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The following Pantone Matching System (PMS) colors are non-read inks at 100% and will “drop-out” or not

“read” on Image MICR documents when scanned. These colors are acceptable to use as the background

screening on the entire form or for the clear areas.

Printing Guidelines

General Printing Guidelines

PMS

133 lines per inch screen

MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition.

The MICR line

MICR Line:

Color

.010 box outline

.020 box outline

consists of encoded numbers and symbols at the bottom of a check. The MICR characters are magnetically

122

Orange

50%

30%

charged ink or toner that are read by high speed computer sorters. The MICR line contains all pertinent

130

Gold

information for computers to process and route a transaction to an appropriate destination. Strict adherence to

ANSI standard specifications in the creation of check documents is a major factor in the success or failure of the

143

Mustard

transaction to the financial institution as well as to the customer.

197

Pink

251

Purple

There are two basic printing techniques. One is the Impact Method, and the other is the

MICR Printing:

290

Blue/Violet

Laser Method. Most check documents today are produced by the Laser Method. Numerous advantages exist

with the Laser method, such as cost, time, and design setup. The use of the Laser Method requires additional

319

Blue

awareness of variables such as type of toner, paper matching, printer setup. It is a good idea to make sure a

333

Aqua

printing company is knowledgeable in the different aspects of Laser Printing before agreeing to have them print

353

Green

your documents. Poor quality documents are inefficient and costly to you, the customer, and the financial

375

Yellow/Green

institution.

443

Grey

Standards and Technical guidelines for MICR encoded documents are determined and approved by the

Accredited Standards Committee (X9) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Some key points

Borders:

are as followed:

When printed in non MICR ink with a Print Contrast Signal (PCS) higher than 0.3, borders should not extend

Unique MICR LINE Field

more than 0.200 inches in from either the leading or trailing edges of the document or more than 0.150 inches

Auxiliary On-Us: Area to put serial number. Minimum of 5 digits and a maximum of 10 digits.

up from the document aligning edge (ANSI Standard X9.7 & X9.100-200. If printed with MAGNETIC ink,

Auxiliary On-Us symbols need to be in front of and behind any length serial number without any

the border must not pass through the 5/8” MICR clear band (ANSI Standard X9.100-160). The use of elaborate

blank space(s).

or fancy borders is discouraged due to the likely possibility of obscuring the MICR band or other data elements

of the basic check.

Check size:

Business checks should be at minimum 7 ¾” by 2 ¾” to maximum 8 ¾” by 3 2/3”.

Document Testing Guidelines

Personal checks should be at minimum 6” by 2 ¾” to maximum 8 ¾” by 3 2/3”.

The average check will be processed using high speed equipment as many as seven times as it makes its way

Paper:

through the clearing system. Poorly encoded documents or documents which do not meet specifications may

Weight:

Minimum 24 lb. and a Maximum of 44 lb.

lead to items that reject and post incorrectly.

Grain Direction:

•

Checks and deposit tickets may be obtained from a number of sources.

Paper grain should run across the document horizontally, in the same direction it will

•

You may order them directly from Bank of America, which will ensure a high quality document for

pass through a reader/sorter. Laser short grain should be used for portrait orientation and

processing.

long grain for landscape orientation.

•

You may also order them from experienced vendors who specialize in creating MICR encoded documents.

Printing with MICR Toner or Ink on both sides of a check is not recommended. This may cause

Duplexing:

•

You may choose to print these items yourself or from a vendor who does not specialize in MICR printing.

rejecting issues for the client as well as the Financial Institution. Printing on the back of a check

** All E-13B characters encoding must be done with magnetic ink.

should always be completed with non MICR ink.The ANSI x9.100-111 which specifies areas for

endorsement and image specificationss for background areas.

With the advent of compact laser printer and desktop publishing capabilities, many customers opt to produce

Secuity Features: Possible features available:

their own MICR documents. This may be a more cost-effective method provided the documents can be

processed efficiently and accurately through the banking system. If you choose to print your documents

Artificial Watermarks:White on white printing, generally on the back of the check, reveals words or

yourself, we want to help! You may contact Bank of America for assistance in obtaining proper technical

patterns when held at an angle

information on the creation of MICR documents.

Laid Lines:

Unevenly spaced background lines that make cut and paste alteration difficult.

To verify your checks and deposit tickets are within the standards required to process accurately on all

Bank of America MICR equipment, please submit the specified number of sample documents for testing.

Void Pantograph:

Background printing of the word VOID or COPY which appears when an

Samples should be included for all printing locations from which you intend to generate documents

item is photocopied.

for the specified account. If possible, samples should be selected at random from a print run. It is important to

Chemical Void:

If an ink eradicator is applied to the document, the word VOID appears.

provide a completed copy of the specification sheet you were provided with your samples. (For additional

Numbered Stock:

Sequential numbering printed in dye that penetrates to the reverse side of the

information concerning document printing and testing, you may reference Resource Document ANSI X9.100-20

check. Used to identify authenticity.

and X9.100-160. Additional resource are available from ASC X9, INC ,

Image Specifications

Bank of America has evaluation equipment that can determine the quality of your documents before printing

As a general guide, the background pattern or scene should have a reflectance of 60% (70% or greater

begins and the documents go into circulation. Document testing is a free service for our customers. If you need

preferred) (i.e., it should be as light as possible). This recommendation extends to the entire background of the

assistance with this service, please contact the designated contact on the specification sheet or your Account

document, not just the MICR clear band and the convenience amount rectangle as specified in ANSI Standard X9.7.

Representative.

As long as the pattern is lighter and the data is dark, it should be possible for check processors (both people and

machinery) to separate the data from the background.

00-35-3193NSB 10-2008

Global Account Printing Specifications Template - Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (Micr) Page 2

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