Envelope printing... Where are the bar codes?

[Guest]

Every time that I try to print an envelope I am having to re-configure the
font on the return sender portion of the printing process. Also, the new
office does NOT print the bar codes on the envelopes as the previous version.
Please bring this feature back.

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http://www.microsoft.com/office/com...db5574&dg=microsoft.public.word.docmanagement

 

[Jay Freedman]

Every time that I try to print an envelope I am having to re-configure the
font on the return sender portion of the printing process. Also, the new
office does NOT print the bar codes on the envelopes as the previous version.
Please bring this feature back.

The formatting of the return address is set by the Envelope Return
style. Modify that style and check the Add to Template box in the
dialog to make permanent changes.

The Envelope Address style includes a frame set to a fixed height, and
your barcodes may not fit within the frame if the address has too many
lines. See http://www.gmayor.com/changing_envelope_layout.htm for
instructions to adjust this.

Besides that, delivery point bar codes produced by Word no longer
qualify for US Postal Service bulk mail discounts
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/897290) and there's no other reason
to print them.


--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Even though the MS Word produced barcodes no longer qualify for the discount,
isn't it likely that having a barcode would tend to speed your letter
somewhat? That's a reason to use such a feature.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Not necessarily. If the barcode from Word doesn't meet USPS specifications
(http://pe.usps.com/text/dmm300/708.htm#wp1352817), the processing equipment
will paste a label over the barcode and print a new one. While that won't
slow the processing by much (unless manual intervention is needed), it isn't
likely to speed it up, either. All letter mail goes through the equipment,
whether it's precoded or not, at least for verification.

 

[thebillclark]

Well, why doesn't MS make their barcodes USPS complient on Word?
I think they do get scanned by the machines and they do get routed faster.
They don't print bar code labels out and affix by hand unless the zip code is
rendered illegible. I get mail all the time with only a zip code or a zip and
bar code and I rarely see the stick on labels from USPS unless the ink is
smudged on the zip code. It reassures me to put the code on there.
So why doesn't MS conform with USPS specs?

 

[Character]

Well, why doesn't MS make their barcodes USPS complient on Word?
I think they do get scanned by the machines and they do get routed faster.
They don't print bar code labels out and affix by hand unless the zip code is
rendered illegible. I get mail all the time with only a zip code or a zip and
bar code and I rarely see the stick on labels from USPS unless the ink is
smudged on the zip code. It reassures me to put the code on there.
So why doesn't MS conform with USPS specs?

The postnet barcode produced by Word 2003 and earlier is not compliant
with the revised USPS bulk mailing requirements (which I believe
became effective in early 2007), and so MS decided, instead of fixing
it, to delete it completely in Word 2007. They could have added a flag
saying "does not qaulify for bulk mailing discount" or something like
that, but they didn't.

There are third party add-ins that integrate with MS Word 2007 to
produce acceptable postnet codes, and of course there are applications
particularly tailored to mailings. Avery Label Pro does produce
postnet codes, but it's not clear whether they qualify for bulk
mailing either; the latest version is 2 years old.

- Character

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The USPS doesn't use stick-on labels except in the situations you describe,
but it does print bar codes on envelopes that don't already have them, and
the ones it prints are correct.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

"(e-mail address removed)"

 

[thebillclark]

So,...Ms Barnhill:
The question still begs to be answered: Why does MS not add an update that
prints USPS compliant bar codes?
Thanks, Bill

 

[Tony Jollans]

The question still begs to be answered: Why does MS not add an update that
prints USPS compliant bar codes?

Perhaps because users in the other two hundred and something countries in
the world get a little bit fed up with the US-centric approach. This kind of
facility is nothing directly to do with word processing and is more properly
the domain of a third party addin.

--
Enjoy,
Tony

www.WordArticles.com

"(e-mail address removed)"