chris@echmc.claremont.edu (11/06/90)
I'm looking for a program (public domain or otherwise) that will create
checks from a blank piece of paper. I presume that it could be done as long as
you can match the font on the bottom of checks and had a reasonably
high-resolution printer. I already have Quicken, which will print the
information onto a pre-printed form, but I want to carry the automation a
little further.
-- Chris Yoder Internet --- Chris@HMCVAX.Claremont.Edu
Harvey Mudd College Bitnet ----- Chris@HMCVAX.Bitnetchris@echmc.claremont.edu (11/07/90)
The response that I've gotten from people is that the numbers on the
bottom of checks are printed with a special magnetic ink. Guess that answers
that question... Thanks to all who have responded.
-- Chris Yoder Internet --- Chris@HMCVAX.Claremont.Edu
Harvey Mudd College Bitnet ----- Chris@HMCVAX.Bitnetdplatt@coherent.com (Dave Platt) (11/08/90)
In article <1990Nov5.202406.1@echmc.claremont.edu> chris@echmc.claremont.edu writes: > I'm looking for a program (public domain or otherwise) that will create > checks from a blank piece of paper. I presume that it could be done as > long as you can match the font on the bottom of checks and had a > reasonably high-resolution printer. I already have Quicken, which will > print the information onto a pre-printed form, but I want to carry the > automation a little further. This is unwise to attempt, or so I've heard. The MICR (machine-readable) characters on the bottom of your check _must_ be printed in a very specific font, with very critical character shapes and inter-character spacing, _and_ with a magnetically active ink that can be read by automated check-handling machinery. Ordinary laser-printer toner doesn't work correctly... the check-handling machines do not use optical character recognition. If you print up checks in your laserprinter (or inkjet printer, or ...), they will not be processed correctly by the automated check-routing- and-clearing equipment at your bank, or at the bank of the person you give them to, or in the Federal Reserve check-clearing centers throughout the country. Very probably, every one of your checks will be kicked out by the machine as being unreadable, and the checks will have to be cleared manually. Banks _hate_ to do this. They may very well charge you (or the payee) a fee to clear each check, or may threaten to close down your account because you're using large numbers of nonstandard checks. Technically, _your_ bank is required to honor any check that you write to draw upon your checking account... you can legally write a check on a plain piece of paper (even on a napkin) without even using a typewriter. However, _other_ banks (e.g. the payee's bank) are not required to honor such non-standard checks. If you write a check to a utility company, for example, the utility's bank can return the check to the utility and say "Go take this to Foobar bank yourself... we cannot process it ourselves", and the utility will have to hand-carry it to _your_ bank and cash it. I strongly recommend that you purchase pre-printed machine-readable checks suitable for use with Quicken. I've heard that any of the two or three big check-printing houses (e.g. Deluxe) can do this for you, and will charge you a good deal less than the makers of Quicken charge for their preprinted checks. I'd suggest that you go down to your bank, take a blank Quicken check with you, and speak to one of the customer-service people there. If your bank handles any number of business accounts, they'll certainly know how to order pre-printed checks in the appropriate format for laserprinting... they can probably match the field spacings of the Quicken checks with one of their standard templates. Both you and the bank will be much happier in the end if you order "real" checks to print upon, rather than trying to do it yourself.