02
Sat, Nov
2 New Articles

10 Facts You Need to Know About Laser Check Printing on Your IBM i

Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

Let's look at the truth and bust the myths.

 

Editor's note: This article introduces the white paper "10 Facts You Need to Know About Laser Check Printing on Your IBM i" available free from the MC White Paper Center.

 

The first thing you need to know is that laser check printing is secure and easier to maintain than traditional pre-printed check printing.

 

The second thing to know is that, with a few quick steps, setup is simple. You do not need to purchase special equipment, and it is very easy to update bank account numbers, signatures, and logos.

 

The third thing you should know is that laser check printing can save thousands, potentially hundreds of thousands, of dollars in supplies and labor, depending on the size of your company.

 

In this guide you will find:

• A supply list

• What to look for in laser check software

• How to get bank approval of your checks

• Fact vs. fiction about laser check printing

Shopping List

Software

Shop for laser check software that includes:

• A check register that logs every check printed, including the ID of the person who printed the check, the check number, the amount, and the payee

• Customized approval thresholds to set and monitor user access

• Capability to position the MICR line to the thousandths of an inch to meet bank requirements for MICR placement

• Ability to print from multiple bank accounts

• Excellent customer support for quick setup and response to any questions

 

MICR Toner

MICR toner uses magnetically chargeable toner that allows routing numbers and account numbers to be read by bank scanners. It's readily available in multiple places.

Insider Tips:

• Always keep a spare

• We recommend that re-manufactured cartridges be avoided because of unreliable performance

No need to purchase an expensive MICR-enhanced printer. Most regular laser printers handle MICR ink cartridges.

 

Safety Check Stock

Safety check stock is significantly less expensive than preprinted checks. A variety of security features are available to help combat fraud by preventing checks from being photocopied or altered in any way. Ask your check provider what they recommend for the specific needs of your company.

6 Steps to Getting Bank Approval and Preventing Fraud

1. Ask your bank for its check printing requirements prior to implementation.

2. Use quality MICR toner (do not use refurbished MICR toner cartridges). Low quality toner and check stock will result in toner flaking and may lead to complaints from your bank.

3. Submit laser check samples to your bank for approval well in advance of your "go live" date to allow for changes and resubmissions for approval. Continue to communicate with your bank about any future changes in check design.

4. Use safety check stock and store it in a climate-controlled environment, according to storage guidelines that you can get from your check provider.

5. Use a MICR gauge to verify MICR line placement, and check MICR placement quarterly.

6. Rotate staff and vary duties of employees involved in laser check printing. Conduct surprise audits, and train employees to recognize check fraud.

Laser Check Printing: Fiction vs. Facts

Are you considering moving to laser checks but having doubts about the process? It could be that the doubts keeping you on the fence about moving forward are based on fiction, not facts. Here is the real dealfiction vs. factsabout replacing preprinted checks with laser check printing.

 

Fiction #1: You'll have to get out your wallet to pay for a special printer.

 

There is a persistent myth that in order to use laser check printing software, you have to purchase a proprietary and expensive "MICR-enhanced" printer. The myth promotes the falsehood that regular laser printers cannot print checks that pass the bank certification process.

 

The Facts

We have many clients using a readily available and inexpensive laser printer to print their checks without any issues with any bank. As long as you purchase good software that contains a good MICR font and you use good MICR toner (not refurbished cartridges), you should have no problems getting your checks passed through your bank certification process.

 

Fiction #2: You'll have to chase down "special" and hard-to-find MICR toner and safety check stock.

 

The Facts

We have been selling laser check software for over 10 years, and all of our customers use readily available MICR toner and blank safety check stock to print their checks without having any issues with any bank.

Want to Know More?

Download the free white paper "10 Facts You Need to Know About Laser Check Printing on Your IBM i" from the MC White Paper Center.

DRV Technologies, Inc.

DRV Technologies, Inc. is an IBM Business Partner providing software solutions for the IBM i, iSeries, and AS/400. DRV Technologies’ solutions are installed around the globe in a variety of vertical markets such as banking, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, distribution and other financial service industries. DRV Technologies is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia, with direct sales throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.drvtech.com , call 678 417-1521 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

To find out more about DRV Technologies, Inc. and its products see their listings in the MC Showcase Buyer's Guide

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: