🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1990Mar19.000741.13602@cs.utk.edu> battle@cs.utk.edu (David Battle) writes:

> I am looking for a font, I believe it is intended primarily for the
> eyes of optical character readers.  It is the font that is used to
> print account number information on the bottom of personal checks.
> The reason I want it is that I am toying with the idea of printing my
> own checks.  I've pretty much got everything else nailed down.  I was
> thinking of scanning a check at high resolution and building bitmaps
> for each character.

> Any ideas or suggestions?

If all you are interested in is getting a line cast with you current
account number, you might try looking for a typesetting shop that has
this font available.  But if you are thinking of running off checks on
a laser printer, please be advised that the account number is printed
with magnetic ink.  It is not an "OCR" font, but rather an "MICR"
font.

> Comments about any legalities concerning printing one's own checks that
> I might not be aware of are also welcome.

You can print your own checks as long as they conform to certain
specifications.  According to my understanding, a document that
conforms to a specific legal definition qualifies as a check.  This
document MUST include 5 pieces of information: the name of the bank
upon which it is drawn, the name of the payee, the date, the signature
of the account holder, and the amount of the check.  Notice that the
account number is not among the requirements.  Theoretically, you can
write a check on a napkin, and the bank is legally obligated to honor
it.

I do not know if this applies in all states, or even if it is an
antiquated standard that has been superceded in recent years.  But I
do know that, on a practical level, banks will give you a hard time if
you try to present a check that is not pre-printed.  (Once I had to
deposit a check that was a photocopy, and the bank whined about it,
but they ultimately honored it -- and it was good.)

I have typeset a number of checks with no problems.  But there are
specifications about where the account number should be placed (in
relation to margins), and what is an acceptible size, and routing
codes and such.  Banks will give you a specification sheet if you ask
for one.  But remember, they require the account number (in an "MICR"
font) to be printed in magnetic ink.
-- 
              Theodore A. Kaldis                      |  "Perhaps we may
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