Facing Identification Marks (FIMs)

1
Facing Identification Marks (FIMs) 29 March

• Horizontal / Vertical Bars
• Symbology
• Code allocations
• OCR Licensing Post FIM Code
• Clear zones
• Overall placement

2
FIMs Bar orientation

• Horizontal bars retained
• Major advantages
• No risk of confusion with existing FIMS
• Therefore no REQUIREMENT to migrate
• Posts already using FIMs can support the
  standard
• In parallel with their existing FIM
• As and when they upgrade / replace equipment
• Uses less space
• Accepted that horizontal bars require slightly
  more sophisticated readers

3
FIMs Symbology

• Modified version of IPC proposal selected
• 8 bar positions
• Top and bottom bar always present
• Remaining 6 bars form 3/6 code
• But excluding cases of 3 bars in one half, 3
  spaces in the other
• 18 code possibilities
• Error detection, but no error correction

4
FIMs Symbology
5
FIMs Code allocations

• 8 generic codes
• Pre-paid priority
• Pre-paid non priority
• Pre-paid postcards
• Items with DPM
• Business reply class 1
• Business reply class 2
• International business reply
• Non pre-paid postcards
• 5 operator codes
• 5 reserved codes

FIMs have no built-in security an item may
carry an inappropriate FIM code the FIM alone
cannot be relied upon as evidence of payment
6
FIMs OCR Post Id FIM Code

• Underneath bar code, not in the middle
• Needed even for generic codes
• Otherwise cant see who is claimed to have been
  paid
• Or who is supposed to collect revenue
• ( change from response to earlier comment)
• Avoid use of vowels for code representation(B,
  C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V,
  W)
• Any font allowed by optical characteristics

7
FIMs Clear Zones

• 5 mm above(can be in non-printing zone)
• 5 mm between bottom and OCR
• 2 mm under the OCR
• 1 mm either si de
• nominally
• (5) 18.5 5 2.5 2 (5) 28 mm high
• 1 10 1 12 mm wide

8
FIMs Overall placement

• Bars OCR baseline parallel within 1
• Defined by reference to minimum rectangle
• With sides parallel perpendicular to top bar
• Which just encloses the bar code and OCR data
• Minimum rectangle can be
• 9 to 11 mm wide (nominal 10)
• 24 to 28 mm high (nominal 18.5 5 2.5 26)
• Skewed maximum 5 relative to top of item
• Minimum rectangle must fall entirely within area
  82 mm by 35 mm which is 5 mm from top and 9 mm
  from right of item

9
FIMs Overall placement
9 mm
82 mm
5 mm
35 mm
Comité Européen de Normalisation 36 Rue de
Stassart BE-1049 BRUXELLES