MICR fonts and toner cartridges

Preprinted check forms use a Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) font at the base of the check where the routing number, checking account number, and individual check number is printed using a magnetic ink. Printing your own check forms, therefore, requires a specific MICR TrueType font, also referred to as E-13B, which you use to encode the required information on the base line of your check. You will also need a MICR toner cartridge for your laser printer.

MICR toner cartridges can cost 20% to 30% more than standard toner cartridges and are not available for all brands or models of printers. What you can save by printing your own checks usually covers more than the increase in costs for MICR toner cartridges. However, you will need to determine whether MICR toner is available for your make and model of laser printer.

When you replace the standard toner cartridge with the MICR toner cartridge, remnants of toner from the former cartridge can remain in your printer. You might have to print several test pages before the printer begins using the MICR toner. It is a good idea to leave the MICR toner cartridge in your printer as constant swapping between cartridges can reduce their life spans.