What Are Laser Checks and How Do You Print Them?

Laser checks are a solution for printing checks, offering businesses and individuals a flexible and secure way to manage disbursements. This method allows for on-demand creation of checks, moving away from pre-printed forms that can pose security risks. Leveraging available technology, laser checks streamline payment processes and enhance financial control.

Understanding Laser Checks

A laser check refers to blank check stock specifically designed for compatibility with laser printers, enabling users to print checks as needed rather than relying on pre-printed checks. This approach offers efficiency and convenience. Unlike older, pre-printed checks or those used with dot-matrix printers, laser checks integrate with modern accounting software to populate all necessary fields digitally.

The shift to laser checks represents an evolution from traditional, manual check writing or the use of impact printers, which often required continuous form paper. Laser printing provides crisp, high-quality output and is more resistant to smudging compared to inkjet printing. This method is widely adopted for both business and personal financial transactions.

Key Features of Laser Checks

Laser checks incorporate physical attributes and security elements to prevent fraud. The paper stock used for laser checks is typically a specialized safety paper, designed to withstand the heat of laser printers while ensuring toner adhesion. This paper often includes features like invisible fluorescent fibers visible under UV light and visible colored fibers scattered throughout, making replication difficult.

Standard formats for laser checks include “check on top,” “check in middle,” “check on bottom” (often called voucher style), and “three checks per page.” Voucher checks, for instance, are commonly used in business accounting software to automatically capture payroll deductions and invoice payment details. Beyond physical design, a range of security features are integrated into laser checks. These include watermarks, which are images embedded in the paper visible when held to light, and void pantographs, patterns that reveal “VOID” or “COPY” if photocopied.

Additionally, laser checks feature chemical alteration protection, where the paper reacts with solvents or chemicals used by fraudsters, showing signs of tampering like discoloration or stains. Microprinting, another security measure, involves tiny text or patterns printed in areas like the signature line or borders that are too small to read but blur when copied. Security threads, similar to those found in currency, are thin strips woven into the paper that are visible when held up to light.

Printing Laser Checks

Printing laser checks requires equipment and materials to ensure readability by banking systems and security against fraud. A laser printer is essential, as it uses toner rather than ink and can apply the specialized magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) toner required for check processing. Inkjet printers cannot print MICR-encoded checks correctly due to their use of liquid ink.

The MICR line—the series of numbers at the bottom of a check that includes the routing number, account number, and check number—is MICR toner. This specialized toner contains magnetic iron oxide particles, which allow high-speed readers/sorters in the banking system to accurately read the information. The Federal Reserve and financial institutions require MICR toner; checks printed without it may be rejected and incur bank fees.

Check printing software, often integrated with accounting systems, is necessary to populate the check fields and the MICR line. This software allows users to enter payment details such as payee, amount, and date, which are then formatted onto the blank check stock. The process typically involves loading the blank laser check stock into the printer, entering the payment data into the software, and selecting print. Some software also offers features like check design customization, database integration for recipient information, and security measures like encryption to protect financial data.