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1. What is MICR?
2. How does MICR Technology
work? 3. What are MICR
specifications?
4. How is MICR Toner different
from Laser Toner?
5. Why print your own MICR
checks?
6. What
equipment and materials are needed to print your own checks?
7. What type
of Check Stock paper do I need to printer MICR checks?
8. Why can’t I find
MICR ink for my ink jet printer? 9. Why is MICR toner mostly
available on HP Laser Printers?
10. Why do I need a bank check
specification sheet?
11.
How does the MICR clear band area affect my printing from a laser
printer? 12. Will my bank accept the MICR checks I
print?
13. Can I print my company logo on
the check? 14. What items are legally
required to be on a check?
15. What is a MICR OEM toner
cartridge?
16. What is a compatible MICR toner
cartridge?
17. What is a remanufactured
cartridge?
18. Will compatible or remanufactured MICR toner cartridges last as long as
OEM? 19. How should a MICR
Toner Cartridge be remanufactured?
20.
Will a remanufactured or compatible MICR cartridge void my machine's warranty?
21. Why should I recycle my MICR
toner cartridges?
22. Can I really save money by using a compatible or remanufactured MICR toner cartridge?
23. Who is the best supplier of MICR
toner?
1. What is
MICR? MICR stands for
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. It is
normally pronounced my-ker. With the advent of computers,
MICR technology was
developed by the banking industry to use magnetic ink and special fonts so that check account numbers could
be read and sorted by machine rather than by hand. MICR
Toner is primarily used to print the account and bank route numbers at the bottom of checks.
MICR toner is the primary component of MICR printing.
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2. How does MICR Technology
work?
MICR technology uses a special font and iron oxide additive to
print the bank account information at the bottom of each check. The font consists of 14 characters consisting of
numbers 0-9 and four special symbols. The bank information printed on the bottom line of the check is read and
sorted by special magnetic or OCR readers.
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3. What are
MICR specifications? MICR specifications
include the physical characteristics of the MICR font characters and their proper placement on checks and
documents. These guidelines ensure proper compliance so that the magnetic characters are correctly read by bank
reader and sorter equipment.
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4. How is MICR Toner different from Laser
Toner? MICR
toner contains iron oxide. The iron oxide can be magnetized
thus allowing magnetic readers to decode the bank account and routing numbers. MICR toner contains fifty percent or
more iron oxide additives, which is required to meet ANSI readability standards and specifications.
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5. Why print your own MICR checks?
Most users agree there are four reasons to print your own checks using MICR printing:
a. Printing checks using MICR lasers increases the level of security and decreases the
probability of fraud.
b. The cost is less plus there is no inventory or need to secure preprinted checks.
c. You can create an entire check in one step. The MICR check includes payee data, logos, bank information,
signatures and MICR bank codes at the bottom of the check.
d. It is much more flexible because a business can add, change or delete bank accounts as needed.
Note: If you operate a payroll service for multiple clients, you would not need separate checks for each
company.
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6. What
equipment and materials are needed to print your own checks?
To print your own MICR
checks you will need:
a. Your own computer
b. Software to print your checks
c. A quality laser printer
d. An MICR Toner cartridge
e. A high quality check stock paper
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7. What
type of Check Stock paper do I need to printer MICR checks?
You should use a high quality, usually 24 lb bond, paper that utilizes toner grip
(rougher surfaces so the toner can fuse with the paper). This maximum-security paper will help the MICR toner to
print properly on the paper and reduce the possibility of check fraud.
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8. Why can’t I find MICR ink for my ink jet
printer?
MICR technology requires that checks be processed at a very high speed. An MICR reader uses magnetic properties to
read the bank information printed at the bottom of your checks. Because inks are liquid, and iron oxide materials
that could be added to produce a magnetic property would settle to the bottom of the ink making it difficult at
best to use the MICR technology.
Note: The only possible exception would be if your bank uses an OCR check reader rather than a magnetic
reader. Consult your bank for additional information.
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9. Why is MICR toner mostly available on HP Laser
Printers?
Each laser printer is unique. The MICR toner used in laser printers must be designed for that specific laser
printer engine. Because MICR toner is not a major toner product, it can be a costly and questionable investment. HP
currently has the largest market share; hence, MICR toner is available for most HP laser printers. MICR toner is
available for other laser printers. You’ll need search the Internet for other laser printer MICR toner
cartridges.
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10. Why do I need a bank check specification
sheet? MICR technology was developed so that
the banking institutions could rapidly process (sort and batch) checks by account number. The success of this
process is dependent upon the quality of the MICR coding printed at the bottom of each check. The guide to proper
placement and content of the codes on the MICR line at the bottom of each check is outlined in a bank specification
sheet. You can get a copy of this sheet at your bank.
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11. How does the MICR clear band
area affect my printing from a laser printer? The MICR account and bank code information are written at the bottom of
each check. The MICR clear band area covers the entire bottom of the check and is measured 5/8ths of an inch from
the bottom of the check. Only the MICR magnetic bank account and bank code characters may be printed in this area.
If other magnetic characters are printed in this area the magnetic readers will not sort and group checks properly.
This could result in a bank charge of up to $3 per incident. Be very careful not to have digitized signatures or
other information print into the clear band area.
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12. Will my bank accept the
MICR checks I print?
The quick answer is “yes”. However, it is highly recommended that
you send samples of your checks to your bank for testing. Most high quality laser printers (HP, Canon, Lexmark)
print acceptable MICR checks. If you’re having a problem, it could be the MICR toner cartridge. The MICR cartridge
should have at least 40% or more iron oxide added to the toner. Most reputable MICR toner cartridge merchants will
guarantee their cartridges will meet the MICR specifications.
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13. Can I print my company logo
on the check?
Most MICR check software will allow you to
print of bitmap graphics up to 3 inches square on your check. Normally, a 5/8-inch bitmap graphic is sufficient for
your company logo.
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14. What items are legally required to be on a
check? By law,
five items are required to be on
your check:
a. The date the check is written.
b. The amount of the check.
c. The name of the payee (person receiving the check).
d. The authorized signature of the payor.
e. The authorized name of the payor’s financial institution.
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15. What is a MICR OEM toner cartridge? OEM stands for Original Equipment
Manufacturer. An OEM company produces its own
product and sells it under its own name. For example, HP and IBM manufacture and sell MICR toner cartridges under
their own name.
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16. What is a compatible MICR toner
cartridge? A
compatible MICR toner cartridge is a cartridge that is not an
original. A third party company usually manufactures these toner cartridges to the same specifications as the
original MICR toner cartridge. Most of the time compatible MICR toner cartridges are made from all new parts.
However, some companies mix new and recycled components in producing their compatible MICR toner cartridges.
Note: Any company worth doing business with will give you a money back guarantee that their compatible MICR
toner cartridges are as good or better than the original MICR toner cartridge.
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17.
What is a remanufactured cartridge?
A remanufactured cartridge is a cartridge that has
been manufactured from new and recycled components. It has been "rebuilt" to match the exact specifications of the
"original". In many cases, OEM cartridges actually contain "recycled" or "recovered" materials (it's usually listed
in fine print on the packaging in an inconspicuous place). In addition, some OEM's even sell their own brand of
remanufactured cartridges.
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18. Will compatible or
remanufactured MICR toner cartridges last as long as OEM?
If you purchase a compatible or remanufactured MICR toner cartridge from a reputable toner merchant, they will last
at least as long as the OEM toner cartridge. In some cases, compatible MICR toner cartridges may print as many as
fifty percent more pages than the original toner cartridge.
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19. How should a MICR Toner Cartridge be
remanufactured?
A reputable MICR toner cartridge company will do a quality check of the toner cartridge. All old or worn out parts
will be replaced. The toner cartridge will be thoroughly cleaned. New quality MICR toner will be placed in the
cartridge. It will then be tested to insure that it performs as good as the original MICR toner
cartridge.
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20. Will a remanufactured or
compatible MICR cartridge void my machine's warranty? By law,
an OEM manufacturer cannot void your printer warranty for using an MICR toner cartridge from another company. If
you have a service contract with your OEM printer company, it may void that agreement.
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21. Why should I recycle my MICR toner
cartridges?
The simple answer is that it helps the
environment. Each laser toner cartridge you discard adds four pounds of non-biodegradable waste to your
nearest landfill. However, several companies do a great job of remanufacturing these toner cartridges. When
they do, you gain two things. First, you reduce the amount of waste in the environment. Second, you get a
quality toner cartridge at a substantially lower cost.
Note: Check out RecycleEmpties.com. You can print free shipping labels directly from their site and they
will send you recycle boxes to send your empties back to them.
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22. Can I really save
money by using a compatible or remanufactured MICR toner cartridge?
You can expect to save from
30-65% when you purchase quality compatible MICR toner cartridges. This savings can make a real dent in your
printing budget. Just remember… always buy
your MICR toner cartridges from a reliable company.
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23. Who is the Best Supplier of MICR Toner?
Choosing the best supplier is not an easy task. Our editors rigorously checked multiple companies that sell MICR
toner cartridges. There are many reputable and reliable MICR toner companies. However, we did choose one
outstanding company. Read our special report "Ten
Reasons Why All-Ink.com is the best supplier of MICR Toner Cartridges".
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Best Suppliers of MICR Toner Cartridges
MICR Toner Cartridges: Amazon
- 110% Money-Back Guarantee
- 2 Year Exchange Guarantee
- Free Priority Same Day Shipping on orders of $40 or more
MICR Toner Cartridges
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