USPS Barcodes

[RolandB]

I recently had need to send mail to an individual at USPS ZIP+4 address. I
addressed a single label using Word and printed it. I later had cause to use
the Merge feature to create multiple labels and happened to include in the
Excel database the same identical ZIP+4 address! I was very surprised to
find that the postal barcode it generated was DIFFERENT (in the last 16 bars
short/tall)! I then tried my own barcode (75248-3060) with the same
experiment and lo, it too generated two diferent barcodes! Anyone guess why?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

This isn't an "explanation" but rather a set of observations
a. BARCODE will generate different barcodes depending on whether you
provide it with just the ZIP+4 code, or the street address and ZIP+4 code.
(As I understand it, the Way Word generates the bar code when it uses the
street address as well does not conform to the current USPS standards and is
best avoided if you are doing mass mailings, but you might want to check
that).
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".

Peter Jamieson

 

[RolandB]

Peter, thanks for your research! 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. I personally believe you can speed delivery by
including the barcode in your mailing. I always use the barcode generation
when sending any business correspondence. I'm sorry Word has dropped it from
the mail-merge of 2007! I probably don't do that much for it to affect me
but others are being deprived of a partial benefit!
Roland

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Well-researched yourself!

As I now understand it, you can still use the BARCODE field in Word 2007
merges despite what the Word documentation suggests, but you have to enter
them manually because the necessary checkboxes have been disabled on the
relevant dialog boxes.

Since I live in the UK I have no idea whether adding barcodes speeds up the
mail in the US.

Peter Jamieson