Description of USPS Font Characters
Once the appropriate barcode has been generated using the encoder software, the barcode characters need to be printed using the appropriate Intelligent Mail barcode font. A large set of fonts are available for the most popular printer environments.
The fonts provided are fixed pitch, bitmapped fonts. Each font contains four characters for the four states of the barcode.
The available fonts have been built and tested to specifications which ensure that they will be processed correctly with the mail processing equipment in place throughout the postal system.
The 4-State Customer Barcode fonts are available for most of the popular combinations of print architectures and operating system platforms.
Printer Architectures Supported
The following table shows the combination of
operating systems and printer architectures for which
Intelligent Mail barcode fonts are available:
Table 1. Print Architectures Supported by Intelligent Mail barcode Fonts
Print Architecture
Operating System
AFP
Xerox Metacode
HP PCL
PostScript
TrueType
MVS, z/OS and OS/390
Yes
Yes
VSE/ESA
Yes
Yes
OS/400
Yes
Yes
AIX
Yes
Yes
Linux for pSeries
Yes
Yes
Linux for Intel
Yes
Yes
WINDOWS
Yes
MAC-OS
Yes
Distribution packages, including documentation are available for each of these environments.
It is important to select the font package that matches the technical environment in which the mailing application operates.
AFP Fonts
Many large production mailing applications are based on IBM's Advanced Function Presentation (AFP) architecture. Due to the characteristics of the AFP architecture, and the need to support printers with different densities (240 dots per inch and 300 dots per inch), a separate distribution package is available for the AFP fonts.
The following table summarizes the available AFP fonts:
| Font Type | Description | Font DPI Density |
|---|---|---|
| AFP | Full Height font 23 cpi | 300 dpi |
| AFP | Short Height font 23 cpi | 300 dpi |
| AFP | Full Height font 24 cpi | 240 dpi |
| AFP | Short Height font 24 cpi | 240 dpi |
All four font orientations (portrait, landscape, inverse portrait, and inverse landscape are supported). The orientations can be selected using standard AFP capabilities.
Summary
Any customer with mailing applications can benefit significantly by implementing the Intelligent Mail barcode. The encoder software and fonts provide a simple way to produce barcodes from existing mailing applications.
Implementation can improve mail service, reduce costs, and save real estate on mailing pieces.
In combination with services available from USPS, the Intelligent Mail barcode will allow mailing applications to be significantly enhanced, and provide a strong return-on-investment for any business with large mailing volumes.