MaxiCode Explained

Structure of a MaxiCode BarcodeA typical MaxiCode barcode is made of two messages. These messages are primary and secondary. The primary message of the MaxiCode is used to store information, which includes service number class, destination country code, and destination postal code. On the other hand, the secondary message is made of address data. However, it can store different forms of information, which are not addresses.

MaxiCode Barcode Modes

MaxiCode has several operating modes. These operating modes are discussed below.

Mode 2

This operating mode is for US carriers. It consists of a maximum of 9 digits of postal codes. It also allows for the storage of up to 93 characters.

Mode 3

This operating mode is for the international carrier. It is composed of postal codes that are alphanumeric in nature. Just like mode 2, mode 3 allows for storage of up to 93 characters.

Mode 4

The operating mode 4 is the standard symbol, which allows for the storage of general forms of information. It allows for the storage of up to 90 characters.

Mode 5

The mode 5 operating system stores secure symbols. It allows for the storage of general information. However, it allows for a greater level of error correction. It allows for the storage of 74 characters.

Other Information About MaxiCode

There are three other pieces of information about MaxiCode that are considered. These are the MaxiCode font, tolerance, and symbol size. The MaxiCode barcode has a minimum and maximum width of 26.48mm and 29.79mm, respectively. It has a minimum and maximum height of 25.32mm and 28.49mm, respectively. Also, it has a minimum and a maximum bullseye of 07.35mm and 08.16mm, respectively. For each of these parameters, a tolerance of 5% is allowed. This tolerance accounts for the difference in printing size.

Compression and Data Limitations of MaxiCode Barcode Encoding

The first two modes (2 and 3) of the MaxiCode barcode take up most of the capacity of the barcode. There are cases in which long addresses cannot be stored within such modes of MaxiCode barcodes. To allow for data compression, some recommendations can be made, which are stated below.

Store stat using uppercase letters. This strategy decreases switching modes for the MaxiCode barcode and ultimately reduces internal data consumption.
Operating mode 2 can be used to eliminate the inclusion of address information, which can be found on the tracking number.
The abbreviation of addresses can be used to reduce the number of characters. Therefore, E can be used in place of EAST as an example.
The UPS DLL can be used to compress all fields including the address.

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