Reading a Barcode

Reading from left to right, the individual bars in each set of 5 bars are referred to as holding positions 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5. Each short bar is assigned a value of zero. Values are assigned to each long bar based on the bar's position in the group of five bars as follows:

The sum of the values in positions 1 through 5 equals the value of the digit the bars represent in the ZIP Code. The value 11 (the sum of 7 + 4) is treated as the digit 0.

The graphic below shows you the value of each long bar in each set of bars and the digit that each set of bars represents. (The barcode shown in this illustration is not drawn to scale.)

The following graphic shows the Delivery Point Barcode (not to scale) for the example:

1234 Main Street
Upper Marlboro, MD 20772-1439

Remember, the first and last bars are frame bars, and the five bars just before the last frame bar represent the check digit (in this case, an 8).