Kevin,

You can get blank checks for less than a quarter cent a piece. (http://www.formsandchecks.com/BlankStockCases.htm) Wouldn't surprise me if preprinted checks run around 10 cents each (1 per full page).

If the banks can't read a check (for example, if it is torn) they print their own MICR strip and attach it to the bottom of the check. I don't imagine the banks would be too thrilled to have to do that on every check issued by your system. :)

Don't really know which would be more cost effective, without running through a toner cartridge or two of the high-dollar stuff while printing the entire checks with it.

>Sorry if these questions seem novice, but I'm new to MICR...
>
>These questions deal with someone printing checks using blank check stock...I'm looking into the possibility of printing checks with the routing/acct/check number symbols using the MICR font and MICR toner...
>
>1) Suppose the check has two parts...the upper third is the check itself, bottom two-thirds are transactions and other information. It seems like a 'waste' of the MICR toner for just the line with the routing #, acct #, etc. Any comments or alternatives?
>
>Someone suggested to run the blank stock through a program that merely prints the MICR symbols (using the MICR cartridge) at the bottom...and then supply the check #s to the 'normal' check printing program that prints everything else using the normal cartridge. At first, this sounded a bit kludgy, but the more I think about it, maybe it's not so bad (assuming the process is managed correctly).
>
>2) Follow up to #1...is there any 'smarts' to the usage of magnetic toner that if you use a non-MICR font, it uses the toner more 'economically' than when it uses an MICR font? (I realize that might be a dumb question, but didn't know if use of an MICR font draws from a part of the toner in the same way color and blank ink are drawn from inkjet cartridges).
>
>3) If I use normal toner to print the MICR symbols using an MICR font...can the bank still read it? I realize they can't use the normal magnetic process, but was curious if they'd charge more to read it manually, or if they'd just flat-out reject the check.
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>4) Does anyone have any idea how much cheaper blank check stock is, compared to pre-printed checks? (I know that MICR toner is roughly 2 to 2.5 times more expensive than normal toner...just trying to get a handle on costs for both methods over the course of a year, given roughly 10,000 checks per month).
>
>Thanks in advance for any input/insights...
>Kevin