MICR printers use special fonts and magnetic ink or toner to product magnetic characters that are read by electronic data processing systems, such as those used by banks for processing checks. MICR printers can also be used to print load coupons, depository transfers and other MICR-encoded negotiable documents.
Q. Can any printer be a MICR printer?
The MICR line on checks must be printed using magnetic toner. This special toner is only available for laser printers (and some special dot matrix printers.) Inkjet printers can not print MICR!
Table of Contents
- Q. Can any printer be a MICR printer?
- Q. Do you need MICR ink to print checks?
- Q. How does a MICR printer work?
- Q. What printers can use MICR toner?
- Q. How do you know if your toner is MICR?
- Q. Does HP make MICR toner?
- Q. What is the difference between MICR and non MICR Cheque?
- Q. Is all toner magnetic?
- Q. Is toner different for different printers?
- Q. Can you make your own MICR ink?
- Q. What is MICR ink made of?
Q. Do you need MICR ink to print checks?
The short answer is, Yes! If you’re printing checks on blank check stock, you certainly need a MICR printer and the security features that are exclusive to high-quality, OEM MICR toner. Checks won’t meet banking standards and could be rejected by a bank.
Q. How does a MICR printer work?
As the check enters the scan path, the magnetic ink passes over a magnet in the scanner to “charge” the ink before it passes over the MICR read head. The MICR read head is a device built into the scanner designed to read the magnetic signal emitted by the MICR ink characters on the check.
Q. What printers can use MICR toner?
- HP M15w LaserJet Pro Printer and 1 CF248A MTI MICR Cartridge.
- Canon imageCLASS LBP6030W Printer and 1 MTI MICR Cartridge.
- HP M102w LaserJet Pro Printer and 1 OEM CF217A MICR Cartridge.
- HP M12W LaserJet Pro Printer and 1 OEM MICR Cartridge.
- HP M404n LaserJet Pro Printer and 1 CF258A MTI MICR Cartridge.
Q. How do you know if your toner is MICR?
Look at the MICR clear band (the bottom 5/8 inch) of the check. Make certain it doesn’t contain anything printed in MICR toner other than the E-13B MICR characters. Sometimes a portion of a laser printed signature or a graphics line or text from a lower stub will be inadvertently printed within the clear band.
Q. Does HP make MICR toner?
HP does not make toner cartridges with MICR toner, but an HP cartridge can be refilled with MICR toner. Skip the hits that don’t specifically include “MICR” in the product name.
Q. What is the difference between MICR and non MICR Cheque?
MICR is a character-recognition technology used mainly by the banking industry to ease the processing and clearance of cheques and other documents. The banks are likely to take four days or more from the date of deposit to credit the amount.
Q. Is all toner magnetic?
In fact, all laser printer toner is slightly magnetic – that’s how the laser directs it to the right spot on the page. It is even possible to buy MICR toner cartridges specifically for check printing. However, those are expensive and rarely used, so most laser-printed checks are still of the ordinary variety.
Q. Is toner different for different printers?
In a nutshell, ink cartridges contain liquid and are used by inkjet printers and toner cartridges contain powder and are used by laser printers. Monochrome laser printers print with just a black toner cartridge. Color laser printers use four separate black, cyan, magenta and yellow toner cartridges to produce a print.
Q. Can you make your own MICR ink?
This is just about the simplest ferrofluid you can make. You’ll need two basic materials: magnetic (MICR) ink, and a household oil. I’ve tried a couple types of oils, and it seemd like a light lubricating oil works best, but any cooking oil will work fine, as well.
Q. What is MICR ink made of?
MICR reader MICR characters are printed on documents in one of the two MICR fonts, using magnetizable (commonly known as magnetic) ink or toner, usually containing iron oxide.
