dgc@euphemia.math.ucla.edu (David G. Cantor) (01/26/91)
The US Postal service gives a discount if the appropriate barcode for the zipcode is used. Does anyone know the US Mail barcode standard? dgc David G. Cantor Department of Mathematics University of California Los Angeles, CA 90024-1555 Internet: dgc@math.ucla.edu
jpr@jpradley.jpr.com (Jean-Pierre Radley) (01/26/91)
In article <997@kaos.MATH.UCLA.EDU> dgc@euphemia.math.ucla.edu (David G. Cantor) writes: >The US Postal service gives a discount if the appropriate >barcode for the zipcode is used. > >Does anyone know the US Mail barcode standard? Well, for one, the US Postal Service itself knows the standard. I once obtained a publication from the USPS which spelled out not only what the barcode consists of, but where on the envelope it has to be placed, &c. I had no reason to keep,it around, so I'm sorry I can't quote you the specific name or number. I should think any post office would be able to obtain it for you. Jean-Pierre Radley NYC Public Unix jpr@jpradley.jpr.com CIS: 72160,1341
tague@witchcraft.sf.ca.us (Michael Tague) (01/29/91)
The definitive publication from the post office on Bar Codes and all
matters of consequence is the Domestic Mail Manual (it has everything!
except the stuff in the International Mail Manual). The post office
being a bureaucracy, everything is specified.
Bar codes are just the coded representations of the zip code. Since
zip codes come in either 5 or 9 digit forms, so do bar codes. The
basic format is this:
The digits 0-9 are represented by combinations of five short and long
bars with the following assignments (1 for long bar, 0 for short):
1 = 00011, 2 = 00101, 3 = 00110, 4 = 01001, 5 = 01010
6 = 01100, 7 = 10001, 8 = 10010, 9 = 10100, 0 = 11000
The bar code begins with a Frame Bar (one long bar).
After the initial Frame bar come the digits. Either 5 digits followed
by a check digit for 5 digit zips, or 9 digits followed by a correction
digit for ZIP+4 zips.
After the correction digit comes another Frame Bar (one long bar).
The value of the correction digit is that which is necessary to make
the sum of all the digits a multiple of 10.
Footnote: each group of five bars representing digits contains two
long bars and three short. If you think of the columns as having the
values: 7, 4, 2, 1, 0, then the digits 0-9 are derived by adding the
column values of the two long bars with the exception that 11000 which
adds to the value 11 is assigned to the 0 value.
The above is all you need to read, by hand, the bar codes, but if you
want to create them, you have to know where to put them:
Clear Zone: The bars must be located in a area clear of other markings.
1. 4.5 inches from right edge to right edge.
2. 5/8 inch from bottom edge to bottom edge.
Location: The first (left) bar must be located:
1. From 4" to 3 1/4" from right edge for ZIP+4 codes.
2. From 4" to 3 7/8" from right edge for 5 digit ZIP codes.
Location: The bottom of the bars must be located:
3. 1/4" from bottom +/- 1/16"
Dimensions: The bar codes must be:
1. Long bars (full bars): .125" +/- .010" in height
2. Short bars (half bars): .050" +/- .010" in height
3. Width: .020" +/- .005"
4. Spacing: 21 bars per inch +/- 1
5. Pitch (a bar and a space): .045" to .050"
Other:
1. Background contrast: a print reflectance difference of .30 when
measured at 650 nanometers of light (red).
2. Skew and Baseline shift: slant within +/- 5 degrees from bottom edge.
The bottom of any bar must not be more than .005" from the bottom of
the adjacent bar (in height).
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't believe that the post office offers any discount on individual
letters with bar codes. I believe a discount is only available for
bulk deliveries. At best, putting bar codes on individual letter
might speed them up a bit, but now with the post office machines that
put bar codes on automatically even this advantage may not be there.
I have programmed my system to print envelopes with bar codes on them,
using the above specs. For all I know, my bar codes may be
interfering with the automatic bar code appliers at the post office
and slowing my mail down!
-Michael Taguetague@witchcraft.sf.ca.us (Michael Tague) (01/29/91)
Bar codes:
The definitive publication from the post office on Bar Codes and all
matters of consequence is the Domestic Mail Manual (it has everything!
except the stuff in the International Mail Manual). The post office
being a bureaucracy, everything is specified.
Bar codes are just the coded representations of the zip code. Since
zip codes come in either 5 or 9 digit forms, so do bar codes. The
basic format is this:
The digits 0-9 are represented by combinations of five short and long
bars with the following assignments (1 for long bar, 0 for short):
1 = 00011, 2 = 00101, 3 = 00110, 4 = 01001, 5 = 01010
6 = 01100, 7 = 10001, 8 = 10010, 9 = 10100, 0 = 11000
The bar code begins with a Frame Bar (one long bar).
After the initial Frame bar come the digits. Either 5 digits followed
by a check digit for 5 digit zips, or 9 digits followed by a correction
digit for ZIP+4 zips.
After the correction digit comes another Frame Bar (one long bar).
The value of the correction digit is that which is necessary to make
the sum of all the digits a multiple of 10.
Footnote: each group of five bars representing digits contains two
long bars and three short. If you think of the columns as having the
values: 7, 4, 2, 1, 0, then the digits 0-9 are derived by adding the
column values of the two long bars with the exception that 11000 which
adds to the value 11 is assigned to the 0 value.
The above is all you need to read, by hand, the bar codes, but if you
want to create them, you have to know where to put them:
Clear Zone: The bars must be located in a area clear of other markings.
1. 4.5 inches from right edge to right edge.
2. 5/8 inch from bottom edge to bottom edge.
Location: The first (left) bar must be located:
1. From 4" to 3 1/4" from right edge for ZIP+4 codes.
2. From 4" to 3 7/8" from right edge for 5 digit ZIP codes.
Location: The bottom of the bars must be located:
3. 1/4" from bottom +/- 1/16"
Dimensions: The bar codes must be:
1. Long bars (full bars): .125" +/- .010" in height
2. Short bars (half bars): .050" +/- .010" in height
3. Width: .020" +/- .005"
4. Spacing: 21 bars per inch +/- 1
5. Pitch (a bar and a space): .045" to .050"
Other:
1. Background contrast: a print reflectance difference of .30 when
measured at 650 nanometers of light (red).
2. Skew and Baseline shift: slant within +/- 5 degrees from bottom edge.
The bottom of any bar must not be more than .005" from the bottom of
the adjacent bar (in height).
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't believe that the post office offers any discount on individual
letters with bar codes. I believe a discount is only available for
bulk deliveries. At best, putting bar codes on individual letter
might speed them up a bit, but now with the post office machines that
put bar codes on automatically even this advantage may not be there.
I have programmed my system to print envelopes with bar codes on them,
using the above specs. For all I know, my bar codes may be
interfering with the automatic bar code appliers at the post office
and slowing my mail down!
-Michael Tague