Stamp of approval for mail system

You just got comfortable with stamps costing 39 cents. Then last week, the U.S. Postal Service increased the rate of almost every class of mail.

It now costs 41 cents to send a 1-ounce, first-class letter; 58 cents for 2 ounces; 75 cents for 3 ounces; and on it goes.

Of course, if you plan to use those 39-cent stamps sitting in your drawer, you'll have to go to the post office and buy the exact number of 2-cent stamps to match every one you have.

Wishing there was a better way? There is, using your computer.

Not long ago I wrote about the nifty label printer from Dymo (www.dymo.com) called the Twin Turbo. This little desktop printer holds two different rolls of labels.

Using the included software, you can print address labels with a click of the mouse. The other roll of labels are stamps upon which can be printed whatever postage you need to mail the item you just labeled.

Buy what you need

The stamps are created by Endicia. You use the Dymo Stamps software to buy only the postage you need to print the stamps you use. There's no subscription fee.

The printer, software, labels and postage service work seamlessly together to help you address and stamp letters and packages. It's an elegant system.

But one element was missing. I was never sure about the weight of the item and, as you know, if you don't use enough postage, your letter or package won't be delivered.

Until now, I used a food scale to weigh my envelopes. It got the job done and it looked far more stylish than a utilitarian postal scale.

But now Dymo has completed its postal act by introducing its new 5-pound USB-connected postal scale. By the way, the name of the scale means it will weigh items up to 5 pounds. The scale itself is small, slim and only weighs about a pound.

Just plug the scale into any available USB port on your Windows PC or Macintosh. If you already have the Dymo Stamps application, make sure you have the latest version installed.

Even thought the software assured me I did, it wouldn't work with the scale. Going to the Endicia Web site's download section solved the problem. Now displayed directly beneath the potage value is a Weigh button.

A simple task

Using the scale couldn't be simpler. It gets its power directly from the USB port, although you can optionally install batteries.

The front LCD panel displays the weight. Its three buttons let you toggle between ounces and grams, recalibrate the scale and freeze the display.

For larger packages, the top flips up to help balance anything that may be a bit top-heavy.

After placing the item on the scale, click the weigh button, and the weight information is transferred to the Dymo Stamps application.

Select your preferred mailing class, and your stamp is instantly printed for you. It's a thing of beauty.

If you already have the Dymo printer, you can purchase the scale separately. But Dymo puts everything you need into one box, calls it the Desktop Mailing Solution and sells it for $239.99.

The all-in-one kit includes the LabelWriter Twin Turbo printer, the 5-pound USB-connected postal scale, a starter roll of white address and Dymo Stamps postage labels, the Dymo label printer and Dymo Stamps software.

And as for those 39-cent stamps? Dymo Stamps will print out as many 2-cent stamps as you need until your old stamps are gone.

Even if you only mail the occasional letter or package, the Desktop Mailing Solution is something you shouldn't be without.