[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 155 (Friday, August 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19683]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 12, 1994]


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POSTAL SERVICE

 

Automation Compatibility of Glassine

AGENCY: Postal Service.

ACTION: Notice of inquiry.

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SUMMARY: The Postal Service requests comments on the issuance of a haze 
value guideline for glassine envelope window-covering material. This 
guideline would be advisory only; it would not affect the existing 
Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) standards concerning mail prepared with 
glassine windows.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before October 5, 1994.

ADDRESS: Written comments should be mailed or delivered to the Manager, 
Business Mail Acceptance, 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW, Room 8430, Washington, 
DC 20260-6808. Copies of all written comments will be available for 
inspection and photocopying between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, in Room 8430 at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George T. Hurst, (202) 268-5232, or 
John J. Mampe, (703) 280-7031.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Postal Service automation-compatibility 
standards for envelope window-covering material focus on a measurement 
that combines the window material's transparency and the print quality 
of the address or barcode that appears behind it. Measuring the 
transparency and the print quality in concert provides the most 
relevant data to determine whether Postal Service automated sorting 
equipment will be capable of successfully reading the address and/or 
barcode during processing. Thus, Domestic Mail Manual (DMM) standards 
for letter-size mail in automation-rate mailings require that addresses 
viewed through a glassine window covering must provide a print contrast 
ratio (PCR) of at least 45 percent and that barcodes viewed through the 
material must provide a print reflectance difference (PRD) of at least 
30 percent. (These percentages pertain to both the red and the green 
portions of the optical spectrum, when measured using a USPS or USPS-
licensed envelope reflectance meter.)
    Although these readability standards identify useful performance 
criteria for window-covering material, some glassine manufacturers have 
complained that it is difficult to translate them into production 
criteria for their products. It is impractical for glassine 
manufacturers to know, in advance of production, the quality of the 
printing that will show through the window of an envelope using their 
product, yet this information becomes critical in determining whether 
the material meets USPS automation-compatibility specification.
    Accordingly, to help glassine manufacturers establish appropriate 
criteria for the glassine itself in isolation from the printing that 
will be used with it, the Postal Service conducted a series of 
laboratory and operational tests on a variety of materials.
    The laboratory test method used was the American Society of Testing 
and Materials (ASTM) D 1003, Standard Test Method for Haze and Luminous 
Transmittance of Transparent Plastics. Test measurements were taken 
with a MacBeth Color-Eye 7000 Spectrophotometer and Optiview software 
set for correlated haze. Environmental conditions, material thickness, 
dimensional stability, gloss, and haze were carefully measured and 
monitored during testing on both the Postal Service multiline optical 
character reader (MLOCR) version A and the wide area barcode reader 
(WABCR). (A detailed description of testing methods and criteria is 
available on request.)
    As a result of these tests, the Postal Service proposes that 
glassine window-covering material be evaluated for automation 
compatibility by measuring its haze value. Correlated (transmitted) 
haze is defined as the percentage of transmitted light that deviates 
from the incident beam by forward scattering when passing through a 
specimen. Any specimen with a haze value greater than 30 percent, when 
tested in accordance with ASTM D 1003 is considered diffusing or 
translucent. This can affect readability on the OCR or WABCR by 
diffusing the image of the printed insert as read through the window-
covering material.
    Most plastic window-covering materials evaluated in these tests 
were considered to be nondiffusing or transparent materials and 
exhibited hazes in the range of 1 to 25 percent. All glassines tested 
were considered to be diffusing or translucent materials and exhibited 
haze values from 64 to 97 percent. Although readability was 
significantly affected by the quality of the printing on the inserts as 
well as the spacing between the glassine and the printed insert, those 
materials that measured no more than a 70-percent correlated haze 
performed best.
    In accordance with these results, the Postal Service proposes 
recommending, as a general guideline, that glassine when used to cover 
the windows of mailpieces intended for automation-based rates, have a 
correlated haze value of no greater than 70 percent (using ASTM D 1003, 
standard test criteria). This proposed guideline is intended 
specifically for manufacturers to aid in the production of glassine 
window-covering materials capable of satisfying Postal Service 
automation-compatibility requirements.
    It will not affect the application of the current standards for 
print contrast ratio or print reflectance difference because those 
remain the relevant measurements when evaluating the ability of Postal 
Service automated sorting equipment to read an address or barcode 
appearing through a window covering. Accordingly, in some cases a 
mailpiece may be determined not to qualify for automation-based rates 
based on failure to meet the PCR or PRD standard, even though the 
glassine measured alone would comply with the haze value guideline.
    Mailers concerned about the acceptability of their mailpieces 
should note that Postal Service mailpiece design analysts are equipped 
to assist customers in determining whether their envelopes meet PCR or 
PRD standards but are not equipped to evaluate correlated haze.
    The Postal Service does not intend to publish this guideline in the 
Domestic Mail Manual. Because this guideline is intended primarily for 
the small number of manufacturers that produce glassine and will not 
affect rate eligibility, it does not appear that wide dissemination 
will be necessary. Instead, the Postal Service plans to issue the 
guideline in a Customer Support Ruling (CSR). CSRs were created to 
assist postal personnel and customers with interpreting, clarifying, 
and applying the meaning of the standards contained in the DMM. The 
rulings are intended to be used in conjunction with the DMM standards. 
These rulings are issued by the Manager, Business Mail Acceptance, U.S. 
Postal Service, Washington, DC. Mailers can request copies of rulings 
that specifically address certain topics through a local Postal Service 
manager of business mail entry. In addition, the final standard would 
be incorporated in a future issue of Postal Service Publication 25, 
Designing Business Letter Mail.
    Interested parties are invited to comment on the proposed guideline 
as well as the proposed means for its issuance.
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 94-19683 Filed 8-11-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P