Understanding Check Stock Formats and MICR
Banks accept checks printed on authorized check stock — specially manufactured paper that includes security features such as watermarks, microprinting, and chemical sensitivity to prevent tampering. The check stock comes pre-printed with your bank's logo, account holder information (optional), and these security features. AccuArk's Check Printer handles the variable data: the payee name, amount, date, memo, check number, and optionally the MICR line. This article provides a detailed look at the six check stock presets and explains how MICR encoding works.
The Six Presets Explained
1. Business 3-Per-Page Standard
Three checks are printed on a single letter-size (8.5 x 11 inch) page. Each check occupies approximately 3.5 inches of vertical space, with narrow gaps between checks for perforation. This is the most widely used format for small business check printing.
This preset is compatible with check stock sold by QuickBooks and Deluxe, the two largest check stock suppliers in the United States. If you ordered checks through your bank and they arrived as perforated sheets of three, this is almost certainly the correct format. The element positioning matches the standard placement used by these suppliers: date in the upper right, payee on the center-left line, numeric amount in the box to the right, written amount on the line below the payee, and memo at the bottom left.
2. Business 3-Per-Page Voucher
This format also prints three checks per letter-size page, but with wider left and right margins. Voucher-style check stock includes a detachable stub area alongside each check. This stub typically lists payment details such as the invoice number, payment date, amount, and discount taken. The wider margins in this preset prevent AccuArk from printing into the voucher stub area.
Use this preset if your check stock has visible perforation lines running vertically, creating a narrow tear-off section on the left or right side of each check. The stub is a record-keeping convenience — the payer tears off the stub and files it, while the check portion is sent to the payee.
3. Business Single Check-on-Top
One check is printed at the top of the page. The remaining approximately 7.5 inches below the check is a large stub area intended for detailed remittance information. This format is used when the payment accompanies a detailed breakdown, such as an itemized list of invoices being paid, account credits, or adjustment notes.
The single-check-on-top layout provides the most space for supplementary payment information of any preset. Some businesses use this format when paying multiple invoices with a single check, listing each invoice number and amount in the stub area so the recipient can apply the payment correctly.
4. Personal Wallet
Designed for personal-size check stock, this format prints three smaller checks per page. Personal checks are narrower and shorter than business checks, matching the compact dimensions of wallet-style checkbooks. The element positioning is scaled down proportionally to fit within the smaller check boundaries.
This preset matches standard personal check stock available from banks and check printing services. If you are printing checks for a personal bank account using wallet-size check paper, select this format.
5. Manual Full-Page
The entire 8.5 x 11 inch page is treated as one large check area. All positioning fields are set to generous defaults with wide margins, and every field is fully editable. This preset is a starting point for custom layouts where you need complete control over where each element is placed.
Use this format for non-standard check paper, oversized checks, or any situation where the other five presets do not match your stock. You will need to measure your check paper and manually enter the X/Y coordinates for each element to match your specific layout.
6. Custom
When you select Custom, all dimension and positioning fields become editable with no preset values applied. This is a blank slate for defining your own check format from scratch. Enter the check width, check height, and the X/Y position of every element (date, payee, amount, written amount, memo, payer block, and MICR line).
Custom mode is intended for specialized check stock that does not conform to any standard format. You might use this if your organization has proprietary check paper with a unique layout, or if you are printing on check stock from a supplier outside the United States that uses different dimensions.
MICR Line Overview
MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. It is the line of specially formatted numbers printed at the bottom of every bank check. This line contains three critical pieces of information that bank processing equipment reads electronically:
- Routing Number — A 9-digit code that identifies the bank or financial institution where the check's account is held. The routing number is enclosed between transit symbols (the characters that look like vertical bars with colons).
- Account Number — The account number from which funds will be drawn. This appears after the routing number, enclosed between on-us symbols (the characters that look like vertical bars with a single dot).
- Check Number — The serial number of the check, which matches the number printed in the upper-right corner. This appears at the end of the MICR line.
The MICR line uses a specific font with characters shaped for reliable magnetic reading. The characters are wider and more angular than standard fonts, with precise spacing requirements. Banks use high-speed MICR readers to process thousands of checks per hour, making accurate MICR printing essential for check processing.
GnuMICR Font
AccuArk includes the GnuMICR font embedded directly in the application. GnuMICR is an open-source MICR font that produces characters conforming to the E-13B MICR standard used by banks in the United States, Canada, and many other countries. Because the font is embedded in AccuArk, it does not need to be installed on your system separately — it is available automatically when you open the Check Printer.
The GnuMICR font renders the four special MICR symbols:
- Transit (the routing number delimiter, resembling a vertical bar with colons)
- On-Us (the account number delimiter, resembling a vertical bar with a single dot)
- Amount (used by some check systems for amount encoding)
- Dash (a horizontal separator within number groups)
If the GnuMICR font is unavailable for any reason (for example, if the embedded font resource fails to load), AccuArk displays a warning message and automatically disables MICR printing for that session. The rest of the Check Printer continues to function normally — you can still print the payee, amount, date, and other elements. Only the MICR line at the bottom is affected.
When to Use MICR Printing
Whether you should enable MICR printing depends on the type of check stock you are using:
Enable MICR printing when:
- Your check stock is completely blank at the bottom (no pre-printed MICR line)
- You are using blank security paper and printing the entire check yourself
- Your bank has authorized you to print MICR lines on blank stock
When MICR is enabled, enter your bank's routing number and your account number in the corresponding fields. AccuArk formats these numbers with the correct MICR symbols and prints them at the bottom of the check using the GnuMICR font.
Leave MICR printing disabled when:
- Your check stock already has a pre-printed MICR line at the bottom
- You purchased pre-printed checks from your bank or a check supplier
- The routing number, account number, and check number are already visible at the bottom of each blank check
Most commercially purchased check stock comes with the MICR line pre-printed. In this case, you should leave MICR printing disabled to avoid double-printing over the existing line, which could make the check unreadable by bank processing equipment.
MICR Alignment Considerations
If you do enable MICR printing, precise alignment is critical. The MICR line must be positioned within a specific band at the bottom of the check (typically 0.25 inches from the bottom edge, within a 0.625-inch-tall band). Bank MICR readers scan this exact area, and characters outside the expected zone may not be read correctly.
Always perform a test print on plain paper when using MICR. Measure the position of the MICR characters against a real check to verify they fall within the correct band. Even small vertical offsets of a few millimeters can cause read failures at the bank.