated mail orders from you that go directly into our production workflow.
Some of Thysse’s clients mail dozens of times each week.
Complexity may ramp up, too, with higher page count mailers. A 24-page catalog personalized by customer segment, product interest, and loyalty status might involve hundreds of unique assets for each segment. Managing this generally requires additional software integrations, though there are ways to simplify the process with versioning.
This was a lot of information, but hopefully it helps demystify VDP and show that it’s more accessible than it seems. Even a small move from static to personalized mail can deliver meaningful performance gains.
The process becomes more complex as you scale, but it’s entirely manageable with the right guidance. And you don’t have to do it alone.
If you're ready to take the next step or just want to learn more, reach out. Our team is here to help you navigate the path to better results.
