With most any bank, one of their larger hidden fees comes into play when you need to order more checks, despite their “free” checking. After all, these banks have to make money in some fashion. However, you can save the cost of checks by printing your own.
There are a few precautions that you should take before you start spitting out your own checks. It’s not as simple as just having them come out on a piece of paper. There are quite a few really good and inexpensive programs to help with check printing, so purchasing one of those isn’t a bad idea. Beyond that, here are some things to know.
Required Check Printing Equipment
In addition to the aforementioned software that you should pick up, there are some equipment standards that you will need to meet in order to successfully print your own checks. The convenient thing is that you can use your own home printer. You should go out and pick up magnetic ink, though. Getting your hands on this ink can sometimes be challenging, so a little searching might be required.
In addition to that ink, you will need special paper, so that your checks can’t be easily changed. You can purchase check stock paper from a number of online and offline retail outlets. This blank check stock can be purchased by the hundreds of sheets, so they will last for years if you don’t write a lot of checks. This paper will resemble the checks that you might receive at your bank. The most important thing about these checks is that they come with full security features, so that people will have a difficult time trying to change around the information held there.
The most important aspect of these checks is that they incorporate full security features, making it difficult to be subject of manipulation and theft. You can also purchase checks for Quicken or other programs, if you are using a money management program. For certain expenses that are a part of your bookkeeping program, you can automatically print checks with this kind of check stock, since it is primarily created for such programs.
Importance of Magnetic Ink In Check Printing
Magnetic ink is extremely important for a few reasons. When you write a check, it will eventually be run through a reader. Non-optical readers cannot read a check unless it is printed in magnetic ink. If you choose to go forward with check printing without using magnetic ink, you run the risk of having delays and fees charged because of the manual check processing that will take place as a result of not having the special ink.
What are MICR Fonts?
Have you ever wondered why the bank account information and routing information on your check look so funny? It’s because they are done in what is known as an MICR font. In order for most banks to honor a check, these numbers must be done in either MICR or another font, known as E-13B. Usually, a laser quality printer is required in order to print these fonts, so you will want to check and make sure that your printer is capable. These fonts will be much easier to print on laser stock paper, as well.
In addition, it will be less complicated to print these fonts on laser stock paper. If you tend to write a large number of checks, then you can save money by check printing from home. The benefits of check printing outweigh the initial cost of extra equipment. All these security measures must be taken seriously. Without doing so, you could fall victim of theft since the checks could be so easily manipulated.
