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SUNNY Temp: 53 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 17, 2002 Since you asked Bars orient envelopes in sorters I was paying my bills the other day and noticed all the envelopes had the same pattern of thin black stripes. There were five little black bars, all the same width, in a 2-1-2 pattern. The same pattern was imprinted on the envelopes for my power bill, my cell phone bill and several charities. What are the stripes for? — Linda F., Rogue River Don’t worry, Linda — there’s nothing sinister in those stripes. They help the post office move mail swiftly and efficiently. Dave Jack at the Medford post office says the bars are imprinted on envelopes to identify the area where the stamps are. Organizations that produce large volumes of mail imprint their envelopes with the bars to make it easier for the sorters to get the envelopes in the right position. Optical scanners in the machine "see" the bars to align each piece of mail in the proper position for canceling stamps. The machine flips or turns the envelope to get it in the proper position. Automated equipment helps the Postal Service move huge volumes of mail. Jack says most mail goes through about three machines before your letter carrier brings it to you. One cancels postage stamps; others read the ZIP code. The cancellation machines can move as many as 43,000 pieces of mail per hour; the ZIP code sorters move a little slower, processing 18,000 to 22,000 pieces of mail per hour. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S