WD2000: How to Read Postal Bar Codes (214181)
The information in this article applies to:
This article was previously published under Q214181 SUMMARY
This article describes how to read a postal bar code in order to determine
whether Microsoft Word created a correct postal bar code.
MORE INFORMATION
A postal bar code is composed of three main components: framing bars,
number bars, and checksum bars.
The first bar on the left side and the last bar on the right side of the
postal bar code are framing bars for the postal bar code. You can ignore
these.
To read the bar code, start with the second bar. Group the bars into
groups of five bars each. Each number in a postal bar code consists of five bars.
The following address is used as an example:
||,|,,|,,|,||,,,,|,|,,,|,|,||,,,,||,|,|,,|,|,,||,,,,,,|||,,|,|
Microsoft Corporation
1 Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA. 98052-6399
Postal Bar Code Legend
| represents a tall bar
, represents a short bar
Number Bar code Number Bar code
----------------- ------------------
0 ||,,, 5 ,|,|,
1 ,,,|| 6 ,||,,
2 ,,|,| 7 |,,,|
3 ,,||, 8 |,,|,
4 ,|,,| 9 |,|,,
Breakdown of Sample Bar Code
+-- Framing Bar Framing Bar --+
| |
| |
v v
| |,|,, |,,|, ||,,, ,|,|, ,,|,| ,||,, ,,||, |,|,, |,|,, ||,,, ,,,|| |,,|, |
----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----
9 8 0 5 2 6 3 9 9 0 1 8
------------------------- ------------------- ------- ---
Zip Code Zip+4 Last Check-
Two sum
Digits Digit
of
Street
Address
-or-
Multi-
Unit
Digits
The checksum is the smallest number that, when added to the total of the
other digits, gives a result that is a multiple of 10. The checksum in
this example is 8. When you add 8 to 52 (the sum of the other digits), the
result is 60, a multiple of 10.
For information about multi-unit digits, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
220548 WD2000: USPS Changes Postal Bar Code Requirements for Multi-Unit Buildings
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 12/6/2000 |
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| Keywords: | kbenvelope kbinfo KB214181 |
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