Selectively expanding and printing indicia information

1. A method of producing a barcode on a printing device, the method comprising:

collecting a set of information for producing the bar code;

using an indicator to designate the set of information, a data amount of the indicator being smaller than a data amount of the set of information;

storing the set of information in association with the indicator;

encoding the indicator in a reduced barcode that is narrower than a printing width of a pen of the printing device, the reduced bar code at a first resolution;

expanding the reduced barcode to a particular size at a lower resolution, a width of the particular size being substantially the same as the printing width of the pen, and the lower resolution being lower than the first resolution; and

printing the reduced bar code on the printing device at the particular size and the lower resolution.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encoding an indication of an amount of funds into the reduced barcode.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing the indicator to access the collected information.

4. A method of producing a postal indicia barcode on a printing device, the method comprising:

collecting a set of information for producing the postal indicia barcode;

using a serial number to indicate the set of information, a data amount of the serial number being smaller than a data amount of the set of information;

storing the set of information in association with the serial number;

encoding the serial number into a reduced postal indicia barcode that is narrower than a printing width of a pen of the printing device, the reduced postal indicia bar code at a first resolution;

expanding the reduced postal indicia barcode to a particular size at a lower resolution, a width of the particular size being substantially the same as the printing width of the pen, and the lower resolution being lower than the first resolution; and

applying the reduced postal indicia bar code to a mail piece, the printing device at the particular size and the lower resolution.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising encoding an indication of a postage amount into the postal indicia barcode.

6. A meter for producing a postal indicia barcode comprising:

a processor configured to collect a set of information for producing the postal indicia barcode, designate a serial number to indicate the set of information, a data amount of the serial number being smaller than a data amount of the set of information, encode the serial number into the postal indicia barcode, and expand the barcode to a particular size; and

a printing device comprising at least one pen, the printing device configured to apply the postal indicia bar code to a mail piece via the pen,

wherein, the postal indicia barcode is narrower than a printing width of a pen of the printing device, the postal indicia bar code at a first resolution; and

the processor is further configured to:

expand the postal indicia barcode to a particular size at a lower resolution, a width of the particular size being substantially the same as the printing width of the pen, and the lower resolution being lower than the first resolution; and

control the printing device to apply the postal indicia bar code to the mail piece at the particular size and the lower resolution.

7. The meter of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to encode an indication of a postage amount into the postal indicia barcode.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing the indicator to access a postage meter to obtain a part of the collected information not included in the reduced barcode.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing the indicator to access a postal infrastructure data system to obtain a part of the collected information not included in the reduced barcode.

10. The method of claim 4 , further comprising utilizing the serial number to access a database to obtain a part of the collected information not included in the reduced postal indicia barcode.

11. The method of claim 4 , further comprising utilizing the serial number to access a postal infrastructure data system to obtain parts of the collected information that are not included in the reduced postal indicia barcode.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reduced barcode is a two-dimensional barcode.

13. The method of claim 4 , wherein the reduced barcode is a two-dimensional barcode.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reducing an amount of ink used to apply the reduced barcode based on the resolution reduction.

15. The method of claim 4 , further comprising reducing an amount of ink used to apply the reduced barcode based on the resolution reduction.

16. The meter of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to reduce an amount of ink used to apply the barcode based on the resolution reduction.