WD: Mail Merge Attached Envelope Does Not Create Bar Code

ID: Q107789

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you create mail merge form letter documents and attach envelopes, bar codes fail to print on your envelopes, even though you selected the Delivery Point Bar Code option.

CAUSE

By default, envelopes attached to mail merge form letter documents do not include POSTNET delivery-point bar codes. When you attach an envelope to an existing mail merge form letter, Word has no way to determine which field contains bar code information. The steps that allow determination of ZIP Code fields are bypassed. Although the Delivery Point Bar Code option is available under the Envelope options, Word is not able to interpret the MERGEFIELD information into bar code information.

WORKAROUND

To create mail merge envelopes with bar codes, use the Envelopes option, or manually insert a BARCODE field above the existing envelope address fields on the envelope, as follows:

1. Position the insertion point before the first character of the first

   line of address fields. Press ENTER to create a blank line above the
   existing address.

2. Press CTRL+F9 (Windows) or COMMAND+F9 (Macintosh) to create field
   codes. Then type the following within the field codes.

   NOTE: You may need to turn on the field codes to complete the entry
   below. To do this, press ALT+F9. After you complete the entry, press
   ALT+F9 to turn off the field codes, as in the following example:

      {BARCODE "{Mergefield Address1}<P>
      {Mergefield PostalCode}" \u \* mergeformat}

   where Address1 is the field containing the street address or postal box
   information, <P> represents a paragraph mark, and "PostalCode" is the
   name of the field that contains the ZIP Code information.

   NOTE: In Word 98, use the following example:

      {BARCODE \u {mergefield zipcode}}

   where zipcode is the mergefield that contains the postal code.

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q144608
   TITLE     : Error Message in Place of BARCODE Field

Additional query words: FIM-A
Keywords          : kbprint kbualink97 macword98 winword kbmerge macword word6 word7 word95 
Version           : WINDOWS:6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a;MACINTOSH:6.0,6.0.1,6.0.1a,98
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: December 17, 1998