Abstract:
A ink that is printed under a printed information-based indicia so that the information-based indicia will not require a Facing Identification Mark (FIM). The ink provides the foregoing result by being both fluorescent and phosphorescent. Current desk top printers and color photocopiers are not capable of duplicating fluorescence and phosphorescence at the same time.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Reference is made to commonly assigned co-pending patent applications: now U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,380 filed herewith entitled “Usage Of Dual Luminescent Inks To Produce An Orienting and Sorting Identification Mark For An Information-Based Indicia” in the names of Ronald Sansone, Richard Bernard and Judith Auslander. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to the field of inks, and more particularly to luminescent inks that are used to indicate that postage has been paid or to protect certain information. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Soon small business mailers may be able to use their desktop computer (personal computer) and printer to apply postage directly onto envelopes or labels while applying an address. The United States Postal Service Engineering Center recently published a notice of proposed specification that may accomplish the foregoing. The title of the specification is Information Based Indicia Program Postal Security Device Specification, dated Jun. 13, 1996. The Information Based Indicia Program specification includes both proposed specifications for the new indicium and proposed specifications for a postal security device (PSD). The proposed Information-Based Indicia (IBI) consists of a two-dimensional bar code containing hundreds of bytes of information about the mail piece and certain human-readable information. The indicium includes a digital signature to preclude the forgery of indicia by unauthorized parties. The postal security device is a unique security device that provides a cryptographic digital signature to the indicium and performs the function of postage meter registers. 
     Current United States Postal Service IBI specifications require a Facing Identification Mark (FIM) to be part of the IBI indicia so that the USPS Advanced Facer Canceller may detect the presence of an IBI mail piece so as to sort the mail piece properly. In the United States, the FIM is a pattern of vertical bars printed in the upper right portion of the mail piece, to the left of the indicia. A FIM pattern is essentially a nine bit code consisting of bars and no bar place holders. The presence of a bar can be considered a binary one “1” and the absence of a bar a binary “0”. Thus, as currently specified, the United States Postal Service FIM is large, taking up about approximately 20% of the proposed IBI indicia. 
     Personal computer printers have difficulty in reliably printing the FIM portion of the IBI indicia. The reason for the foregoing is that the FIM is located near the top edge of the envelope and it is difficult for personal computer printers to print near the top edge of the envelopes. Furthermore, the FIM carries low information density when compared to other data elements of an IBI indicia. A disadvantage of the prior art is that a FIM wastes a large amount of envelope space. 
     Another disadvantage of the prior art is that it is difficult for personal computer printers to print an IBI indicia in proper registration to a pre printed FIM. 
     For many years the United States Postal Service and other Postal Services have been selling stamps that are printed with phosphorescent inks. The Postal Services also require and accept postal indicia that have been printed by a postage meter that uses fluorescent inks. Current fluorescent inks that are used in postage meters, approved by the United States Postal Service, contain a fluorescent ink that is excited by a 254 nm ultraviolet light source that emits a fluorescent light in the orange to red region of the visible spectrum between 580 to 650 nm. 
     Typically, luminescence will become visible to the naked eye when stimulated or excited by suitable radiation. Fluorescent inks and phosphorescent inks are types of luminescent inks. The emission of light from a fluorescent ink is caused by the absorption of energy (light or electromagnetic radiation) into the inks molecules, causing the ink molecules to be in an excited state and to emit or be fluorescent. The fluorescence ceases abruptly when the energy source is removed. The emission of light from a phosphorescent ink will persist after a time interval in which the energy source has been removed. 
     Mail sorting equipment like the Advanced Facer Canceling System manufactured by Siemens Electrocom, are being used at postal incoming mail processing stations to detect, cancel and then sort, using the phosphorescent stamps that have been affixed to mail pieces. These systems also check whether or not the postal indicia affixed to mail pieces were affixed by an authorized postal meter i.e., whether or not the indicia is fluorescent. The United States Postal Service Advanced Facer canceller System faces (arranges mail so all addresses and indicia are facing the same way), cancels the stamps bearing mail, and then sorts letter mail into three mail streams: pre bar coded letters; OCR readable (typed/machine imprinted) letters, and hand written or script letters. 
     Another problem encountered by the prior art is the forging of government and private documents. The prior art made it more difficult to forge documents by printing information on documents with luminescent and black inks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a ink that is printed under a printed information based indicia so that the information based indicia will not require a FIM. The ink provides the foregoing result by being both fluorescent and phosphorescent. Current desk top printers and color photocopiers are not capable of duplicating fluorescence and phosphorescence at the same time. The reason for the above is that while fluorescent inks would add to the brightness of the printing, phosphorescence would not add any enhancement to the print quality. Hence, phosphorescent materials are currently only used in specialty inks. 
     This invention also makes it more difficult to forge government and private documents. The invention accomplishes the forgoing by printing information on a document with a lower level luminescent ink and printing additional information in an upper level with a colored ink. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a drawing of a upper layer IBI indicia printed over a pre-printed lower layer dual luminescent ink; and 
     FIG. 2 is a drawing of upper layer human readable information printed over a preprinted lower layer dual luminescent ink. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail and more particularly to FIG. 1, the reference character  11  represents a USPS Information—Based Indicia (IBI) that was printed on mail piece  12  by a printer. The postal indicia  11  contains a dollar amount  13 , the date  14  that the postal indicia was affixed to the mail piece, the place the mail piece was mailed from  15 , the postal meter serial number  16 , a 2-D encrypted bar code  18 . Mail piece  12  also contains an indication  19  of the class of mail piece  12 . Indicia  11  is printed over area  17  in a manner that 2-D encrypted bar code  18  will be an upper layer that will be directly printed over lower layer area  17 . Area  17  contains a portion  21 . Portion  21  is printed with a dual luminescent ink. 
     Mail piece  12  is going to be sent to the person and place indicated in address field  20 . 
     A dual luminescent ink is used so that the Advanced Facer Canceller System will receive enough signal to trigger its sortation capabilities. The facer canceller may be set to recognize and sort a mail piece having a dual luminescent ink as a new form of mail, that exhibits the green or red phosphorescence of a stamp and the fluorescence of a postal indicia. The facer canceller may let the mail piece enter the mail system if the facer canceller detects the dual luminescent ink. A facer canceller will: cancel a phosphorescent stamp; will not cancel a fluorescent postal indicia; and remove other mail pieces that do not have FIMs or dual luminescent inks. 
     The ink that is used to print 2-D encrypted bar code  18  must be dark enough (low reflectivity) so that when it is printed on top of portion  21 , it may be read. An example of an ink that may be used to print 2-D encrypted bar code  18  by conventional printing methods is the ink contained in the Hewlett Packard 51626A black ink cartridge. 
     FIG. 2 is a drawing of upper layer human and machine readable information printed over a preprinted lower layer dual luminescent ink. A portion of area  25  of document  26  is printed with a dual luminescent ink. Human and machine readable printed matter  27  is printed over area  25 . Printed matter  27  is printed over area  25  with a standard black ink, like the ink contained in the Hewlett Packard 51626A black ink cartridge. 
     The components of the dual luminescent ink of this invention are as follows: 
     Component: Aqualope Transparent White 
     Is manufactured by Environmental Inks and Coatings of 1 Quality Products Road, 
     Morganton, N.C. 
     Aqualope Transparent White is a water-borne mixture commonly used in the envelope industry as a base material containing colorants are which are printed on envelope stock. 
     Color: milk white 
     Wt. Per Gallon 8.8+/−0.2 
     Gloss 60 degree Angle 15-20 
     Odor: ammoniacal 
     Solids: 30-40% 
     Ph: 8.3-8.8 
     Pkg. Viscosity, 33 Zahn 30-40 seconds at 25° C. 
     Component: Lumilux Red CD 331 
     Is manufactured by Riedel-de Haen, a subsidiary of Allied Signal Inc., Specialty Chemicals, of 101 Columbia Road, Box 1139, Morristown, N.J. 07962. 
     Lumilux Red CD 331 is an organic luminescent pigment that is used for security coding. It is also used for fluorescent screen and gravure printing inks. 
     Composition: Europium chelate 
     Solubilities at 20° C. 
     Acetone&gt;1000 g/l 
     Dibutylphthalate 99 g/l 
     Ethyl Acetate 918 g/l 
     Ethanol 41 g/l 
     n-Hexane, 1 g/l 
     Toluene 164 g/l 
     Water, 1 g/l 
     Appearance: Yellowish 
     Melting Point: 170-180° C. 
     Excitation: UV Radiation 
     Color of fluorescence: Reddish orange 
     CIE—chromaticity coordinates determined on powder 
     X=0.655+/−0.01 
     Y=0.345=/−).01 
     Acid Red 52 (Sulforhodamine B) 
     Acid Red 52 is manufactured by Adrich Chemical of 1001 West Saint Paul Avenue, Milwaukee, Wis. 53233. 
     C.l. 45100 
     FW 580.66 
     The procedure for preparing the dual luminescent ink of this invention and the proprieties of the ink are as follows: 
     PROCEDURE 
     1) Weigh Acid Red 52 and Lumilux Red CD 331 separately. 
     2) Weigh Aqualope Transparent White separately. 
     3) Pour Acid Red 52 and Lumilux Red CD 331 into wide mouth bottle. 
     4) Pour Aqualope Transparent White over Acid Red 52 and Lumilux Red CD 331 into container for final mix. 
     5) Magnetically stir at 100 RPM. 
     6) Apply coating to mail piece with straight blade applicator. 
     7) At ambient temperature, dry coating for four hours. 
     8) Measure coating with PMU meter. 
     9) Print over the coating with a Hewlett Packard Desk Jet Plus printer @ 300 dots per inch using a Hewlett Packard 51626A (black) cartridge. 
     10) Measure the coating with a PMU meter below the printed Datamatrix. 
     11) Use the Datamatrix Uniform Symbology system with the Datamatrix Acuity 930 powervision scanner to read the datamatrix symbols. The Datamatrix Uniform Symbology system and the Datamatrix Acuity 930 powervision scanner are manufactured by C; Matrix of 20 Trafalgar Square, Suite 454, Nashua, N.H. 03063. 
     12) Determine the percent error code correction used to read the matter printed with the black ink. 
     13) Measure the spectral peak of the coating. 
     EXAMPLE 1 
     Ink Preparation 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Ingredient 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Aqualope Transparent White 
                 99.3  
               
               
                   
                 Lumilux Red CD 331 
                 0.6 
               
               
                   
                 Acid Red 52 
                 0.1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 PMU (26 × 4 mm Window) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 41 
                 37 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 64 
                 48 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 68 
                 41 
                 14 
                 8 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Phosphor Meter Units are measured with an instrument proprietary to U.S. Postal Service a full window is 20×26 mm. 
     The following data was taken after Datamatrix symbols were printed above the ink preparation of Example  1  with a Hewlett Packard Jet Plus @ 300 DPI using a Hewlett Packard 51626A black ink cartridge. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 % Error 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Correction 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Used 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 77 
                 88 
                 1.8 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 90 
                 120  
                 26 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 22 
                 38 
                 50 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The higher the value for the % Error Correction used, the more difficult it is for the postal scanner to read the information. 
     The fluorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm and the phosphorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm. 
     EXAMPLE 2 
     Ink Preparation 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Ingredient 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Aqualope Transparent White 
                 94.9  
               
               
                   
                 Lumilux Red CD 331 
                 5.0 
               
               
                   
                 Acid Red 52 
                 0.1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 PMU (26 × 4 mm Window) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 186 
                 70 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 &gt;200 
                 79 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 &gt;200 
                 87 
                 59 
                 17 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The following data was taken after Datamatrix symbols were printed above the ink preparation of Example 2 with a Hewlett Packard Jet Plus @ 300 DPI using a Hewlett Packard 51626A black ink cartridge. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 % Error 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Correction 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Used 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;99 
                 &gt;200 
                 47 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 &gt;99 
                 &gt;200 
                 57 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 46 
                 149 
                 29 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The higher the value for the % Error Correction used, the more difficult it is for the postal scanner to read the information. 
     The fluorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm and the phosphorescent spectral Is at 612 nm. 
     EXAMPLE 3 
     Ink Preparation 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Ingredient 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Aqualope Transparent White 
                 97.4  
               
               
                   
                 Lumilux Red CD 331 
                 2.5 
               
               
                   
                 Acid Red 52 
                 0.1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 PMU (26 × 4 mm Window) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 162 
                 62 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 143 
                 61 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                  6 
                 21 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The following data was taken after Datamatrix symbols were printed above the ink preparation of Example 3 with a Hewlett Packard Jet Plus @ 300 DPI using a Hewlett Packard 51626A black ink cartridge. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 % Error 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Correction 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Used 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;99 
                 &gt;200 
                 11 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 &gt;99 
                 &gt;200 
                 15 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 59 
                 170 
                 &gt;76 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The higher the value for the % Error Correction used, the more difficult it is for the postal scanner to read the information. The fluorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm and the phosphorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm. 
     EXAMPLE 4 
     Ink Preparation 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Ingredient 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Aqualope Transparent White 
                 99.4  
               
               
                   
                 Lumilux Red CD 331 
                 0.6 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 PMU (26 × 4 mm Window) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 72 
                 84 
                 13 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 111 
                 18 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 62 
                 10 
                 10 
                  1 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Phosphor Meter Units are measured with an instrument proprietary to U.S. Postal Service a full window is 20×26 mm. 
     The following data was taken after Datamatrix symbols were printed above the ink preparation of Example 4 with a Hewlett Packard Jet Plus @ 300 DPI using a Hewlett Packard 51626A black ink cartridge. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 % Error 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Correction 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Used 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 33 
                 &gt;200 
                 20 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 44 
                 &gt;200 
                 29 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                  4 
                 25 
                 44 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The higher the value for the % Error Correction used, the more difficult it is for the postal scanner to read the information. The fluorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm and the phosphorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm. 
     EXAMPLE 5 
     Ink Preparation 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Ingredient 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Aqualope Transparent White 
                 95 
               
               
                   
                 Lumilux Red CD 331 
                  5 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 PMU (26 × 4 mm Window) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 &gt;200 
                 62 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 &gt;200 
                 67 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 &gt;200 
                 65 
                 58 
                 10 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Phosphor Meter Units are measured with an instrument proprietary to U.S. Postal Service a full window is 20×26 mm. 
     The following data was taken after Datamatrix symbols were printed above the ink preparation of Example 5 with a Hewlett Packard Jet Plus @ 300 DPI using a Hewlett Packard 51626A black ink cartridge. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 % Error 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Correction 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Used 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 10 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 45 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 179 
                 32 
                 24 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The fluorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm and the phosphorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm. 
     EXAMPLE 6 
     Ink Preparation 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 Ingredient 
                 Weight % 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Aqualope Transparent White 
                 97.5 
               
               
                   
                 Lumilux Red CD 331 
                  2.5 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 PMU (26 × 4 mm Window) 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Red 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 &gt;200 
                 55 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 &gt;200 
                 61 
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 &gt;200 
                 71 
                 71 
                 13 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Phosphor Meter Units are measured with an instrument proprietary to U.S. Postal Service a full window is 20×26 mm. 
     The following data was taken after Datamatrix symbols were printed above the ink preparation of Example 6 with a Hewlett Packard Jet Plus @ 300 DPI using a Hewlett Packard 51626A black ink cartridge. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Properties 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 PMU (Full Window) 
                 % Error 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 Red 
                 Red 
                 Correction 
               
               
                 Envelope Type 
                 Phosphorescence 
                 Fluorescence 
                 Used 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 A White wove 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 8 
               
               
                 low ink absorbing 
               
               
                 B White wove, 24 lb. 
                 &gt;200 
                 &gt;99 
                 33  
               
               
                 high ink absorbing 
               
               
                 R Recycled green 
                 160 
                 30 
                 2 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The higher the value for the % Error Correction used, the more difficult it is for the postal scanner to read the information. 
     The fluorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm and the phosphorescent spectral peak is at 612 nm. 
     The above embodiments have been given by way of illustration only, and other embodiments of the instant invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the detailed description. Accordingly, limitations on the instant invention are to be found only in the claims.