Intelligent Mail Barcode

[tlcoke]

I haven't found an answer to this question specifically on the forum.

 

I am generating my mailing data from Pitney Bowes Smartmailer. I have a field called ps_imbcd that contains my IMB data. I have tried applying the USPS4CB font to the field and when I Compose, I get an error message that states:

Font USPSBarCode1 was used, but not embedded, due to PDF Library error: Requested font not found on system.

 

Does anyone know how to fix this error or an alternative work around?

 

I have Activate local fonts turned on in Acrobat.

 

I am using Fusion Pro Desktop 6.0 with Acrobat 7.0.

 

Thanks,

 

Tracey Coke

[jshobar]

Tracey, this sounds like Fusion expects the font to be there but it is not. Have you tried loading the font locally (not using a 3rd party extension), restarting, launching FP and loading fonts? This usually fixes the problem for me.

[tlcoke]

The font is locally loaded directly into the Fonts folder in the Library. I do this will all fonts that I load on my mac, as I have had nothing but nightmare problems with fonts using 3rd party Font management tools in the past and by doing this it has fixed 99% of my font issues that have arisen in the past.

 

I think the problem lies with the fact that the Free font from the USPS for the Mac is a Truetype font. I wonder if anyone else has run into this and what is their work around.

 

Is there a way to use the ID4State Automation font provided with Fusion Pro, without rebuilding the "FATD" String that my mailing software provides?

[MartyrSyx]

Have you tried the Postscript font from the USPS' RIBBS website?

[tlcoke]

The Postscript font would have been my preference, however the Postscript font on the RIBBS website is formatted for Windows Only and would not read on my Mac. We ended up purchasing a Postscript version of the Font for Macs from a Third party source since the Truetype font would not work.

[rpaterick]

We ended up purchasing a Postscript version of the Font for Macs from a Third party source since the Truetype font would not work.

 

Did purchasing the .PS for MAC work?

 

The Pitney Bowes Smartmailer, does that run locally on your MAC? I'm not familiar with the program.

[tlcoke]

Yes, the Mac Postscript font fixed the problem. I printed a test set and took it to our local Mail Piece Design Analyst at the USPS and had them verified it prior to printing my first mailing.

 

Smartmailer is a Windows based application by Pitney Bowes. I process the data using Smartmailer, then export it to a CSV format and then import it into Fusion Pro Desktop which is loaded on my Mac to set up my mail piece.

[amaness]

I am having the same problems on the Intel Mac Mini I am working on. Seems like Fusion Pro does not like the Windows True Type Fonts. I converted a couple of Code 39 barcode fonts to Open Type and they worked fine. Going to try with the Intelligent Mail barcode font as well.

[amaness]

Converted the IMB Barcode font to an Open Type Postscript font it Fusion Pro loads it no problem.

[Alex Marshall]

There are two methods for creating the new "Intelligent Mail Barcode" required for 2009 by the USPS.

 

USPS Method:

Register with USPS to obtain a user name and pass code so you can download the font. It takes about 2 days to get from them.

Go to http://ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/ and logged in.

Proceeded to download file name : uspsFontsNonAFP-1.3.0-compact.zip

Unzipped then copied it to your Library>Fonts folder(MAC) or WIndows Font folder on your PC.

Opened Acrobat.

Under Fusion Pro tab selected Advance>Load Fonts.

Quit Fusion Pro and Acrobat.

Opened my PDF with the variable data in and inserted the field then

changed the font to USPSIMBCOMPACT or the PC equivalent.

Select font size to 16pt. Previewed it to ensure it will print correctly.

Hope that helps!

When creating the IMB, and your mailing software generates " F, A, D, and T" characters .

Use the USPS4CB font (from the USPS), set the size to 16 pt and you're done. No rules required or create in FusionPro..

 

FusionPro Method:

 

Intelligent Mail Barcode script for users parsing data with mailing software.

 

First create an "Empty" Text Rule,i.e."Create Rules>>New Empty".

Click the box for "Treat Return Strings As Tagged Text".

Give the Rule an identifiable name, which will be selectable in the "Variable" drop window of the text frame where this

information will appear.

 

Then paste this script(Make sure the field name matches your data file):

var onecode = Field("Intelligent Mail Barcode"); //Replace "FATD" with Field("Intelligent Mail Barcode")

onecode = onecode.replace(/F/g,"0"); // replaces all F with 0

onecode = onecode.replace(/A/g,"1"); // replaces all A with 1

onecode = onecode.replace(/T/g,"3"); // replaces all T with 3

onecode = onecode.replace(/D/g,"2"); // replaces all D with 2

 

return onecode;

 

Then insert the Rule name into the text variable where the barcode will appear. Apply the "IDAutomation4State" font.

[Tony Olivas]

Guys give this a shot.

 

this is what I did for the IM barcode to work in Fusion Pro.

 

I registered with USPS to obtain a user name and pass code so I can download the font. It takes about 2 days to get from them.

 

Went to http://ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/ and logged in.

 

Proceeded to download file name : uspsFontsNonAFP-1.3.0-compact.zip

 

Unzipped then copied it to my Library>Fonts folder(MAC)

 

Opened Acrobat.

 

Under Fusion Pro tab selected Advance>Load Fonts.

 

Quit Fusion Pro and Acrobat.

 

Opened my PDF with the variable data in and inserted the field then changed the font to USPSIMBCOMPACT.

 

Select font size to 16pt. Previewed it and BAM. There is was working like it should.

 

This is the second time this Forum has really helped me out.

 

I just hope this can help someone.

[Tony Olivas]

Guys try this:

 

this is what I did for the IM barcode to work in Fusion Pro.

 

I registered with USPS to obtain a user name and pass code so I can download the font. It takes about 2 days to get from them.

 

Went to http://ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/ and logged in.

 

Proceeded to download file name : uspsFontsNonAFP-1.3.0-compact.zip

 

Unzipped then copied it to my Library>Fonts folder(MAC)

 

Opened Acrobat.

 

Under Fusion Pro tab selected Advance>Load Fonts.

 

Quit Fusion Pro and Acrobat.

 

Opened my PDF with the variable data in and inserted the field then changed the font to USPSIMBCOMPACT.

 

Select font size to 16pt. Previewed it and BAM. There is was working like it should.

 

Hope that works for you.

[pmhapp]

looks like it will work.

 

So, why have I been doing it the FusionPro way again?

[Tony Olivas]

Alex,

 

If I do the reverse like:

onecode = onecode.replace(/0/g,"F"); // replaces all 0 with F

onecode = onecode.replace(/1/g,"A"); // replaces all 1 with A

onecode = onecode.replace(/3/g,"T"); // replaces all 3 with T

onecode = onecode.replace(/2/g,"D"); // replaces all 2 with D

 

Will it be valid? If so what will the 4 through 9 be?

Edited December 18, 2009 by Tony Olivas
text not showing kup

[JorgeP]

Can't get either way to work!

Downloaded uspsFonsNonAFP-1.4.1

 

Load fonts to Mac

Load fonts to FusionPro

Restart both Adobe and Fusion Pro

 

Apply Font to a text field var and I get an invisible output.

 

If I change the font to something human readable I see my data.

 

Im using FP 6.0

 

What is going on???

[Alex Marshall]

Are you applying the "USPSIMBStandard" font to the variable with the "FATD..." data for the Intelligent Mail Barcode.

If so, you wont see the information in the Variable Text Editor. But the data will render on Preview as well as when the template gets composed.

Is this the case?

[Alex Marshall]

Also, In Acrobat, select "Acrobat>>Preferences>>Page Display". Make sure "Use Local Fonts" is checked.

Quit Acrobat, reopen and test

[JorgeP]

Yes Local Fonts is checked. As soon as I apply the font in the text edit window, the variable disappears, I close out the edit window and hit preview and it remains invisible.

 

I compose and it still does not render the barcode.

 

The data I am using for IMB was processed in BCC and looks like this - 0030110749200049619233023388191

[Alex Marshall]

Ok. The font will encode the data provided it contains the 64 character "FATD" string. This is why your data does not appear using the 31 character numeric string. If your mailing software generates the FATD character string, then use that information. If not try the following.

 

Intelligent Mail Barcode script for users parsing data with mailing software.

 

First create an "Empty" Text Rule,i.e."Create Rules>>New Empty".

Click the box for "Treat Return Strings As Tagged Text".

Give the Rule an identifiable name, which will be selectable in the "Variable" drop window of the text frame where this

information will appear.

 

Then paste this script(Make sure the field name matches your data file):

 

var onecode = Field("Intelligent Mail Barcode"); //Replace "FATD" with Field("Intelligent Mail Barcode")

onecode = onecode.replace(/F/g,"0"); // replaces all F with 0

onecode = onecode.replace(/A/g,"1"); // replaces all A with 1

onecode = onecode.replace(/T/g,"3"); // replaces all T with 3

onecode = onecode.replace(/D/g,"2"); // replaces all D with 2

 

return onecode;

 

 

Then insert the Rule name into the text variable where the barcode will appear. Apply the "IDAutomation4State" font.

[JorgeP]

Ok. The font will encode the data provided it contains the 64 character "FATD" string. This is why your data does not appear using the 31 character numeric string. If your mailing software generates the FATD character string, then use that information. If not try the following.

 

Alex,

 

I don't know what FATD is but I know we have two options for outputing the IMB data, one option is letters the other numbers. I have not tried using a string so that may be the problem. I have to get on the road but I will try that Monday. --- Using numbers method the FP font renders a broken barcode.

 

Thanks

Jorge

[david]

You have to use the letters option.

[pmhapp]

With BCC, I use the numbers option, then use the Onecode rule as Alex shows.

[JorgeP]

With BCC, I use the numbers option, then use the Onecode rule as Alex shows.

 

That code only replaces alpha characters with a numerical value, its not doing anything if your ouptutting numbers, right?

 

Also why the tagged text?

[LesSjo]

I have been working with the font supplied by the RIBBS site for over a year. I had issues with the USPSIMBCompact font right away. In certain cases the barcode would go "missing" at random on a number of printed pieces. (still no clue as to why...), but to fix the issue, I began using the USPSIMBStandard font and have not had any issues with this font.

 

I am attaching images that show how I set up my rule. This may be of help to some of the newer users.

 

The first image shows the field in the csv file, "FATD" format.

The second image shows the rule I created to use the data field, format the text, and apply an automatic amount of leading to the barcode line.

The third image shows the usage of the barcode rule in the text editor.

 

I format the endorsement rule the same way, including the font and leading into the rule. That way I don't have to change any fonts in the text editor during layout of the mail piece. This saves me a lot of time in the creation of each mail piece.

 

Hopes this helps.

[cito73]

what size should the font be for the fusionpro method?