marcus@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Marcus Daniels) (03/26/91)
so frustrating... marcus daniels ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - marcus@eecs.ee.pdx.edu / ....!uunet!tektronix!psueea!eecs!marcus - "The power of accurate observation is called cynicism by those who don't have it"
barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) (03/26/91)
In article <2068@pdxgate.UUCP> marcus@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Marcus Daniels) writes: > >so frustrating... > Actually, I found it to be pretty simple to make envelopes. Here's how I do it: I use WriteNow to typset the envelope: (0) open WriteNow. (1) In WN, use the Page menu button, and then use the Page layout submenu. choose the Paper Size to be ``other'', Choose Landscape mode, and enter the desired Width (9, e.g.) and Heigth (5, e.g.) for your envelope. (2) use the menu item Page, subitem Insert header/Footer to go into the header and footer and delete all the blank space there. (you don't want substantial header/footers on envelopes) (3) design your envelope text as desired in WriteNow, which will display a page the size of your envelope. (I like to past in a graphic of a tesellated dodecahedron from Mathematica, using the polyhedra.m mathematica Package :-). (5) In your NeXT laser, slide the manual feed guides to fit your envelope, in put it in place. (4) select Print.. from the WN menu; on the print panel, select manual feed for the paper feed, and 400dpi resolution (for that special touch :-) Thats it----works great for me. Now if it could just dispense stamps...(Hmmm---does anyone has a good .tiff of a postage stamp? :-) -- Barry Merriman UCLA Dept. of Math UCLA Inst. for Fusion and Plasma Research barry@math.ucla.edu (Internet)
eps@toaster.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott) (03/30/91)
In article <1991Mar25.202018.4253@math.ucla.edu> barry@pico.math.ucla.edu (Barry Merriman) writes: >Now if it could just dispense stamps...(Hmmm---does anyone >has a good .tiff of a postage stamp? :-) Ack, Pffpt. How about an envelope-addresser that adds FIMs and barcodes? That's worth MONEY (and not fraudulent). -=EPS=-
tempest@walleye.uucp (Kenneth K.F. Lui) (03/31/91)
In article <1444@toaster.SFSU.EDU> eps@cs.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott) writes: >Ack, Pffpt. How about an envelope-addresser that adds FIMs and >barcodes? That's worth MONEY (and not fraudulent). What are FIMs and would "normal" people make use of barcodes? How do businesses use them--to sort out what type of business reply mail they get? Ken ______________________________________________________________________________ tempest@ecst.csuchico.edu, tempest@walleye.ecst.csuchico.edu,|Kenneth K.F. Lui| tempest@sutro.sfsu.edu, tempest@wet.UUCP |________________|
sritchie@cs.ubc.ca (Stuart Ritchie) (03/31/91)
In article <1444@toaster.SFSU.EDU> eps@cs.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott) writes: >Ack, Pffpt. How about an envelope-addresser that adds FIMs and >barcodes? That's worth MONEY (and not fraudulent). > > -=EPS=- A friend of mine has written such a program for use in Canada (the bar codes are different here.) Now he's wondering how to sell the thing....
eps@toaster.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott) (03/31/91)
[This thread is Distribution: usa on comp.sys.next; apologies to foreign NEXT-L readers.] In article <1991Mar30.191057.22404@ecst.csuchico.edu> tempest@walleye.uucp (Kenneth K.F. Lui) writes: >What are FIMs and would "normal" people make use of barcodes? "normal" people don't have NeXT laser printers. :-) FIMs are the half-dozen or so 5/8"-high bars in the upper right of things like Business Reply Mail and Penalty Mail. Their specification can be found in USPS Pub. 25 (A Guide to Business Mail Preparation). Your friendly neighborhood [depository] library should have this. >How do businesses use them--to sort out what type of business >reply mail they get? Basically, what all the funny markings do is make it easier for Postal Service automation to process mail. People who use them qualify for lower postal rates, and the more they're used "period," the less vicious our postal rate increases are supposed to be. That's the theory, anyway. (Would your government ever lie to you? :-) ) Actually, a Truly Useful address printer probably has to do more stuff, like presorting and keylines. While individuals don't have much to gain from this, small businesses would. I don't claim to understand it all, I just RTFM like everybody else. It *looks* simple enough. Try running your ZIP code through the following and see if it agrees with the barcodes on your junk mail. moveto where you want the lower left. For bounding box calculation, a ZIP+4 code renders as 52 bars; there are 21 bars per inch, bars are .02" wide and .125" (or .05") tall. Hmm... Something tells me I better double-check those numbers. -=EPS=- ------- % PostScript to draw USPS barcodes % x y moveto (12345-6789) addcheckdigit showbarcode /addcheckdigit { % takes string /checkdigit 0 def dup { % sum digits 1 string dup 0 4 3 roll put % convert ASCII code to character (0123456789) exch search { pop exch pop % if it's a digit cvi checkdigit add /checkdigit exch store % add to sum } { pop } ifelse % else ignore } forall 90 checkdigit sub 10 mod /checkdigit exch store % generate check digit dup length 1 add string dup 3 1 roll copy pop % expand string dup dup length 1 sub checkdigit 1 string cvs putinterval % append check digit } bind def % returns string /longbar { % show a "long" bar currentpoint 0 9 rlineto 1.44 0 rlineto 0 -9 rlineto closepath fill exch 72 21 div add exch moveto } bind def /shortbar { % show a "short" bar currentpoint 0 3.6 rlineto 1.44 0 rlineto 0 -3.6 rlineto closepath fill exch 72 21 div add exch moveto } bind def /showbarcode { % takes string longbar % draw guard bar { 1 string dup 0 4 3 roll put % convert ASCII code to character (0123456789) exch search { pop exch pop % if it's a digit cvi % show bars [ % 7 4 2 1 0 { longbar longbar shortbar shortbar shortbar } % 0 { shortbar shortbar shortbar longbar longbar } % 1 { shortbar shortbar longbar shortbar longbar } % 2 { shortbar shortbar longbar longbar shortbar } % 3 { shortbar longbar shortbar shortbar longbar } % 4 { shortbar longbar shortbar longbar shortbar } % 5 { shortbar longbar longbar shortbar shortbar } % 6 { longbar shortbar shortbar shortbar longbar } % 7 { longbar shortbar shortbar longbar shortbar } % 8 { longbar shortbar longbar shortbar shortbar } % 9 ] exch get exec } { pop } ifelse % else ignore } forall longbar % draw guard bar flush } bind def % returns - -- This is your brain. /This { PostScript (your brain) on } is Any questions?
geoff@ITcorp.com (Geoff Kuenning) (04/03/91)
The problem I have with envelopes is that the heat from the laser printer seals them as they pass through, making it just a teensy bit tricky to stuff the things. This is a real drag, as it forces me to do my friend's mailing list onto sticky labels, which is both expensive and a lot of work to transfer the 1000 labels to envelopes every month. Am I just using the wrong brand of envelope? -- Geoff Kuenning geoff@ITcorp.com uunet!desint!geoff
dcarpent@sjuphil.uucp (D. Carpenter) (04/04/91)
In article <1991Apr3.111601.844@ITcorp.com> geoff@ITcorp.com (Geoff Kuenning) writes: >The problem I have with envelopes is that the heat from the laser >printer seals them as they pass through, making it just a teensy bit >tricky to stuff the things. This is a real drag, as it forces me to >do my friend's mailing list onto sticky labels, which is both >expensive and a lot of work to transfer the 1000 labels to envelopes >every month. > >Am I just using the wrong brand of envelope? >-- > Geoff Kuenning geoff@ITcorp.com uunet!desint!geoff Perhaps. I haven't had this problem. You might try another brand of envelope. -- =============================================================== David Carpenter dcarpent@sjuphil.UUCP St. Joseph's University dcarpent@sjuphil.sju.edu Philadelphia, PA 19131
langz@asylum.SF.CA.US (Lang Zerner) (04/05/91)
geoff@ITcorp.com (Geoff Kuenning) writes: >The problem I have with envelopes is that the heat from the laser >printer seals them as they pass through Two alternatives: 1) Put the envelope through the printer with the flap open (the risk is that you may get envelope glue on the innards of your printer). 2) Get envelopes with Pres-a-Ply seals. These work like Pres-a-Ply labels, in that the adhesive is covered with a coated paper strip. When you want to seal the envelope, you simply peel of the strip and press the flap shut. Good luck, Lang -- langz@asylum.sf.ca.us "Karma means `getting caught.' The secret to not creating karma is getting even without getting caught." --Rodent Kapoor