USPS Intelligent Mail IMb Font Package

(4)
Price: $0.00
  • SKUIDA04

License and Usage Rights Chart

All orders include automatic registration and lifetime Level 1 support and include one incident of Level 2 support for a period of 30 days. Level 2 support and upgrades may be provided beyond 30 days if the Level 2 Support and Upgrade Subscription is purchased when making the order.

  • This single Barcode Font Package generates all USPS Intelligent Mail barcodes including IMb Tracing, IMpb, IM Tray Labels, OneCode Confirm, ACS, Postnet,  and the IM Container Barcode.
  • Over 30 font encoders are provided to format data to the fonts.
  • Native font encoder source code is available for IMb in Visual Basic VBA, SSRS, JavaScript, C++, C#, VB.NET, Oracle, and Java.
  • Includes a code-128 font that is used to generate the IMpb Packing Barcode, Intelligent Mail Container Barcode, and the GS1-128 Delivery Confirmation Barcode.
  • Examples for FileMaker, Word, Excel, Access, and Crystal Reports are included.
  • Includes a Crystal Reports Formula which may be easily applied to a report.
  • Multiple font types are included in the package, such as Digitally Signed TrueType, OpenType, PostScript, and PCL fonts.
  • Applicable OCR-A and FIM fonts are also included in this package.
  • The latest update (V 2016) now includes a pure native Visual Basic VBA Module, JavaScript encoder, silent installation option, TrueType TTF fonts as OpenType with digital signatures, and a stand-alone Font Encoder Software Application
  • With a purchase of the Developer License or above:
    • Web Fonts are included in WOFF, EOT, and SVG formats to easily display barcodes in any web browser.
    • A silent installation executable is included with the source set up to create custom installations.
    • Additional native font encoders are provided including SSRS, JavaScript, VBA, C++, Java, Oracle, and .NET.
    • Source code in C# and VB.NET compatible with Standard, Core, and Framework. 

Encoder App USPS IMb FAQ FIM Font Download Demo

Before Ordering: The USPS Intelligent Mail IMb Font Package will be available for download immediately after payment is received.

  • Refer to the License Summary to determine the license needed and what is included with each license. 
  • The product will be available for download immediately after payment is received; valid credit card and PayPal orders are instantly approved.
  • All orders include automatic registration and lifetime Level 1 support and include one incident of Level 2 support for a period of 30 days. Level 2 support and upgrades may be provided beyond 30 days if the Level 2 Support and Upgrade Subscription is purchased when making the order.
  • Purchase risk-free; this product is provided with a 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee.
  • Receive a 30% discount on Developer Licenses when you submit a Small Company Agreement. To qualify, your organization must have a gross annual revenue or funding of less than $2 Million USD.

Details for the Intelligent Mail Font Package

The Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) is a tracing, routing, sorting, and tracking symbology type based on the 4-State symbology that is used for services including OneCode Confirm & OneCode ACS. This IMb barcode is also referred to as the OneCode Solution, 4-State Customer Barcode, USPS4CB,  and 4-CB.

Encoder App USPS IMb FAQ FIM Font Download Demo

This font package allows the generation of all barcodes used by the USPS in a variety of operating systems, environments, and applications. All barcode fonts require special formatting so that the data will create a readable barcode when the font is applied. Over 30 royalty-free font encoder tools, macros, and plug-ins are provided to complete this automatically.

Encoding Tools Provided:

Many font encoder tools are available to assist with application integration. These encoders automatically format the start, stop and check characters to the data-to-encode to generate a readable barcode from a font. To create a single barcode, consider the Font Encoder Software Application. Some of the font encoders include:

Industry Standard Support:
"We chose this product because of clearly presented product descriptions and availability of macros to help with check digits etc. We can now use the barcode fonts in our packaging designs instead of creating a graphic and placing it in the documents manually. It's much faster and more reliable."
- Joseph Wood, Vernon Communication, Elmhurst, IL
  • Intelligent Mail IMb Capability:
    • The encoding in IDAutomation's IMb fonts allows the printing of Intelligent Mail and Postnet barcodes from the same font.
  • OCR-A Barcodes Included:
    • OCR-A is included to automate mail routing in cases when the printed barcode is damaged or unreadable.
  • Code-128 Font Included:
  • Canada Post Support:
    • IDAutomationC128L font also produces the dimensions required by the CANADA POST.
  • Legacy Fonts: Postnet, Planet, and FIM fonts are provided in the Legacy Fonts folder of the package.

  • Multiple Fonts Provided: Multiple font versions are provided in this package to support various applications, implementations, and printers.
"I can print USPS barcodes on our newsletter mailing labels directly from our database, export data to the SmartAddresser 2020 software and qualify for Automation rates when mailing newsletters."
- John Langer, USCWM, Pasadena CA
Obtaining Data to Encode

The first step in creating any USPS barcode is to obtain the data that is to be encoded from a font encoder. The links below will provide the information necessary to create a string of text that may be encoded in a function.

  • The IntelligentMail() function uses the IDAutomationIMB font to generate the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb). This barcode type combines Postnet zip code data and Planet tracking into one compact symbol. It is also referred to as the IMb Tracing Barcode, the 4-State Customer Barcode (4CB), OneCode Confirm, and OneCode ACS.
  • The Code128() function uses the IDAutomationC128L font for the IM Container Barcode, Intelligent Mail Package Barcode (IMpb), IM Tray Labels, and special services such as delivery confirmation.
  • The Postnet() function uses the IDAutomationPOSTNET font to encode the zip code and delivery point. The USPS uses Postnet barcodes to automate the delivery of mail, however, discounts for bulk mail printed with the Postnet barcode are no longer available.
Formatting Data to Fonts

After the data is in the proper format for the function, the text is passed to the function and the result is a text string that the font is then applied, to produce a proper barcode symbol. The functions are available in many font encoders to automatically format data to the font. When a font encoder cannot be utilized, it is recommended to access a database that contains the text string already formatted for the font. The Word mail-merge example included in this package works in this manner; a merge field in Word is linked to a column in Excel that contains the text string formatted for the font.

Postal Barcode Printing and Font Size

After the data is formatted to the USPS font and the appropriate font has been selected, it will display and print properly. The font size of 12 points should be used when printing all IMb, Postnet, and Planet barcodes. FIM symbols should be printed with a font size of 36 points. The Code 128 font used for GS1-128 should be printed at 16 points for USPS Special Services. More information about the sizing of fonts is provided in the Font Specifications chart below.

USPS Barcode Font Package Specifications

IDAutomation suggests printing USPS fonts at the recommended point sizes specified in this section. When TrueType, PostScript, or OpenType fonts are used, the size may be further adjusted by changing the font point size. For example, to print the 12-point Postnet barcode font slightly wider, increase the font size to 12.1 points.

IMb, Postnet & Planet Font Specifications
Parameter Approximate Font Dimensions at 12 Points USPS Specification Tolerances
X Dimension (width of bars) .017" .015" - .025"
Width of space between bars .026" .012" - .040"
Full vertical size of Intelligent Mail .135" .125" - .165"
Vertical size of Intelligent Mail tracker .041" .039" - .057"
Height of Postnet short bar .051" .040" - .060"
Height of Postnet tall bar .126" .115" - .135"
Number of bars per inch  23  22 - 24
IDAutomationOCRa Specifications
Font Name Point Size CPI ANSI Size
IDAutomationOCRa 9 10 1
IDAutomationC128L Specifications
Parameter Approximate Font Dimensions at 16 pt USPS Dimension Standards
X Dimension .0135" .013" - .020"
Height of bars .75" .75" - .80"
Parameter Approximate Font Dimensions at 21 pt
X Dimension .017"
Height of bars  1"
Supported Implementations, Font Names, and Compatible Functions
Implementation Font Name Font Encoder Function
IMB Barcode IDAutomationIMB
IDAutomationIMBn1 *
IDAutomationIMBn2
IntelligentMail(), OneCode()
or IDAutomation_Uni_OneCode()  **
Postnet Barcode IDAutomationPOSTNET
IDAutomationPOSTNETn1 *
IDAutomationPOSTNETn2
Postnet()
Planet Barcode IDAutomationPLANET
IDAutomationPLANETn1 *
IDAutomationPLANETn2
Postnet()
OCR-A Text IDAutomationOCRa na
Code 128 Barcode IDAutomationC128L Code128()
FIM Barcode IDAutomationFIM na

* Fonts ending with N1 or N2 signify different narrow intensities:

  • n1 is a narrow-version font that generates the smallest possible barcode allowed by the specification, which is 24 bars per inch and a narrow bar width of .015 inches.
  • n2 is an extra narrow-version font that also produces 24 bars per inch but with the bars narrowed by an additional 10%. This font may be used with inkjet printers or others that print much darker than normal.

** Intelligent Mail IMb barcode fonts are currently supported with OneCode() and IntelligentMail() encoding methods which are identical and may be used interchangeably.

Intelligent Mail (IMb) barcodes may be created from IDAutomation's fonts and font encoder tools, as well as other encoders, such as the encoders provided by the US Postal Service. To accommodate both types of encoding, each 4-State symbol element is positioned at two character locations within the IDAutomationIMB font according to the following table:

4CB Symbol Element Character Locations
Ascender A, q
Descender D, r
Full Bar F, p
Tracker T, s

The USPS IMb specification uses uppercase letters for encoding while IDAutomation font encoders use lowercase letters. The lowercase letters are used to provide complete compatibility with the IDAutomation Universal Barcode Font, which allows the generation of IMb, as well as Code 128, Code 39, and Interleaved 2 of 5 barcode symbols from a single font.

(4)
Average rating 8 out of 10 ( based on 4 reviews )

The Install was Easy

Review by Paul on 1/14/2020

I am using the fonts to recreate the IMB Barcode through Microsoft Word. It is a very archaic way of producing variable data pieces but the font was needed for Postal Services regulation. The install was easy and I did not need technical support through the install process.

Works without hassle!

Review by Mike on 5/8/2018

So, you need to print an IMb. You have a number of options. Some are free, some are expensive, and most are a pain to use. This package of fonts, support, and all the work of creating the tools to use them, sits at the upper end of the least-expensive solutions. The supplied tools Just Plain Work. No hassle. Though I did not run into any problems, knowing that I have someone to call should it happen is worth the cost of admission.

Ready to Print!

Review by David on 1/28/2014

You are the man! Thanks a lot for your help over the phone getting this up and running. We are ready to print!

Installed just like any other font, easily.

Review by John on 8/15/2006

We chose this product because of clearly presented product descriptions and availability of macros to help with check digits etc. We can now use the barcode fonts in our packaging designs instead of creating a graphic and placing it in the documents manually. It's much faster and more reliable.

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