How can I include the postal barcode on envelopes I print?

Anonymous
2010-08-19T21:58:15+00:00

I've been using word for years.  I occassionally print envelopes including the postal barcode.  I haven't figured it out yet in office 2010.  I hope that some one can help me.  Thanks in advance.

Lee Warren

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Anonymous
2012-01-13T23:40:07+00:00

As explained in  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/897290 the POSTNET barcode that Word can create is now obsolete, so it was removed from the Envelope dialog starting in Word 2007.

If you really want to put in a POSTNET barcode, you can go to Insert > Quick Parts > Field and insert a BarCode field (which is how the option in the Envelopes dialog used to do its work). The syntax

of the field code is explained here:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-in/word-help/field-codes-barcode-field-HP005186205.aspx

Jay Freedman

MS Word MVP  FAQ: http://word.mvps.org

Hello everyone!   I too was very frustrated by this.  When I used the "add field" under the quick parts menu in Word 2010 and added "barcode", I would always get "Invalid Zip" as the response.  After some investigating, I found the fix:  if you go to the USPS website at https://ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/download.cfm and download uspsEncoderMsOffice-1.3.0.zip, you can install it in seconds.

Once you install, all you have to do is the following: I went back to the "mailings" menu, selected "envelopes", then went to the address field and clicked "insert", then clicked "quick parts", selected "bar code" and clicked "is US address" and entered the zip code.  This worked perfectly for me in Word 2010. 

Hope this helps!!

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Anonymous
2013-10-30T10:58:10+00:00

The download you want for a 64-bit Windows system running 32-bit Office software is uspsEncoderMsOffice-1.3.1.  Looks similar except the MsOffice part.

The solution referenced requires more operator intervention than I would like each time one wishes to insert a bar code on an envelope.  Hopefully, that will be a fix in the future.

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Jay Freedman 208.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2010-08-20T01:37:37+00:00

As explained in  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/897290 the POSTNET barcode that Word can create is now obsolete, so it was removed from the Envelope dialog starting in Word 2007.

If you really want to put in a POSTNET barcode, you can go to Insert > Quick Parts > Field and insert a BarCode field (which is how the option in the Envelopes dialog used to do its work). The syntax

of the field code is explained here:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-in/word-help/field-codes-barcode-field-HP005186205.aspx

Jay Freedman

MS Word MVP  FAQ: http://word.mvps.org

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-02-23T20:25:19+00:00

    <<

    Just as I posted the above, I got a call from the USPS business office. The man said the "old" barcodes are useless and if put it on an envelope, they have to cover them over at the post office mail center and put the new IM barcode on with a sticker or print it directly on to the envelope. Bottom line: unless one is mailing several thousand pieces of mail a year, just put the numeric zip or zip+4 on the envelope and forget trying to print a barcode! 

    >>

    If you happen to have a link to a USPS article of any kind that spells that out, it would be *even more useful*

    The thing I have been quoting since around 2009 is as below, but maybe the USPS has an up-to-date link that spells out what people should do now.

    That old link...

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

    ...which says...

    "In general, the Postal Service recommends that, unless you are preparing a mailing for automation prices, 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. "

    and

    "A bad (incorrect) barcode is much worse than no barcode at all. A bad barcode can cause your mailpiece to travel to the wrong destination."

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  2. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2014-02-22T00:27:11+00:00

    Have you bookmarked the ZIP code or the address that contains it? Have you included that bookmark in the BARCODE field syntax? And when you have completed all this and get the bar code you sought, do you really want to use it knowing that you're just making more work for the USPS and possibly delaying your mailpiece? Please read Rdt222's follow-up post.

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