I was wondering if anyone had any experience in using an add-in in order to insert barcodes onto labels. I have 2 columns of data that I want to make labels for, 1 column with a numeric value (that i want to turn into a barcode) and the other column is text. I can use the mail merge and map the appropriate columns on the labels but, the barcode I try to enter keeps on inserting as a picture and not actual text. So i need to either change it in the excel sheet I have or in the Word document.

any suggestions

Whatever is getting inserted into your document will be whatever your addin produces; Word can't change that. Upgrading to Word 2016 or 2019 will most likely allow you to solve your barcode problem without recourse to an addin.

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Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Ok we just updated to MSOffice 365, and I went and downloaded the font that worked in the add-in " Code 2 of 5 Interleaved" to be used directly in Word. The barcode looks different now and does not scan but, if I go to add-ins and select that font it will scan, I'm puzzled. Also, not very knowledgeable in Word application.

Word has two Bar Code fields that produce many kinds of bar codes without a special font.

• The DisplayBarCode field and
• the MergeBarCode field.

More on these here: Bar Code Fields in Word



Here is an Add-In to produce the bar codes although not on labels.
Bar Code Add-In