Order printing online: live pricing, a proof before anything prints, and free design in Plavidian Studio™, no account needed
Plavidian760-666-3130Print and mail production in Vista, California.

Postal Encyclopedia

IMb

Intelligent Mail barcode

Barcodes & TrackingUpdated 2026-07-24

A USPS barcode that can encode tracking, routing, mailer identification, and service information for letters and flats.

A printed address block: carrier-route line, standardized address and Intelligent Mail barcode, with the recipient name and street blurred
The address block: carrier-route line, standardized address and Intelligent Mail barcode (name and street blurred).

See a real IMb encoding at USPS geometry in the Mailpiece Templates

Definition reviewed 2026-07-24. This is a plain-English Plavidian reference; for USPS terms, the Domestic Mail Manual is the authority. For your own job, the final mail class, postage, and preparation are confirmed after list processing and production review.

Related terms in Barcodes & Tracking

Need this applied to a real job?

Ask Plavidian Expert for an answer based on the USPS Domestic Mail Manual, or send us the job and we'll confirm the preparation before you print.

Ask Plavidian Expert Get a Custom Quote

Related

Mail tracking and verified production

How mail is followed from the Intelligent Mail barcode printed on the piece to the USPS scans that show it reached delivery.