^BZ
POSTNET Bar CodePreview: partialThe USPS address code that encodes its digits in bar height, printed along the bottom of an envelope.
Syntax
^BZo,h,f,g,tParameters
| Parameter | Description and accepted values | If omitted |
|---|---|---|
| o | Rotation of the bar code on the label.N normal, R 90°, I 180°, B 270° | Last ^FW value, else N |
| h | Height of the tall bars in dots. The short bars are drawn at 40% of it, as the specification requires.1 to 32000 dots | Height set by ^BY |
| f | Prints the digits underneath the bars as text. Off by default.Y or N — print the human-readable line | N |
| g | Moves that text above the bars instead.Y or N — put that line above the bars | N |
| t | Which postal symbology to print: 0 POSTNET, 1 PLANET, 2 Intelligent Mail, 3 USPS-4.0 POSTNET, 1 PLANET, 2 Intelligent Mail, 3 USPS-4 | 0 |
How it works
^BZ prints POSTNET, the Postal Numeric Encoding Technique. Every bar is the same width and the data is in the height: each digit is five bars of which two are tall, and a frame bar marks each end.
A POSTNET carries a five-digit ZIP, a nine-digit ZIP+4, or an eleven-digit delivery point code, and the printer appends a check digit. Longer is better — a delivery point code earns the deepest postal discount.
The `t` parameter extends the command to the newer postal symbologies: PLANET, Intelligent Mail and USPS-4. In practice ^B5 is the usual way to reach PLANET, and the Intelligent Mail barcode has replaced POSTNET for new mail.
Example
^XA
^BY2,3,60
^FO60,60^BZN,60,N,N,0^FD12345^FS
^XZRendering…
How the preview on this site handles it
Drawn with a real POSTNET encoder, including the bar-height modulation that carries the data. Rotation is applied. The `t` parameter is not: the preview always draws POSTNET, so a field asking for Intelligent Mail or USPS-4 previews as the wrong symbology — use ^B5 for PLANET, which previews correctly.
Common mistakes
- Sending the wrong digit count. POSTNET takes 5, 9 or 11 digits; anything else does not encode.
- Including the dash of a ZIP+4. Send digits only — 12345-6789 is eleven characters, not nine digits.
- Using it for new mail. The USPS replaced POSTNET with the Intelligent Mail barcode; POSTNET no longer earns automation rates.