MICR Help - Learn About MICR

MICR pronounced MY-KUR or MICKER, is an acronym for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition; A technology used in the financial sector to automate the recording of printed data (business checks, personal checks, other financial documents).

		MICR LINES contain financial, amount, transit and routing data located at the bottom of checks and are printed in the E-13B MICR Font using magnetic ink or toner.

		MICR PRINTERS are laser printers capable of printing checks. Most regular laser printers can be transformed into a MICR printer by combining it with MICR Toner. Modified MICR printers are also available and offer a number of security enhancements.

		MICR TONER CARTRIDGES contain iron-oxide-rich, or magnetic, toner powder that can be read by any number of MICR Scanners or MICR Readers. MICR Toner cartridges are available for over 90% of today’s laser printers.

		MICR FONT E-13B is the name of the MICR Typeface used in North America. It contains numbers 0 to 9 and MICR symbols Account, Amount, Transit and On-Us. All MICR Lines must be printed using this secure font.

		MICR READERS/SCANNERS are used to record all machine-readable data off documents printed using MICR toner or MICR ink. These devices are used by banks and financial institutions throughout the process of recording paper transactions.

MICR FAQ - MICR Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about MICR cartridges, MICR toner and the MICR technology. What is MICR? How To Print Checks? What Are The Advantages and Disadvantages of Printing Checks With MICR Toner Cartridges? All important questions we have answers for. See something missing? Comment on our answers or ask a question of your own.

MICR Glossary of Terms

An A-to-Z list of all the terms you may encounter throughout the check printing process. Add new words to our MICR glossary of terms by posting a message. It never hurts to use the proper terminology; help build the MICR dictionary.

MICR - Magnetic Ink Character Recognition Technology

An abbreviated understanding of MICR technology and how it affects you. For both experienced MICR users and those unable to pronounce it, this section aims to give you a firmer grasp on the ins and outs of check printing and its relationship with magnetic ink character recognition technology.

Check Printing

Learn the differences between regular check printing and MICR check printing. Already familiar with how MICR works? Setting yourself up with a check printing operation is far less intimidating (and expensive) than it sounds. Learn how and why with our 5 Easy Steps To Printing Checks guide.

Find Your Printer

The first thing you need to is see if your regular laser printer is capable of printing with a MICR toner cartridge. MICR is available for Troy, HP, Lexmark, Canon, Source Technologies and many other brand name laser devices. It’s usually just a matter of buying the right MICR toner and setting up your accounting software.

Find Your Cartridge

If you’re not sure whether your printer is capable of check printing with MICR, you can use your cartridge model to find out. Be sure to have your complete regular toner cartridge model number on hand (EG C8543X, 12A7365, EP-E, R64-2002-100, 08A0477).