Pitney Bowes Inc.

Campbell A Moore

Patrick Rolling

Paul A Kovlakas

Allen L Kramer

Victor Girardi

Michael Kelley

A method and apparatus for printing an information-based indicia program (IBIP) postage in a computer printing subsystem is disclosed wherein a third-party word processing software with mail merge capabilities generates text and a matching address as the input for a client application in high-volume document processing and mail systems without programmatically altering the word processing program to accommodate the printing subsystem. Addresses are validated and corrected in the printing subsystems prior to creation of the indicia image and address image to be printed on the mailpiece.

Apparatus and method for printing an information-based indicia program (IBIP) postage in a printer driver system

The invention is a method of right justifying a line in an address field to be printed on a mail piece. A list of addresses is submitted as part of a mail piece print job, and a first address is selected from the list. The printing system initializes the vertical edge of the address field; and, after initialization one or more fonts are selected for printing the address field on the mail piece. The address field is scanned by the printing system and an end of line position of the Optional Endorsement Line (OEL) is determined relative to the right vertical edge of the print field. If the end of the line is past the initialized right edge, then the end of line position becomes the new vertical edge delineation and the line is a justified line. If, however, the end of line position is not past the vertical edge, then the initialized edge is retained as the right-most reference point of the print field. Each of the subsequent lines in the address field is scanned for length and an end of line position determined. If the length of the subsequent line exceeds the length of the OEL, then the OEL is extended by adding characters until its length is equal to the length of the longest subsequent line. After scanning each of the lines in the address field for length, the justified line is printed, then each of the subsequent lines of the address field are printed.

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Madison, CT, United States of America

Campbell A Moore