I am running MS Word 2013. I need to find a way to create and print bar-codes on some of the documents I create. I found a way to place the "bar-code" icon on the ribbon; however, it is always grayed out. What do I have to do to get it working?

This is a special kind of field that only works in Word 2013.
See DisplayBarCodeField.

Yes, but the OP is running Word 2013...

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Yes, and I gave him the reference on how to use the field.

But not an explanation of why his "bar-code" icon on the ribbon is always grayed out...

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

I have no idea what a "bar-code icon" is. Do you.?

Then MergeBarCode and DisplayBarCode fields are not listed in the Insert> Field dialog. The MergeBarCode field is not in the merge fields list on the mailings tab.

The pages I listed are the only documentation of these fields of which I am aware.

No command that I've found appears in the Customize the Ribbon lists or the QAT lists of available commands.

When such a field is inserted (using Ctrl+F9) it works fine but no special context ribbon or commands show up.

I have no idea, either. But, then, I don't have Word 2013 installed.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

The icons I am referring to are shown on the image shown below.

OK, that icon isn't going on the Ribbon, but on the Quick Access Toolbar. I suspect it's grayed-out because you don't have anything selected it can be applied to.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Now that is what I am talking about. How do I create something that I can select? I just cannot find a simple, easy to use tutorial on this subject, and I have searched.

This is a brand new feature and I suspect it isn't fully implemented.
On the Customize the Ribbon dialog it indicates that this is part of the BarCode group on the Insert menu... but there is no BarCode group on the Insert menu, even when you have a displaybarcode or mergebarcode field on the page or selected.

For the moment, I believe, you will need to insert displaybarcode fields by writing them manually using Ctrl+F9 to insert the field codes.

Note, when I inserted such a field it did not immediately display and it showed up only when I inserted another field. Pressing F9 with the field selected did not cause it to display. Pressing ALt+F9 twice toggling display of fields did get the bar code to display.

Which kind of bar code are you trying to write? It would be relatively easy to create a macro that would seek the text you want and create the bar code. That macro could be attached to a QAT button.

Thanks, I have the same problem. The "BarCode" group does not exist. Microsoft should have put a note in the help file that it was not fully implemented. This just wastes everyone's time. I will try your suggestions.

I just found this link.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/wo...010210329.aspx

I do not know how to write the policy though. Why are they making this so frigging difficult anyway?

The article you found is about Word 2007 and does not deal with the field I am talking about. Again, what kind of bar code are you trying to insert?

Apparently the commands you found are available in Word 2007-2010 but have to do with an ID barcode for a document. Is that what you want? If so, I expect you are going to have to find policy writing ability.

If you want a bar code for other purposes, though, the Word 2013 fields should suit.

This is what I am looking for.