Printing your own business checks is cheaper than ordering pre-printed booklets from your bank, but it requires three things most home and small-office printers don't have out of the box. This guide walks through all three so you end up with a check the Federal Reserve's sorters will accept on the first try.
1. Blank check stock
Buy blank check stock from any reputable office-supply retailer. Stock comes in three layouts:
- Check on top: the check is in the top third of the page, with two stub portions below for record-keeping. Most common for business use.
- Check in middle: the check is in the middle third of the page. Better for accounting software that needs two stubs.
- Three-per-page: three checks stacked vertically on a single sheet, each perforated. Better for high-volume payroll printing.
For all three layouts, look for security features: watermark, chemical-reactive paper, microprinting, void pantograph, and a holographic strip if available. Expect to pay $0.10–$0.25 per check in stock costs.
2. MICR-formulated toner
Standard laser-printer toner does not contain enough iron oxide to be read reliably by the Federal Reserve's reader-sorter machines. You need a MICR toner cartridge — typically a third-party cartridge designed to fit your printer, with iron oxide added to the toner powder. MICR toner cartridges cost $80–$150 (vs. $40–$80 for standard cartridges of the same printer), and they print roughly the same number of pages.
Don't try to print MICR using inkjet — inkjet inks are not magnetic. You need a laser printer for MICR work.
3. Alignment
The MICR line must be printed within a 5/8" band from the bottom edge of the check, and there must be at least 3/4" of clear space below the printed characters. Most accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, Sage) ships with alignment offsets you can adjust in 0.01" increments. Print one test check first, hold it up next to a known-good check from your bank, and adjust until the MICR line lands in the correct band.
4. Printer settings checklist
- Set print scale to 100% — never "fit to page", which will offset the MICR line.
- Disable any color profile or ink-saving mode.
- Set the paper size to match your check stock (usually US Letter, but some payroll stocks are 8.5"x14").
- Print the first check, hold it side-by-side with a real check from your bank, and verify the MICR position before printing more.
- If your printer has a "manual feed" or "bypass tray", use it — feeding check stock through the main tray with regular paper above it risks misalignment.
5. Verify with the bank
After your first batch of self-printed checks, deposit one into your own account as a test. If the bank charges a manual-handling fee or the check is returned, your MICR line isn't being read — review the alignment and toner, then test again. Most banks will accept your call to verify the format before you write a check to a vendor.
Cost comparison
Pre-printed business checks ordered through your bank typically cost $0.30–$0.60 per check. Self-printed checks cost $0.10–$0.25 per check in stock plus the prorated cost of MICR toner ($0.05–$0.15 per check, depending on toner cartridge yield). For a business writing more than 200 checks a year, self-printing pays for itself within the first cartridge.