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Secure MICR Printer User’s Guide © Source Technologies
July 2003 Page 5 All rights reserved
Duplexing
We do not recommend printing on both sides of the paper (duplexing) when printing
checks. MICR toner on the back of a check can cause read failures in the MICR Line.
Order your check stock with any necessary information preprinted on the back. If
duplex is necessary, we suggest a more aggressive test plan be developed to ensure
print quality consistently conforms to the ANSI/ABA specifications.
MICR Clear Band
The MICR clear band is an area at the bottom of the check where the MICR line prints.
No other magnetic printing should appear in this area on both the font and back of
document. The clear band is an area 0.625 (5/8) inches high from the bottom of the
check running the entire length of the check. Exact MICR line placement in this area is
very important. See Figure 3.1 for more information on MICR line placement.
Data Elements
Date
The date is a required data element for a check. It represents the day on or after the
transfer of the check amount may take place. It is usually placed in the upper right
portion of the check so it does not interfere with the convenience amount field. The
common format is Month, Day and Year, however, the military format of Day, Month and
Year is also acceptable.
Amount
The amount of the check is a required element. The amount usually appears at least
twice on the check. The amount printed in numbers is called the convenience amount.
The amount printed in words is sometimes referred to as the legal amount, since this is
the amount that applies if there is a difference between the two amount fields. The
amount may also be printed a third time on the check in a secure font, intended to make
alteration of the amount field difficult. See Chapter 5 and Appendix C for information on
Source Technologies’ Secure Numeric Font.
Convenience Amount
The convenience amount location is specified in ANSI X9.7. The basic location is
illustrated in Figure 3.1. Since this amount can be machine scanned, its location and
design should be kept within the specifications. The amount beginning with the
dollar sign should be left justified within the scan area with numbers spaced normally
to the right. The dollars and cents should be separated by a decimal point with the
cents printed in the same size font as the rest of the field. Embedded commas
should not be used. The convenience amount background should have good
reflectance so it does not interfere with optical scanning (see ANSI X9.7).
The convenience amount should be printed in a simple, fixed pitch font. We recommend
our ICR Secure Numeric Font (see Appendix D). It was designed to be easily read by
Section 3: MICR Check Design