MICR
Toner
1st-in-Micr-Toner
Your MICR Toner Purchasing Guide to Huge
Savings!
MICR Toner and MICR Toner
Cartridges
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
14. What
items are legally required to be on a
check?
By
law, f
ive 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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".
Best Supplier of MICR Toner Cartridges
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