How to Choose a Check Printer

For organizations, in-house check printing is a way to save time and money. You’ll have everything you need in one place and can easily manage payroll and AP payments quickly. But if your organization is new to this process, you’re probably wondering how to choose a check printer.

Here at TROY, we are the experts in check printing. We can help you a choose a dedicated printer for checks. With our advice, you’ll be printing checks efficiently and securely in no time.

First Thing: You’ll Need a MICR Printer

To start, you will need a printer that can print the MICR line. The Federal Reserve sets standards for checks. If those standards are not met, it could result in hefty fees. By using a dedicated MICR laser printer for check printing, you ensure you’ll meet all financial industry and ANSI standards for check printing.

The MICR line is the series of numbers and characters printed at the bottom of the check. That includes all the check’s essential information – including check, account, and routing numbers. This core characteristic of the check allows data to be electronically captured. Data not printed using MICR may not scan properly resulting in clearing issues. This may result in manual entry at the bank and processing fees for you.

We recommend you choose a check printer that allows you to fine tune the MICR line. The placement of the MICR line is crucial to successful readability. A misaligned MICR line can contribute to check rejection and bank fees due to poor readability.

Assess Your Process

The first thing you will want to do is evaluate your check printing needs. This includes looking at volume, security, and access to the printer. You will also want to consider the size of your business. Are you a small or medium-sized organization? Or are you a big guy – an enterprise-level organization.

Volume

You’ll need to answer the question: what is the volume of checks you’ll be printing each month? No matter the size of your organization, you’ll more than likely be printing AP and payroll checks. So, an audit of how many you’re writing now should give you an understanding of your monthly volume.

• Low Volume: Monthly check printing ranges from 1 to 2,000
• Medium Volume: Monthly check printing ranges from 2,000 to 12,000
• High Volume: Monthly check printing ranges from 12,000 to 50,000

Generally speaking, small to medium sized businesses are in the low and medium volume range. High-volume MICR printers are often used by large, enterprise-level banks and businesses.

Accurately knowing your monthly volume ensures your printer performs efficiently during everyday operations.

Security

When it comes to security risks, printers are often an overlooked part of an organization’s workflow. An unsecured printer is the perfect entry point for data breaches and can put your organization in harm’s way. Your network, data, and intellectual property are accessible to hackers through an unsecured printer.

First, password protection is critical. Using a strong password prevents unauthorized access to MICR toner/ink, secure fonts, user-specific signatures, and form overlays. Additionally, encryption and decryption capabilities protect data while it is being transmitted to the printer. This encrypts the print data stream and decrypts it before being printed.

Additionally, you’ll want to look for features that ensure checks are printed correctly each time. An auto jam recovery is important to prevent duplicate copies from printing, preventing check fraud. It is also recommended using a printer with a MICR toner sensing feature. This warns you when toner is low. This ensures checks are printed to bank specifications and optimized for maximum reliability and readability.

Who Has Access?

You’ll also want to consider how many employees will have access to your check printer. Or is it accessible to the public? When printers are in spaces where anybody has access to them, it’s easier for high-value check stock to be stolen.

And if you’re using pre-printed check stock, criminals can easily get the important banking information they need. We recommend adding a locking paper tray if the printer is accessible to a lot of people.

A Total Check Printing Solution

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for every business. Performing an outside assessment of your check printing process gives you a good idea of what you need. By doing this, you can be aware of any gaps in security and efficiency that might already exist.

The federal reserve also mandates magnetic ink or toner. So, if you plan on printing checks, we recommend using a MICR toner that features high adhesion. This guarantees consistent character quality and deters check fraud. Unlike standard toner, MICR toner with high adhesion isn’t easily scraped or washed off without damaging the check paper.

Switching to a MICR printer is only the first step in a total secure check printing solution. For the most efficient and secure workflow, consider adding a MICR toner cartridge, blank check stock, and check printing software. By utilizing all three you’ll be able to print the whole check in one pass at the point of origin. Not only that, but these solutions will also help keep you safe from check fraud.

We’re Here to Help!

Ready to print checks? Great! Let us help you. If you know what you need, or you still need help deciding where to start, the MICR experts at TROY can help you choose a printer for secure checks. Contact us by calling 304-232-0899 or email Secure@TROYGroup.com.