battle@cs.utk.edu (David Battle) (03/19/90)
I am looking for a font, I believe it is intended primarily for the eyes of optical character readers. It is the font that is used to print account number information on the bottom of personal checks. The reason I want it is that I am toying with the idea of printing my own checks. I've pretty much got everything else nailed down. I was thinking of scanning a check at high resolution and building bitmaps for each character. Any ideas or suggestions? Comments about any legalities concerning printing one's own checks that I might not be aware of are also welcome. Thanks, -- -David L. Battle battle@utkux1.utk.edu battle@battle.esd.ornl.gov
syd@DSI.COM (Syd Weinstein) (03/19/90)
battle@cs.utk.edu (David Battle) writes: >I am looking for a font, I believe it is intended primarily for the >eyes of optical character readers. It is the font that is used to >print account number information on the bottom of personal checks. I wish those characters were only for optical scanners, but the font is call MICR or Magnetic Ink Character Recognition for a good reason, the ink can hold a slight charge and be read thatway at very high speed. As for the font, Adobe sells it along with two others rather inexpensively. The harder problem is getting the magnetic toner. A company used to sell magnetic toner for Ricoh laser printers (The type used by the DEC LN03, TI and some others). I don't remember their name, but again, that toner would be more expensive, and not needed for normal use, but it would have to always be in the printer. For the Canon type engine, I don't know if the special toner cartridges are available with the magnetic toner. As for the legality of printing your own checks, its perfectly legal, you just need to get the check size right, and the positioning and spacing of the magnetic characters correct. You bank can give you a MICR form for your account that will show where they want the non standard stuff for your account. The transit number is in a standard place, as is the 'amount' after the check is encoded. However the rest of the line, although it has standard places, has optional meanings for each bank, such as check number, account number, or other encoding info. Your bank would be very upset, (shown by charging you a fee), if they have to add that little white plastic stripe onthe bottom of each check because the characters didn't have the MICR ink. -- ===================================================================== Sydney S. Weinstein, CDP, CCP Elm Coordinator Datacomp Systems, Inc. Voice: (215) 947-9900 syd@DSI.COM or bpa!dsinc!syd FAX: (215) 938-0235
turpin@cs.utexas.edu (Russell Turpin) (03/19/90)
----- In article <1990Mar19.000741.13602@cs.utk.edu>, battle@cs.utk.edu (David Battle) writes: > Comments about any legalities concerning printing one's own checks that > I might not be aware of are also welcome. It is probably alright. It used to be that one could write a check on any piece of paper (or other media), and if it was made out properly, it would be a legal obligation that your bank would honor. (Whether or not one's creditors would take an unprinted check was another issue.) Today, I think there are some rules about check size, location of endorsements, kind of magnetic ink encodings, etc. I do not think these rules are laws -- ie, it would be legal for you to still write out an unprinted check and your bank to accept it -- as much as they are requirements for all instruments going through the Federal Reserve clearinghouse. You should know that the numbers at the bottom of a check are made with *magnetic* ink, which means they might not be *optically* scanned. Most printers will make checks. As far as I know, they do not need a special license or any such thing. It is probably legal for you to print your own checks, as long as you do not cheat or attempt to defraud anyone. (But beware that each state has different banking laws.) Now whether or not merchants will take your home-printed checks is an entirely different issue. They are not required to do so. Most likely, as long as they look good, they won't notice the difference. Russell
friedl@mtndew.UUCP (Steve Friedl) (03/19/90)
In article <1990Mar19.014021.6410@DSI.COM>, syd@DSI.COM (Syd Weinstein) writes: > I wish those characters were only for optical scanners, but the > font is call MICR or Magnetic Ink Character Recognition for a good > reason, the ink can hold a slight charge and be read thatway at > very high speed. As for the font, Adobe sells it along with two > others rather inexpensively. The harder problem is getting the > magnetic toner. This is not true -- all toner is magetic. Troy sells a modified Ricoh laser printer and they use standard toner. This is a very happy accident of life. -- Stephen J. Friedl, KA8CMY / Software Consultant / Tustin, CA / 3B2-kind-of-guy +1 714 544 6561 voice / friedl@vsi.com / {uunet,attmail}!mtndew!friedl "How could anybody look at Miss April and *not* believe in a God?" - me
kaldis@airplane.rutgers.edu (Theodore A. Kaldis) (03/21/90)
In article <1990Mar19.000741.13602@cs.utk.edu> battle@cs.utk.edu (David Battle) writes: > I am looking for a font, I believe it is intended primarily for the > eyes of optical character readers. It is the font that is used to > print account number information on the bottom of personal checks. > The reason I want it is that I am toying with the idea of printing my > own checks. I've pretty much got everything else nailed down. I was > thinking of scanning a check at high resolution and building bitmaps > for each character. > Any ideas or suggestions? If all you are interested in is getting a line cast with you current account number, you might try looking for a typesetting shop that has this font available. But if you are thinking of running off checks on a laser printer, please be advised that the account number is printed with magnetic ink. It is not an "OCR" font, but rather an "MICR" font. > Comments about any legalities concerning printing one's own checks that > I might not be aware of are also welcome. You can print your own checks as long as they conform to certain specifications. According to my understanding, a document that conforms to a specific legal definition qualifies as a check. This document MUST include 5 pieces of information: the name of the bank upon which it is drawn, the name of the payee, the date, the signature of the account holder, and the amount of the check. Notice that the account number is not among the requirements. Theoretically, you can write a check on a napkin, and the bank is legally obligated to honor it. I do not know if this applies in all states, or even if it is an antiquated standard that has been superceded in recent years. But I do know that, on a practical level, banks will give you a hard time if you try to present a check that is not pre-printed. (Once I had to deposit a check that was a photocopy, and the bank whined about it, but they ultimately honored it -- and it was good.) I have typeset a number of checks with no problems. But there are specifications about where the account number should be placed (in relation to margins), and what is an acceptible size, and routing codes and such. Banks will give you a specification sheet if you ask for one. But remember, they require the account number (in an "MICR" font) to be printed in magnetic ink. -- Theodore A. Kaldis | "Perhaps we may +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- | frighten away email: kaldis@topaz.rutgers.edu | the ghost of so UUCP: {...}!rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!kaldis | many years ago U.S. Snail: P.O. Box #1212, Woodbridge, NJ 07095 | with a little ex-Ma Bell: (201) 283-4855 (voice) | illumination . . ."
ken@cs.rochester.edu (Ken Yap) (03/22/90)
|You can print your own checks as long as they conform to certain |specifications. According to my understanding, a document that |conforms to a specific legal definition qualifies as a check. This |document MUST include 5 pieces of information: the name of the bank |upon which it is drawn, the name of the payee, the date, the signature |of the account holder, and the amount of the check. Notice that the |account number is not among the requirements. Theoretically, you can |write a check on a napkin, and the bank is legally obligated to honor |it. | |I do not know if this applies in all states, or even if it is an |antiquated standard that has been superceded in recent years. But I |do know that, on a practical level, banks will give you a hard time if |you try to present a check that is not pre-printed. (Once I had to |deposit a check that was a photocopy, and the bank whined about it, |but they ultimately honored it -- and it was good.) My bank charges a fee for checks written on "non-standard forms". Presumably this is to discourage checks that cannot be processed by automation. Your bank may have a similar requirement in the fine print. I assume they make a special case for those gigantic checks used for charity publicity.
barmar@think.com (Barry Margolin) (03/22/90)
In article <Mar.21.10.04.22.1990.970@airplane.rutgers.edu> kaldis@airplane.rutgers.edu (Theodore A. Kaldis) writes: > Theoretically, you can >write a check on a napkin, and the bank is legally obligated to honor >it. A friend of mine once deposited a check written on a blackboard. I think I've also heard stories about people printing checks on their bodies. > (Once I had to >deposit a check that was a photocopy, and the bank whined about it, >but they ultimately honored it -- and it was good.) I presume the signature was original, not copied. Otherwise, what would prevent me from photocopying a check multiple times in order to steal money from the payer? -- Barry Margolin, Thinking Machines Corp. barmar@think.com {uunet,harvard}!think!barmar
woody@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal) (03/23/90)
It seems to me that there might be a more direct way. There is a material that I originaly told Don Lancaster about, it used to be called OMNICHROM but is now called KROY COLOR. Basicaly it was a metalic film bonded to mylar film, with a toothy back. You ran it through a machine that was essentialy a heat and pressure fuser section from a copier. It will also work through certain copier and laser printers. To my knowlege there isnot or was not a magnetic version, but it might be possible to create something similar.... Cheers Woody
Nagle@cup.portal.com (John - Nagle) (03/24/90)
If you want to have a check cleared through the normal interbank clearing
procedures, it has to follow the American Banker's Association standards
for check format. Checks written on napkins and such are not invalid
as long as they conform to the Uniform Commercial Code requirements for
drafts, which basically means that the obvious information and a valid
signature must be present. But you may have to cash the check at the
bank and branch upon which it was drawn.
As for making your own checks, this is not uncommon, but you do
need a printer that can print the MICR numbers. If you are printing them
yourself, you can print the amount in magnetic ink numbers. (Take a look
at your cancelled checks; the amount and some other information has
been encoded during processing.) If you write enough checks, you may
be able to get a slight discount on per-check charges for pre-encoding
them, although unless you're writing thousands of checks, it probably
isn't worth the trouble.
Incidentally, the MICR font has no letters; just numbers and a few
special delimiting symbols. Alphabetic fonts that resemble MICR numbers
are just decorative fonts, not machine-processing ones. The MICR numbers
are designed to be read by a very simple reader which has only one magnetic
read head. The waveform emitted as the number goes by the read head is
enough to identify the character. Modern readers are usually more sophisticate
d
than that, and many read both optically and magnetically, for redundancy.
But the symbols were designed around 1954, for an early system called ERMA
developed for the Bank of America.
John Naglekevinc@cs.AthabascaU.CA (Kevin Crocker) (03/25/90)
In article <1990Mar21.160626.14117@cs.rochester.edu> ken@cs.rochester.edu writes: >print. I assume they make a special case for those gigantic checks >used for charity publicity. In most cases, the "big" checks that are used for those promotional and charity public relations gimmicks are not actually used to transfer the money. They are simply PR gimmicks. I do know that in fact some of them are legal instruments but are then voided and a regular check is used to make the transfer. Kevin Crocker Assistant Professor, Finance Studies. -- Kevin "auric" Crocker Athabasca University UUCP: ...!{alberta,ncc,attvcr}!atha!kevinc Inet: kevinc@cs.AthabascaU.CA
nazgul@alphalpha.com (Kee Hinckley) (03/27/90)
In article <34896@news.Think.COM> barmar@nugodot.think.com.UUCP (Barry Margolin) writes: >I presume the signature was original, not copied. Otherwise, what would >prevent me from photocopying a check multiple times in order to steal money >from the payer? My understanding is that faxed checks are legal, and I regularly laser-print my signature when I'm doing a bunch of checks, so I don't think orginality matters. -- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Alphalpha Software, Inc. | Voice/Fax: 617/646-7703 | Home: 617/641-3805 | | 148 Scituate St. | Smart fax, dial number. | | | Arlington, MA 02174 | Dumb fax, dial number, | BBS: 617/641-3722 | | nazgul@alphalpha.com | wait for ring, press 3. | 300/1200/2400 baud | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
woody@chinacat.Unicom.COM (Woody Baker @ Eagle Signal) (03/29/90)
In article <1990Mar26.163531.12949@alphalpha.com>, nazgul@alphalpha.com (Kee Hinckley) writes: > In article <34896@news.Think.COM> barmar@nugodot.think.com.UUCP (Barry Margolin) writes: > >I presume the signature was original, not copied. Otherwise, what would > >prevent me from photocopying a check multiple times in order to steal money > >from the payer I don't think that the banks do much checking (sorry for the pun) anymore. I have friends who have had unsigned checks cashed by thier bank, checks signed with the wrong name, and in some cases (over the phone no less ) have signed the persons name to the check (on verbal over the phone confirmation!). The bottom line, is that it is very easy to commit fraud with checks. Laser printing a signature or even a rubber stamp makes me very uncomfortable. Cheers Woody p.s. This has gotten WAY off Postscript......