MICR check printing

[jamief]

Re: MICR check printing

See now thats the rub.....

If you use a forms tool then the font has to be loaded on the server
where the software resides... because you dont have a tool
your gonna have to load the font on the iseries...

instructions to do that are in the first post....
when you create a printfile (AFPDS) you have a keyword
FONT(xxxx) where the xxxx = the font identified with a four or more digit code.
I'm not sure what the 4 digit representation of the MICR font but I also
believe thats in the zip file.

seems to me it would be so much cheaper to get
forms package from lets say markmagic (cybra) I want to say
its only a couple thousand dollars ... there gonna eat that up
on your time alone (maybe already) but the forms tool return on
Investment never ends ...barcodes replacing the preprinted forms ......

jamie

[AlphaMan]

Re: MICR check printing

Jamie,

I've actually already loaded the fonts onto the iSeries using the instructions and I have the MICR numeric characters printing in my printfile using the FNTCHRSET keyword. What I don't know is how to get the special characters other than the digits 1-9 to print in my print file. Is that done by just using one of the FNTCHRSETs that I loaded? Or is this what you mean when you are referring to using the software package to get those special characters to print?

[jamief]

Re: MICR check printing

im not sure how to do it... I have always used a forms tool.
the forms overlay takes place on the server and printed to a
network printed.

You could get a demo 30 day copy of forms tool get them to help
you code the check.

then show to the bossmen and convince them to purchase

did find this out there - bit more detail

also check here

http://www-912.ibm.com/s_dir/slkbase.NSF/0/9796c0afc3ed166b862569e7007d24b0?OpenDocument

[AlphaMan]

Re: MICR check printing

Jamie,

Wanted to let you know that I got the special MICR characters to print. I had looked at the IBM document you attached to the last post before now, but did not notice that there was a link in there to tables that show the special MICR characters. Turns out each MICR special character corresponds to a hex code, so all I needed to do was throw a constant in my RPG program that was defined as the hex code, and then print out that variable, and viola, the special characters printed.

Thanks for all the input on this.

[jamief]

Re: MICR check printing

Just one more thing...remember the ink...It has to be magnetic or the bank WILL reject it.

glad you got it sorry I wasnt more help

have a great weekend
jamie

[AlphaMan]

Re: MICR check printing

Actually you were a big help. Thanks again.

[AlphaMan]

Re: MICR check printing

Hello,

Another question relating to check design.........On all checks there is a number that is formatted like this: two numbers, a dash, then 3 numbers. This whole thing is underlined and another three-digit number is below it. What part of the standard part of a check is this? I can't seem to find anything online that shows the basics of check design and denotes what these numbers are for. Thanks in advance for the input.

[arrow483]

Re: MICR check printing

Those are bank routing codes. Usually all accounts at a bank use the same codes.

[AlphaMan]

Re: MICR check printing

Thanks Arrow483........So are all routing codes formatted like that no matter what the bank? Only the numbers would change dependent on the bank? So there are routing codes in two places on a check then, at the bottom (the MICR type) and these other ones more toward the top of the check, right?

[arrow483]

Re: MICR check printing

I not sure of the exact uses of the "fractional" codes. (I have always used preprinted checks). But yes, they do correlate with the routing codes across the bottom.

[AlphaMan]

Re: MICR check printing

Great. Thanks for the help.

[CessnaDriver]

Re: MICR check printing

I missed this thread earlier, sorry.

We actually use LinkUp from Standard Register. It runs on a PC server and has a Standard Register MICR laser printer attached.

The AS/400 sends the spool file to the server using a remote outq. The PC uses LPD to get the spool file and save it as a .txt file on the hard drive. The .txt then triggers LinkUp to intercept the .txt file and create the checks.

It's not exactly a do-it-yourself solution, but LinkUp has security built in so that just nobody can print checks, and it has reprint capability.

I think the software was about $4000, and the professional services to set it up were $5000 or so.

[AlphaMan]

Re: MICR check printing

Hi Jamie,

Well, several months down the road now, I've long since completed one MICR check project and am now in the midst of another. I'm running up against an issue you might be able to help me with. We've sent three sample runs of checks to the bank for this latest check project and had all three rejected. They are saying that we are getting "multiple visual checks" on our samples, and what it seems to boil down to is that for some reason the MICR characters themselves are too narrow.

This narrowness is not really enough to notice with the naked eye, but enough to cause rejected test checks. I've purchased the same MICR gauge that the bank uses and the characters look to be the right size when I check them against the gauge. When you've done these types of things in the past, have you used particular printer brands and models? I'm to the point of thinking that it has to be something hardware-related. We purchased an HP 4240n for the last check project I did and that works fine for the initial bank but not for this one.

Was just curious if you might suggest particular brands/models, or even possibly some sort of specialized check-only printer. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

Bill

[jamief]

Re: MICR check printing

We just use an old HP laserjet 5 ... its all in the ink. There is special MICR (magnetic ink)
also you may need to change the font to a "bolder" MICR font... When you purchased the
font you should have gotten a couple of version.

jamie

[AlphaMan]

Re: MICR check printing

Jamie,

Thanks for replying. The fonts I am using are the ones that are in the "MICR" link here on the CODE400 website. I'm using the 300 dpi version. So I didn't really purchase any fonts. Could it be as simple as using the "HIGHLIGHT" keyword in the DDS for the printer file to make it "fat" enough? Haven't tried that yet.


Bill