This European Standard specifies a recommended procedure for the development of specifications for applications of digital postage marks (DPMs) i.e. applications linked to the use of digital printing and image data capture technologies in the postal industry, most particularly for the evidencing of postage accounting and/or payment. It is not intended to prescribe or to recommend any particular architecture or design for such applications, only to specify the process through which such an architecture or design should be developed. NOTE For this reason, the standard includes both normative and informative content. Clauses 1 to 5 and Annex A are normative, whilst the remaining annexes are informative. Non-normative (informative) clauses are indicated as such in the heading.