Offered in one size only, 12 point, this font suitcase will enable you to easily create the Zip+4 barcodes for envelopes.
NOTE: When this font file viewed in Font/DA mover or in Finder 7, you will not see anything. This is because only numbers 0-9 and the * are defined. Install it and try typing numbers in the Key Caps DA - barcodes will magically appear.
Before you implement this for yourself, download and read the file "About Postal Bar Codes", by Andrew Welch. The long and the short of his message is that the barcode is only useful for Zip+4 zip codes and totally worthless unless you have the last four digits.
Another suggested reading is "The Bar Code Stack" by Jeff Lewis. This stack is available on AOL under the name "Barcds.sea". This stack has a section on the Postnet coding scheme and explains how to compute the checksum digit for the code. To save you the download time, here is the quick version of "how to create a Postnet bar code"...
Simply explained, the checksum formula is:
Checksum = 10 - (sum_of_digits mod 10)
Using this typeface, all non-numeric characters with the exception of the asterisk (*) are invisible. This means that if you designed a database to print envelopes or labels, you would not need to parse dashes or other characters out of the field. To create the Postnet barcode, calculate the Checksum and append it to the end of the zip code, then append the start and stop characters to the beginning and end of the string.
For example, if the zip code was 17033-2102, the checksum would be 1.
. sum_of_digits = 1+7+0+3+3+2+1+0+2 = 19
. 19 mod 10 = 9
. Checksum = 10 - 9 = 1
Append the Checksum to the zip+4 code:
. 17033-2102-1
Append the Start and Stop character (*) to the beginning and end.
. *17033-2102-1*
Insert the result into a field, and format it as the Postnet font. Viola! Instant barcode.
Good luck!
Aurora92
P.S. - If any of you own Double Helix 3.5r9, I have included a small collection which illustrates the technique. Hope it helps someone.
