Migrating to IMBs the easy way

John Lynch – Director of Development

Alan Montague – Senior Trainer

Pitney Bowes Software

Overview

• Intelligent Mail Barcodes• What are they• Why do we need them• When do we need them• What is in them

• StreamWeaver and IMBs• How to add an IMB using StreamWeaver• How to migrate from PostNet to IMB

• HANDS ON TIME!

• The Intelligent Mail Barcode is made up of 65 bars• The value encoded in an IMB is made up of 31 characters• The 31 characters are converted into the 65 bars using a

complex algorithm specified by the USPS• Each bar is either a Full Bar, an Ascender, A Decender or a

Tracker

IMB – What are they

Serial Number Delivery Point ZIPMailer ID

Intelligent Mail Barcode

POSTNET™ barcodeIntelligent Mail® Barcode

Optional Endorsement Line:“50” Mixed ADC

“700” First-Class Mail“702” Standard“704” Periodicals“706” Bound Printer

MatterUSPS Assigned“900000066”

Mailer Assigned“000235”

Jane Doe6449 Amberview CtMemphis, TN 38141-8346

Barcode ID

Service Type

IMB – What is in them

IMB - When do we need them

Today

POSTNET

Intelligent Mail Barcodes (optional)

May 2009

Intelligent Mail Barcodes: “Basic”, “Full Service”

POSTNET

May 2010

Intelligent Mail Barcodes

Source USPS Intelligent Mail Symposium March 2008

StreamWeaver and IMBs

• StreamWeaver has supported 4-State style barcodes for many years

• StreamWeaver has included support for the USPS 4-State algorithm since the 6.3.0 release in 2006

• The 6.4 release will include a new <ADDTYPE> and a new function both specifically aimed for the IMB and it’s specifications

StreamWeaver and IMBs

• Setting up the Data

START:

%%4sBci = "00"

%%4sSer = "700"

%%4sMid = "123456" // MailerID could be 9

DOCUMENT:

%%4-State-Val = //if Mailer ID is 9 digits

//then below is 6 zeroes

%%4sBci | %%4sSer | %%4sMid | "000000000" |

Substr(%%POSTNET,2,11),US

%%The4state = FourState(%%4-State-Val)

StreamWeaver and IMBs

• Setting up the Data

START:

%%4sBci = "00"

%%4sSer = "700"

%%4sMid = "123456" // MailerID could be 9

DOCUMENT:

%%IMB-Val = //if Mailer ID is 9 then below is 6

%%4sBci | %%4sSer | %%4sMid | "000000000" |

Substr(%%POSTNET,2,11),US

%%IMB = IMB(%%IMB-Val)

StreamWeaver and IMBs

• Adding the Barcode

<ADD>

<addtype> 4STATE

<addpart> %%The4state 65 L ' '

<bars> 0.55 0.65 MM

<height> 4.2 MM

<orient> 1

<position> 755.0 4850.0 PELS

<tracker> 1.1 MM

</ADD>

StreamWeaver and IMBs

• Adding the Barcode

<ADD>

<addtype> IMB

<addpart> %%IMB 65 L ' '

<bars> 0.55 0.65 MM

<height> 4.2 MM

<orient> 1

<position> 755.0 4850.0 PELS

<tracker> 1.1 MM

</ADD>

Converting TADF format data into 0,1,2,3

• If you are using an external routine to create your IMB that give the value using the TADF (tracker, ascender, descender, full) format then you can convert that to the 0, 1 , 2, 3 format using the Translate Function

• %%TADF =“AAFATFAAFFFDDFDAAFADTFAFDA……….”

• %%IMB =TRANSLATE(%%TADF, 'FADT', '0123')

Migrating from PostNet to IMB

• We examine 3 scenarios here

1. You are currently using StreamWeaver to add a PostNet and now want to instead use it to add an IMB

2. You currently have a font based PostNet barcode in your printstream and want to replace this with an IMB

3. You currently have a drawn PostNet barcode in your printstream and want to replace this with an IMB

Scenario 1 StreamWeaver added PostNet

• Add code outlined previously to Rules

• Remove the <ADD> Tag group for the PostNet barcode

• Add in an <ADD> tag group for the IMB as outlined previously

Scenario 2 Font Based PostNet

• Identify the font used using the Data Viewer in VE

• Create fields for the data, Using Action Parameter D

• Pull out the PostNet value from the field

• Add code outlined previously to Rules

• Add in an <ADD> tag group for the IMB as outlined previously

Scenario 3 Drawn PostNet

• Most Document composition tools place a drawn barcode as a separate record or records.

• Create fields for the data, Using Action Parameter D

• If the value of the PostNet can be passed into the data as some sort of comment record then use this. If not you will need to CASS cleanse the address to obtain the PostNet value

• Add code outlined previously to Rules

• Add in an <ADD> tag group for the IMB as outlined previously

Questions

• Any Questions before you do this yourselves?

Hands On Lab

• Pick a Scenario • Note all files are in D:\SWCC08\

Scenario Scenario 1 Scenario 2 Scenario 3

Description StreamWeaver added PostNet

Font Based PostNet

Drawn PostNet

Input file \scenario1.afp \scenario2.afp \scenario3.afp

‘Old’ Control File

\scenario1.con \scenario2.con \scenario3.con

Thank You

• Any further questions can be addressed to John or Alan• john.lynch@pb.com • alan_montague@g1.com

• Other StreamWeaver Session• StreamWeaver Roadmap and Update• Friday 9:00am

• Have a Great Conference!