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MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, and it is the technology behind the strange numbers printed on the bottom of checks. MICR printing provides business with an additional layer of security when printing checks or other sensitive data. During the printing process, a special MICR toner is applied that contains an iron oxide base. This allows the bank line information of a check to be read by electronic banking equipment. While this specific toner is similar to standard laser printer toner, is requires certain specific additives in order to meet ANSI specifications for readability standards.When these checks pass through the banking system they can be scanned up to dozens of times. MICR toner’s magnetic properties allow it to withstand these multiple readings. The Federal Reserve requires that all bank checks must be printed with MICR toner to facilitate easy processing.

Any checks passing through the system that are printed with regular toner must be identified and sorted by hand. This usually results in additional fees for the company that printed the check so it is critical that the right type of toner is used. Setting up your company with a quality HP MICR system can eliminate the possibility of these unnecessary charges.