Postnet Barcode

[Rachael Jellicoe]

If you enter an address in the envelope dialog box the postnet barcode
is correct. Including the delivery point digits. However when you use
the barcode field and enter the information in the literaltext option
then the delivery point is always 99. What is the correct syntax fot
the literaltext?

As a work around I have been copying and pasting the information from
the resulting envelope to where I need it but that is a pain. Would
rather just use the barcode field.

Rachael

 

[John McGhie [MVP Word, Word Mac]]

Hi Rachael:

You may decide not to bother with the barcode field. I seem to recall that
Microsoft barcodes do not comply with the latest PostNet specification and
so should not be used.

Hope this helps

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[Peter Jamieson]

Just as "backup" to John's message, Microsoft has an article about this
here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/897290

The USPS has an article saying that

"unless you are preparing a mailing for automation rates, you should NOT put
barcodes on the mailpieces. As long as the mailing address is correct, your
mail will still be processed efficiently without a barcode-and
you won't need to worry about having the wrong barcode on your mail."

http://www.usps.com/businessmail101/misc/discountsBarcoded.htm

That was enough for me, but according to Jay Freedman, if you follow the
links in the USPS article, you'll find that you can't get an automation-rate
discount unless your mailing list has been verified by Coding Accuracy
Support System (CASS) software and you're sending at least 200 or 500 pieces
(depending on the mail class) at one time.

Peter Jamieson

 

[CyberTaz]

Just affirming what John has stated - in fact, the barcode feature is not
even included in PC Office 2007, which suggests it won't be in 2008 either.

All the confirmation & reasoning is available here:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word/HA101091591033.aspx?pid=CH10062626103
3

But please understand that the inaccuracy of the codes applies to all
versions of Word - the feature hasn't been updated in quite some time.

Your specific problem, however, seems to be related to the topic covered in
this article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/214187

If you intend to continue using the codes it may be of use to you.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Phillip Jones]

Just as "backup" to John's message, Microsoft has an article about this
here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/897290

The USPS has an article saying that

"unless you are preparing a mailing for automation rates, you should NOT
put barcodes on the mailpieces. As long as the mailing address is
correct, your mail will still be processed efficiently without a
barcode-and
you won't need to worry about having the wrong barcode on your mail."

http://www.usps.com/businessmail101/misc/discountsBarcoded.htm

That was enough for me, but according to Jay Freedman, if you follow the
links in the USPS article, you'll find that you can't get an
automation-rate discount unless your mailing list has been verified by
Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) software and you're sending at
least 200 or 500 pieces (depending on the mail class) at one time.

Peter Jamieson

Am I correct in understanding after years and years using the Bar code
over the address the post off has now decided That the bar code is
supposed to directly under the address not over.
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[Peter Jamieson]

On the question of positioning, I don't know. I suppose your best bet is to
ask the USPS directly.

As for the original question, in a recent discussion concerning the WIndows
version of Word, I posted:

-----------------------------------------------
b. when you create a single envelope, Word inserts a Barcode field as
follows:
{ BARCODE ENV_ZIPCODE1\b \u }
followed by the address

ENV_ZIPCODE1 is a bookmark which "covers" the street address/city, state,
ZIP+4 line. In this case you get the barcode that includes the information
in the street address
c. when you create an envelope merge, I don't know what happens as the
checkboxes for inserting a Barcode field are disabled here, but if I copy
the envelope design from the single-envelope scenario, and replace the
address by the merge field(s) necessary to insert the address, then bookmark
those fields with ENV_ZIPCODE1, despite the fact that the bookmark "covers"
exactly the same text, I get the "ZIP+4" only version of the barcode.
d. If you put the entire address inside the ZIPCODE field, e.g.

{ BARCODE "10 Street Address
City, XX 12345-6789" }

or

{ BARCODE "{ MERGEFIELD mycompleteaddressfield }" }

I get the "street address+ZIP+4" version of the barcode.
So I guess that the difference has something to do with the way that the
BARCODE field gets the text from the bookmark. But beyond that, I think
you'd probably have to have the Word source code to see what is happening. I
have no idea whether or not this is "by design".
-----------------------------------------------
The other guy did rather better and came up with the following:
-----------------------------------------------
I got a little persistent and discovered
what you presented here. I first found a document on how to read, or how to
generate the barcode and thats when I found as you indicate that the merge
generates a ZIP+4 barcode. Thats actually untrue in that a true ZIP+4 has
52
bars. The 'envelope' or single label generation creates the 62 bar version
which includes as the last two digits the last two digits of the street
address! The merge version generates a 62 bar version BUT generates a '99'
for the 'last two digits' of the street address. Which is why they wouldn't
be useful for bulk mail.
-----------------------------------------------

Generally speaking, over the years I've tried to stick to answering
questions about the functioning of the BARCODE field itself. This has been a
curious experience, because in the mailmerge.fields NG, no-one actually
based in the USA ever actually answered BARCODE-related questions.

It's only because the MS and USPS advice about avoiding BARCODE has been so
strong that I've strayed as far as I have into "non-technical" areas. I'm
quite happy to leave everything else to the people doing those bulk
mailings.

Peter Jamieson

 

[Phillip Jones]

Well after all these (16) years as State treasurer for VPEA an
organization I belong to. I am giving up the post just in time.

I'll no longer have to put bar codes on mail for my Group. as I am
giving up the post.

I've been putting the bar codes and post nets codes on my outgoing mail
for Years.

So unless The MacBU fix this problem in Office2008 I won't have to worry
about it any way.

Hi Philip -

Just a friendly play on your tag line:




"If it's "broke", don't "use it"!

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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