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Chapter 5— Linear Bar Codes
Postnet and FIM Specifications
Bar Code
Bar Code
Symbology
Type
Postnet
POSTNET
Facing Ident
FIM
Mark
Bar Code Commands
44
The Postnet bar code also contains an automatically calculated checksum
as the last character in the decoded bar code. As a short example, our data
is 98203928001.
Step 1: Add the numerical value of all the characters (9 + 8 + 2 + 0 + 3 + 9
+ 2 + 8 + 0 + 0 + 1 = 42).
Step 2: Divide this number by 10 and use the remainder or modulo. In
our example, the modulo is 2 (42/10 = 4.2).
Step 3: Subtract the modulo from 10 to get the checksum. The checksum
for our example is 8 (10 - 42 mod 10 for programmers).
A Facing Identification Mark (FIM) is the bar code in the upper right
corner of an envelope near the stamp. To comply with postal regulations,
set the height of the bar code to 125 dots, the ratio to 1.5:1 dots, and the
width of the narrow bar to 6 dots. There are three different characters you
can send as data: A, B, and C.
• FIM A: Courtesy Reply Mail with Postnet bar code
• FIM B: Business Reply Mail, Penalty Mail, or Franked Mail without
Postnet bar code
• FIM C: Business Reply Mail, Penalty Mail, or Franked Mail with
Postnet bar code.
For more information, please see Publication 25 from the USPS Postal
Business Center. If you are making a label with an address, try using
resident font 7 or font 4 for best results with the optical character
recognition software used by the post office.
Input
Length
Characters
5, 9, 11 digits
0-9 only
A, B, or C
A, B, or C
only
You use the following commands to create and format bar codes on labels.
Ensure that the bar code symbology chosen agrees with its intended use
and that it conforms to the guidelines in the previous section.
You can find a quick reference guide for the linear bar code symbologies
discussed in this manual in Appendix E, "Bar Code Quick Reference."
Note that the Count command is also discussed in Chapter 3, "Text."
EasyCoder PL-Series Printer Programmer's Reference Manual
Ideal
Ideal
Wide/Narrow
Narrow Dot
Ratio
Width
3.5:1
3
1.5:1
6
Checksum
Calculation
mod 10
N/A
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