I looked through some MS Word templates, both on my computer and from MS on their website, but I can’t find any templates I can use to print information on a personal check.
Does anyone know where I can get an MS Word template for this, or of any software that will allow me to print information (pay to, amount, date, memo, etc) on a preprinted check?
Thanks
I don’t know of any pre-made templates but you can make one yourself. You might already know that but I mention it just in case. If you need more info, post back.
I’ve no idea how to make a template, nor the dimensions for check printing.
So, any help you could offer would be GREATLY appreciated 
I think the easiest way would be to scan the check in and then insert textboxes in the appropriate places.
Keep in mind that different checks may have some of the fields in different places (I think). The routing and account numbers will always be in the same place, but you don’t want to print those. You just want to fill in the blanks in a pre-printed, blank check, right?
You can make this yourself. Get yourself a metric* scale, and measure all of the key points. Put your illustrating program in metric units, and do it by trial-and-error. Save your checks by printing on regular paper (you can hold a check up behind it and hold them up to a light to check alignment). If you don’t have a good illustration program** PowerPoint will work in a pinch. You can’t make it metric, though, unless you change the whole O.S. If, though, you type “mm” into the text boxes, they’ll be converted to English units automatically.
Metric is good because mm have more precision** than inches.
**An illustration program isn’t Photoshop; it’s a vector- or shape-based drawing program.
***Precision in the lay sense.
If you don’t include the routing, account, and check numbers, how will the payee cash/deposit the check?
I think Balthisar is suggesting that the OP use check stock in his printer. The bottom line of the check (AKA the MICR line), which includes the routing number, account number, check number and amount, is printed with magnetic ink. This ink can be read by the banks’ check processing equipment, whereas inkjet ink or laser toner cannot. Check stock has the MICR line pre-printed. You can find check stock with all the standard lines pre-printed so that your printer just fills in the blanks for date, payee, amount (number and written) and memo. You can also find check stock where only the MICR line is pre-printed so that your printer “creates” the check.
Please note that not all check stock is created equal! The MICR printing line must be level and the MICR ink must be good quality or your checks will “reject” during processing at the bank. They must then be processed by hand which slows down the processing (possibly delaying the check) and increases the opportunity for error. Some banks impose a fee for each rejected check. Other banks may politely request that you change your checks or take your business elsewhere.
He doesn’t want to print an entire check; he just wants to fill in the fields. In other words, he wants to be able to see a template on the screen, fill in the amounts, and then feed a real check into the printer.
You don’t have to bother doing precise measurements. If you’re a little bit off, it’s not going to matter - so what if the payee’s name is .05mm higher off the line than you intended. All you have to do is:
Measure the type of check you are using (a standard check is about 5.8" x 2.9")
Make text boxes where the already-printed text goes. You need to use text boxes because if you type lines, when you then type in the amount you’re going to mess everything up. Set the text to “hidden,” so that you can see it on the screen but it won’t print out.
Make a few test runs to make sure the amounts and payee name are in the approximately correct area.
Configure your printer to accept manual feed.
This is where you might have a problem. I made a check template last night just to see if it would work but I can’t get the printing to work right - the paper is so small that the printer isn’t recognizing it in the manual feed tray. Not sure it’s a problem specific to my printer. Other people might not have this problem.
Scanning it would probably be the easiest and fastest, assuming you have a scanner and a form-typer program. You’d have to make the scanned text not print out somehow.
You can buy MICR toner cartridges but they are a lot more expensive than regular cartridges. We use them at work - used to use regular toner (which hundreds of banks accepted for years) but Bank of America won’t process non-MICR checks so we had to start buying them.
Don’t know how this program is, but I did find a pre-made template system:
http://www.snapfiles.com/freeware/system/fwprintertools.html
Thanks for the replies, guys! missbunny, that’s the program I found last night, and it’s working well!
=)
You’re welcome. I think that program looks pretty good too but my checks keep getting stuck in the printer.
well, color me stupid, then…
Carry on…
[slinking away]
You can try taping them to the top left corner of an 8.5x11 sheet, using a low tack tape that can be easily removed. I know you can also get checks printed on 8.5x11 paper in blocks of 3, and can get special feed sheets so that you can print one or two instead of always having to print them 3 at a time.
Hey Bookkeeper - I know about the 3-to-a-page checks but I’ve got four boxes of the regular kind and don’t want to order new ones. I might try the tape but if it comes off in the printer, I’m in big trouble.
I shall have to keep hand-writing them, I suppose.