Simple Mail Barcoding Guide: How Are IMBs and 2Ds Used?

How Do Print And Mail Providers Use Mail Barcoding?

Outsource print and mail providers incorporate mail barcoding into their workflows in 2 key ways: by using IMBs and by using 2D barcodes.

Before an envelope leaves the production floor, print vendors attach an Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB) to its surface.

These barcodes track each mailpiece throughout the mailstream, from facility departure to final delivery.

Within printing facilities, 2D barcodes are printed on individual sheets of paper, and are used to ensure documents are placed in the right envelope, every time.

They also record who handles which documents, when, and at what machine.

What Are IMBs?

Intelligent Mail Barcodes, or IMBs, are 65-bar barcodes that are used to track mailpieces that have left production facilities and entered the mailstream.

What Are The Parts Of An IMB?

IMBs are made up of 5 parts. These parts are, according to the USPS’s FAQ On Intelligent Mail Barcodes:

• Barcode ID  (BI): Indicates if and how a mailpiece has been presorted. USPS presorting involves grouping envelopes that are going to the same region together before delivering them to the post office.

• Service Type ID  (STID): Signals the envelope’s mail class, and tells the USPS what to do if your mail cannot be delivered as addressed.

• Mailer ID  (MID): Identifies the organization that owns or has prepared the mailpiece. The USPS assigns the MID, and it can be either 6 or 9 digits long based on annual mail volume criteria.

• Serial Number: A number defined by the mailer that is unique to a mailing or to an individual mailpiece. The serial number is 6 digits if the MID is 9 digits, and 9 digits if the MID is 6 digits.

• Routing Code: Identifies the destination of the envelope using the delivery zip code.

How Are IMBs Used?

Mailpieces with IMBs are scanned when they leave production facilities, at intermediaries, and at their final destinations.

This creates tracking data that print and mail vendors can provide to their customers.

Examples of how mail barcoding leads to increased visibility in practice can be found in D4 Solutions’ personally branded customer portals, which allow clients to easily view all data from IMBs. Each portal is accessible 24/7, making the completion of audits a smoother process.

Our web portals also feature reports on commonly tracked data points, along with the ability to develop custom reports for any metrics our clients need to track.

What Are 2D Barcodes?

2D barcodes are mail barcodes that track documents as they move within a production facility.

They also help quality control teams ensure that documents go to the right recipients.

How Are 2D Barcodes Used?

D4 Solutions’ production floor serves as a case study of how 2D barcodes are incorporated into a real print and mail workflow.

We use two types of 2D barcodes: input 2Ds for process checks and output 2Ds for in-plant tracking.

Input 2Ds are used when documents enter an insertion machine, helping us verify that all files are being put into the right envelopes.

We place input 2Ds on the front side of each document, and they contain data on how many sheets of paper belong in a particular mailpiece. When a document is pulled into an inserter, its 2D barcode tells the machine, “You can expect 3 more pieces, and they’ll be in this order.”

If a document is out of sequence, its barcode is rejected by our inserter. Our Quality Control Associates then review and correct the problem.

Our output 2Ds are placed on the front of the first sheet of every mailpiece, and are scanned as soon as that sheet exits the inserter.

These barcodes are tracked within Ironsides, our piece level tracking software, as the documents move through our production floor.

Ironsides records the operator that works with each document, the machine they use to do so, and the time that each mailpiece is handled.

Our 2D barcodes are also what allow us to verify that a print run has been completed. Jobs can’t be closed out until all 2Ds are accounted for.

What Are The Benefits Of Mail Barcoding?

Barcodes allow for piece-level tracking of documents, both within production facilities and throughout the mailstream.

This lets you verify that your mailpieces are exactly where they’re supposed to be. If you’re in a highly-regulated industry, mail barcoding provides you with the data you need to prove compliance during an audit.

2D barcodes stop incorrect documents from being shipped to customers. This prevents compliance violations for organizations handling sensitive client information, such as financial services firms and healthcare providers.

Use of the IMB is required to obtain certain USPS discounts, so incorporating these barcodes into your workflows can help save you money.

At D4 Solutions, we use IMBs and 2D barcodes to ensure mailpieces get to their destinations securely, accurately, and on time. Over our 45 years of print and mail experience, we’ve served clients across industries with our HIPAA and SOC 2 Type II audited workflows. Reach out now to see how we can help your organization.