# Anyone Tried Printing Your Own Bank Checks On Home Printer? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 30, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246 "2008-12-30T18:23:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/1 "2008-12-30T18:23:51Z")
I will be needing to order checks from my bank soon, but looked into designing and printing my own checks at home, on my ink jet printer. I see there are some warnings about using magnetic ink, also you need to get special check stock paper? Geez…what is the old story about writing a check on a banana and the bank has to honor it? But back to subject…has anyone used any of those software programs to design, create and print your own checks on your home computer and print them off on your printer? Did you get the special ink and paper? Is it worth the hassle, or should I just order them elsewhere? ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/2 "2008-12-30T18:26:27Z")
Oh, and BTW, I really don’t use all that many paper checks…maybe one a month - that is why I am in no hurry to order some huge amount of checks and thought it might be easier and cheaper to print out a few as I need them. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/3 "2008-12-30T18:28:52Z")
Yes, we print our own checks. We don’t use shmancy ink, but we do have specific paper for it. We don’t use checks more than once a month, either, so this suits us well. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/4 "2008-12-30T18:34:40Z")
> [@GingerOfTheNorth](#): > > Yes, we print our own checks. We don’t use shmancy ink, but we do have specific paper for it. We don’t use checks more than once a month, either, so this suits us well. I am assuming I can buy the paper at any office supply store, but out of curiosity, do you use some software program to print the checks with that special font for the check routing number and account number? Or did you just cut and paste off an old check? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/5 "2008-12-30T20:17:10Z")
I used to work in bank operations, and print-em-at-home checks were a very large percentage of the “bad” checks that couldn’t fly through the system. If your check-writing volume is so low, why don’t you just kick out checks through your bank’s billpay system? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2008, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/6 "2008-12-30T20:24:13Z")
I did years ago with my software I used to cuts checks for bills. The banks hate them when they have magnetic readers and not optical. Most stores don’t have optical readers, so be ready to have a scene at the registers every time you need to write a check. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/7 "2008-12-31T03:11:12Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > If your check-writing volume is so low, why don’t you just kick out checks through your bank’s billpay system? I do and almost every bill is paid through bill pay through the bank. But as mentioned, about once a month I might actually need a paper check so I really don’t need a whole box of checks…but I suppose it would be easier. The last box lasted me about 10 years… ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/8 "2008-12-31T04:09:22Z")
Have you asked your bank whether you need to order a full-size box? When I set up my account at Chase, they offered me an option to buy a much smaller number of checks than I had previously been able to purchase. I was very pleased. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/9 "2008-12-31T07:19:04Z")
Cheques come in boxes? When I were a lad they came in books of 30. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/10 "2008-12-31T14:21:24Z")
Typical US practice is bound books of 25 or 30, but the books are sold in boxes of 8-10 books = 200-300 checks total. A box typically costs ~USD20 or even more if your bank is a real rip-off. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/11 "2008-12-31T14:30:29Z")
When I worked for a business that used to print a LOT of checks, we used the Magnetic ink (MICR- Magnetic Character Image Recognition, IIRC). The one time we sent out a few hundred checks that were printed using normal toner, we got hit with a SLEW of charges from various banks for inconveniencing them with checks that would not automatically scan. I think legally they have to take them, but they can and will make a fuss about it, and some cashiers may be dildo’s about the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/12 "2008-12-31T14:48:14Z")
Just order some. The potential problems caused by the likelihood that something will get fouled up or that someone will refuse to accept your home-printed check will negate any cost savings. Look in the coupon section of the paper or in one of those things you get in the mail that has coupons in it. You’ll probably find an ad from some check-printing company that’s a lot cheaper than your bank. Costco does check printing too. For $10. How much would you spend on the special paper and ink? How much is your time worth? If you really can’t stand having so many unneeded checks around, feed half of 'em through the paper shredder or something. ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/13 "2008-12-31T14:54:57Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I am assuming I can buy the paper at any office supply store, but out of curiosity, do you use some software program to print the checks with that special font for the check routing number and account number? > Or did you just cut and paste off an old check? There is a software program that we use. Unfortunately I don’t know the name of it offhand, it’s on my husband’s computer - I’ll find out and post here or get him to do so. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/14 "2008-12-31T15:14:30Z")
I’m with **Green Bean**. You might be able to get a small box somewhere, but it’s not worth the cost to go through all the hassle with special paper for home printing. Plus, what if your rent check’s due on the day your hard drive crashes? The _banks_ must take your checks, but I don’t believe that a merchant or other payee has to, so it’s going to be a hassle every time you try to pass one of those things. Moreover, although the bank must process the check, because it can’t go through the automated system, it might take a long time to process. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/15 "2008-12-31T16:46:06Z")
Yeah, like everyone said, not using magnetic ink means every check has to be manually processed, increasing the possibility of human error along the way. ---
**Author:** ![Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e56c9b/32.png) [@Mirror\_Image\_egamI\_rorriM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirror_Image_egamI_rorriM)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/16 "2008-12-31T19:06:29Z")
As a cashier, I would probably be pretty suspicious of a check that looked like it had been printed at home. And this is coming from someone with an optical reader that fails a couple times a day, so I have to type all the information in by hand anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-tried-printing-your-own-bank-checks-on-home-printer/479246/17 "2008-12-31T23:12:16Z")
I would suggest you just stop at your bank and see if they could just print you out 10 or 15 checks. I’ve had then done before without any issues.