ID: Q187903
The information in this article applies to:
When you create envelopes as part of a mail merge operation, the Delivery Point Bar Code and FIM-A Courtesy Reply Mail options are unavailable (appear dimmed).
The Barcode option on the envelope dialog may appear dimmed if a country other than United States is selected in the International (Regional Settings in Windows 95 or later) dialog box in Control Panel.
Although the options are unavailable, if you click OK, the Insert Postal Bar Code button is available in the Envelope Address dialog box. Click Insert Postal Bar Code and select the field names that contain your bar code address information.
Word adds the postal codes to your mail merge envelope, and they merge and print correctly.
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.
The FIM (Facing Identification Mark) identifies the front side of the envelope.
There are two situations where the FIM-A feature is used: when you create a single envelope outside of a mail merge, and when you perform an envelope mail merge. To add the FIM-A to your envelopes, use the appropriate method for your situation.
1. On the Tools menu, click Envelopes And Labels.
2. On the Envelopes tab, click Options.
3. Click to select the Delivery Point Barcode check box. The "FIM-A
courtesy reply mail" check box becomes available.
4. Click to select the "FIM-A courtesy reply mail" check box.
1. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
2. Under Main Document, click Create and then click Envelopes.
3. Click New Main Document to create a new document for the envelopes.
4. Under Data Source, click Get Data to attach a data file or to create a
new data file.
5. After you have attached the data file, click Set Up Main Document.
6. In the Envelope Options dialog box, click OK.
7. In the Envelope Address dialog box, click "Insert Postal Bar Code."
8. In the "Merge field with ZIP code" list, click the field name that
contains the ZIP code.
9. Click to select the "FIM-A courtesy reply mail" check box, which is now
available.
NOTE: If your data source is the Personal Address Book, selecting the FIM-A
check box will not generate a FIM-A on the main document for the envelope
mail merge.
For additional information about barcodes please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
ARTICLE-ID: Q107789
TITLE : WD: Mail Merge Attached Envelope Does Not Create Barcode
ARTICLE ID: Q105576
TITLE : WD: Position of Bar Codes Is Certified by U.S. Postal
Service
"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, pages 652-655
Additional query words: FIM-A dim dimmed grey greyed gray grayed out not available disabled barcode label fima personal address book
Keywords : kbdta kbenvelope kbmerge word6 word7 word95
Version : WINDOWS:6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbbug
Solution Type : kbpending
Last Reviewed: February 13, 1999