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From: v105mahs@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Peter P Donohue)
Newsgroups: comp.text.desktop
Subject: Re: PostNet Barcodes
Message-ID: <72733@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>
Date: 24 Apr 91 13:49:38 GMT
References: <1991Apr24.011358.322@mac.cc.macalstr.edu>
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In article <1991Apr24.011358.322@mac.cc.macalstr.edu>, leete@mac.cc.macalstr.edu writes...
>Hi, I'm looking for info on programs to print PostNet barcodes on envelopes in
>MS/PC-DOS.  PostNet is the special barcode accepted by the US Postal Service
>and is commonly seen on the botton of bill envelopes.  You can get a special
>postage rate for using barcodes with the USPO.  The USPO will only give you
>addresses of service bureaus that will convert addresses for a hefty fee.  If
>you know of programs to produce PostNet barcodes please lend me a hand.
>Thanks
>		-Jennie Leete

   I don't know of any programs that do this offhand, but it shouldn't be 
too hard to write something that did it.  All the code is is a binary 
translation of the zip code that you are sending to.  Each tall bar means
that the bit is on, each short that it is off.  The bits are grouped in
fours, with a tall bar on each side of the group, so that they can produce 
between 0 and 9.
     Number	PostNet code
	0	|....|
	1	|...||       	 Consider each '|' to be a tall bar and
	2	|..|.|		each '.' to be a short.
	3	|..|||
	4	|.|..|
	5	|.|.||
	6	|.||.|
	7	|.||||
	8	||...|
	9	||..||
   This information is all available in various US Mail publications.
Try the ones that they will send you if you tell them you are interested
in third class mail.

							Pete
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Peter P. Donohue - University at Buffalo, Graduate School of Management
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