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A MICR toner cartridge is what is used for the task of printing checks in a manner that deters fraud. How so? The toner, or ink, that the cartridge holds is specially formulated with a magnetic iron oxide. Characters that are printed with this type of ink emit a magnetic signal that is unique. These signals will then be read by a machine that reads, sorts, or both checks or other documents that have characters that have been printed with this kind of ink for security.

MICR is an acronym that stands for the words magnetic ink character recognition. The printing that is done with this kind of ink is an answer to a need for the ensuring of speed in processing, security, and accuracy. The banking industry has a special need for this kind of measure, but has been, and continues to be, used by the airlines, the events ticketing business, and the insurance industry for the purposes of printing receipts.

If the documents and checks are to be read in the correct manner precision in printing is required. Including the exact formulation of the toner in order for the right signal strength to be produced. Other standards that are a consideration are the size of the fonts, the type of font, and where the characters are placed on the page. It must be done in a precise manner in order not to have the document or check rejected by the reading machine. What standards are followed depend on the guidelines set down by the countries the transactions are occurring in.

Placement and size of the individual characters are also important to the speed in which the documents will be processed. If the numbers or other characters that are printed are the wrong size or have been printed in a way that is a little off then the document may be rejected. The reason for this is that the reader could not interpret what was printed in the correct manner. Processing then would be delayed and questions that would arise.

The sheer volume of checks that go through banks yearly is another reason that speed in processing is needed. If a method had not been found for increasing the number of checks that are processed in an hour then it would be almost an impossibility for an individual to have his/her funds available to them in a timely manner. Thus out of the banking industry’s desperate need to automate check processing in order not to drown in them a new technology is created.

Individual account security is enhanced through the printing of MICR characters at the bottom of a check. It is an aid in the stopping of fraudulent checks from being cleared. Number and/or symbols that are printed at the bottom of a check without magnetic properties cannot be read by machine and thus would be rejected.

Certain Troy MICR toners are specially formulated to prevent the chemical alteration of documents as well. If it is attempted then a stain of red, or other colored, ink is spread across the page rendering the document all but useless for what was intended

The invention of MICR toner was an answer for a need of speed, security, and accuracy in the check processing industry as well as in other document processing. The magnetic charge present in the toner is what allows it to be read by a machine specifically designed to accomplish the task. Thus the automation that was desperately needed was introduced to many industries including that of check processing.

The Basics of MICR Printing
If you have ever looked closely at a check, you may have noticed there is a line of numbers printed on the bottom of the check. This line is called a MICR line, pronounced “my-ker.” MICR is an acronym for magnetic ink character recognition. The MICR line is printed with MICR Toner and  contains information about the including the account and routing numbers.

Why Print With MICR Toner?
The MICR line on checks is printed using a special toner.  MICR toners contain a magnetic ink that can be read by reader-sorter machines. Consider the amount of people and businesses who write checks in the course of daily business. Banks must process a very high volume of checks each day. Check processing must be automated in order for banks to complete these transactions quickly. Magnetic toner has allowed banks to automate check processing. Banks use reader-sorter machines which recognize the codes printed on checks using the special magnetic ink. Banks can place checks into reader-sorter machines and the checks are processed quickly and effectively.

How Magnetic Ink Character Recognition Works
Reader-sorter machines are equipped with MICR technology enabling them to recognize and read characters printed with magnetic ink. The magnetic quality of the ink comes from the chemical compound iron oxide. You may wonder why magnetic toner is a better option than regular toner for checks. Checks are often stamped and written on by the issuer, the receiving party, and the bank. If regular toner were used, it would be impossible to automate check processing because the machine would not know which toner to read. For example, the issuer may write their phone number on a check. Imagine the chaos that it would cause if a sorting machine were to recognize a phone number as an account number. MICR toner is regulated by the American National Standards Institute, or ANSI. The X9 Committee of ANSI requires that MICR toners use a specific signal strength which ensures that the ink can be recognized by reader-sorter machines.

Printing the Characters
In addition to the ANSI regulation regarding the signal strength of MICR toner, there are also regulations concerning the fonts used when printing MICR lines on checks. Depending upon the geographic location, MICR lines must be printed using a specific font. In Israel, South America, and the Mediterranean countries, the font used is CMC-7. All other countries, including the United States, use a font called E-13B. The fonts used in MICR printing are unique because they utilize only 14 characters. The characters used in MICR printing include the numbers 0 through 9 and symbols for Transit, Amount, On-Us and Dash. Each character must be printed in a specific location on the check and must be exactly 1/8th of an inch wide. Any variation in the size or placement of the characters will result in the reader-sorter machine rejecting the check or reading it incorrectly.

MICR Toners for Precision and Secure Printing
MICR toner was initially created to assist in the automation of check processing, however; it has the added benefit of enhanced security. For this reason, the use of MICR toner has been adopted in other industries outside of banking, Magnetic ink can be found on many documents including airline tickets, coupons, and receipts for insurance premiums.

HP Q7553X MICR Toner

HP Q7553X MICR Toner – HP Now carries the HP Q7553X MICR Toner in a High Yield 7000 page cartridge. That’s 133% more toner than the regular HP Q7553A MICR Toner. Our sale price on this item is $99.97 includes FREE GROUND SHIPPING. This MICR Toner cartridge will allow you to print checks that are bank scanner ready for any of the following HP Printers:

• HP Laserjet M2727nf
• HP Laserjet P2010
• HP Laserjet P2014
• HP Laserjet P2015
• HP Laserjet P2015d
• HP Laserjet P2015dn
• HP Laserjet P2015n
• HP Laserjet P2015x

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Check printing is the ability to produce a bank readable check onto a blank piece of check stock using a combination of check printing software, blank check stock and a printer equipped with MICR toner and fonts. MICR technology is used to print the numbers and special characters on the bottom of the checks or in any other financial transaction documents with a magnetically chargeable ink or toner. The numbers which are included on the check with the help of MICR technology are the account number from which the money to be drawn, identification number and the routing and transit of the check for the bank with that account number.

Troy develops, manufactures and distributes the highest quality MICR toner in the industry. The toner cartridge performance, printer compatibility and the bank acceptance rates of the Troy MICR toner are the best in the world and Troy has the lowest cartridge return rate in the industry.

Troy MICR toner is made for peak performance and the meticulous quality control and continuous testing processes assure unparalleled toner adhesion and image quality. Troy MICR toner allows the users to protect the words and graphics printed on the checks. Troy MICR Toner Secure is the new generation MICR toner with anti-fraud check printing.

Small businesses and even individuals with a lot of checking activity could benefit from printing their own checks. Printing your own checks increases your security, provides flexibility to change accounts without worrying about pre-printed checks and provides convenience for business needs. In order to successfully print checks and have them accepted by banks you need to use MICR toner. MICR or Magnetic Ink Character Recognition toner uses magnetic ink and special fonts to create information on the check line that machines can read. MICR is used to print accounting and routing information at the bottom of bank checks and other negotiable instruments. Click Here to read our article about MICR toner and it’s uses.