background image

Paper facts

3-4

Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide

Grain direction

Paper properties are related to the grain direction. The grain of a 
paper is the direction in which most of its fibers lie, as shown in 
the following figure. Long grain papers are cut so that the fibers 
are aligned with the long dimension of the cut sheet. Short grain 
papers have the fibers aligned with the short dimension of the 
sheet.

You can use 24 pound paper in either grain direction. If your 
paper is lighter than 24 pound, use it only for documents in which 
the grain is in the long dimension of the finished document. For 
long grain MICR-processed documents, the minimum paper 
weight is 20 pounds.

NOTE:  24 pound, long grain paper is recommended for MICR 
printing.

Figure 3-1. Long and short grain

The following figure shows the relationship between long and 
short grain documents and the MICR processing direction. The 
shaded areas represent typical documents that would be cut 
from these sheets for MICR processing.

Pulp fibers

Paper making

       

Paper web - made during

process direction

Long grain sheet cut from
paper web

paper making process

Short grain sheet cut from
paper web

Summary of Contents for 6100BD - Phaser Color Laser Printer

Page 1: ...January 2003 701P22140 Xerox Document Services Platform Generic MICR fundamentals guide...

Page 2: ...dicial law or hereinafter granted including without limitation material generated from the software programs displayed on the screen such as icons screen displays or looks Printed in the United States...

Page 3: ...applications 2 1 Manufacturing checks 2 1 Issuing checks 2 2 Issuing turnaround documents 2 2 Printing financial forms 2 3 Xerox MICR printing systems 2 3 MICR printing technologies 2 4 Printer techni...

Page 4: ...ound printing 4 2 Fixed information 4 2 Date line 4 2 Amount lines 4 3 Payee line 4 3 Signature lines 4 4 Name of financial institution 4 4 Memo line 4 4 Account title 4 4 Check serial number 4 5 Frac...

Page 5: ...pment errors 5 2 Reader sorter function 5 3 Waveform generation 5 4 Types of reader sorters 5 5 Waveform reader sorters 5 5 Matrix or AC reader sorters 5 5 Optical reader sorters 5 6 Dual read magneti...

Page 6: ...equipment usage 6 25 Recommendation 6 26 7 Problem solving 7 1 When problem solving is required 7 1 New accounts 7 1 Existing applications 7 1 Possible misinterpretations 7 2 Problem solving process 7...

Page 7: ...l processes 8 5 Accounting information 8 5 Paper jams 8 5 Samples 8 6 Tampering methods 8 7 Chemical tampering 8 7 Mechanical tampering 8 7 Modifying printed checks 8 8 Lithographic printing 8 8 Impac...

Page 8: ...undamentals Guide A References A 1 Standards documentation A 1 Instructions for ordering U S standards A 2 Ordering online A 2 Ordering hardcopy A 2 Standards development process information U S only...

Page 9: ...eaders have knowledge of standard Xerox printing systems products and the skills to develop applications and job source libraries The Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide contains the following chapters an...

Page 10: ...ew of the security procedures used to control and audit access to a Xerox MICR printing system and to check printing functions Appendix A MICR references Lists the domestic and international standards...

Page 11: ...ly MICR has been used to print accounting and routing information on bank checks and other negotiable documents the magnetic encoding lends itself to any form of document processing The following figu...

Page 12: ...ions for producing the E13B font using magnetic ink were accepted as a standard by the American Bankers Association ABA in 1958 In April 1959 the ABA issued Publication 147 The Common Machine Language...

Page 13: ...s for determining acceptable quality of a MICR document Another MICR font called CMC7 was developed by the French computer company Machines Bull and has been the official French standard since Septemb...

Page 14: ...Chile X Columbia X Ecuador X Peru X Uruguay X Venezuela X Europe Austria X Belgium X X Denmark X X Finland X X France X Germany X Holland X X Italy X X Norway X X Spain X Sweden X X United Kingdom X X...

Page 15: ...MICR was chosen by the ABA because it can be read accurately by machine it uses existing printing technology and the printed documents are durable to withstand mutilation A MICR encoded document can b...

Page 16: ...ct at least three parties The person who writes the check The person to whom the check is being paid The bank at which the check writer has an account Depending on where and by whom the check is depos...

Page 17: ...Overview Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide 1 7 Figure 1 2 Life cycle of a check...

Page 18: ...several ways through a teller using an automated teller machine ATM using a drop box or through a postal lock box Deposited items are accompanied by a deposit ticket that lists and totals the items an...

Page 19: ...as cleared to another bank Two exceptions may occur If the payor bank does not honor the check it is returned 9 through the BOFD to the payee The amount is then deducted from the payee account During...

Page 20: ...y problems are referred to application developers who ensure that the problems cannot occur in production 6 After approval by the bank the check design becomes available for routine production 7 Varia...

Page 21: ...al advances such as the Xerox MICR printing systems the check issuer has assumed still more responsibilities that previously belonged to the manufacturer Figure 1 4 Changes in check creation roles Bec...

Page 22: ...Overview 1 12 Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide...

Page 23: ...ging to other banks without further transfers of the paper document check The check is processed electronically This reduces cost and improves check clearance Types of MICR applications A MICR system...

Page 24: ...re Familiar examples of turnaround documents are Credit card invoices Insurance payment booklets Instant rebate coupons Turnaround documents are also used in remittance processing which is a procedure...

Page 25: ...ing An advantage to Xerox printing systems is their ability to print a document in a single pass as shown in the following figure The form design variable data logos and signatures can all be printed...

Page 26: ...paper Impact ribbon encoding Ribbon encoding also called direct printing is a letterpress technology with a different delivery method Instead of the ink being applied to the typeface and then to the...

Page 27: ...systems have a paper handling system designed for the highly accurate registration This is required for precise placement of the MICR line to maximize readability during check processing Typical MICR...

Page 28: ...equent starting and stopping which is time consuming and degrades print speed Storing hundreds of different preprinted check and deposit forms can be costly Short print runs of continuous forms can wa...

Page 29: ...horities specify the type and weight of paper that should be used for check printing in that country It is essential that only the specified paper be used Follow these guidelines for best results Unde...

Page 30: ...ded for optimal printer and reader sorter performance Basis weight 24 pound 90 gsm Sheffield smoothness 80 to 150 Grain direction Parallel to the long edge of check or MICR document Short grain direct...

Page 31: ...nt misfeeds and mechanical stresses and are not as reliable as 24 pound paper Sheffield smoothness scale The smoothness of your paper can impact image quality With increasing roughness the print quali...

Page 32: ...lighter than 24 pound use it only for documents in which the grain is in the long dimension of the finished document For long grain MICR processed documents the minimum paper weight is 20 pounds NOTE...

Page 33: ...papers Xerox brand papers have a maximum moisture content of 5 3 percent with an average of 4 7 per cent Several other MICR bond papers have moisture content of less than 5 3 percent Preprinted papers...

Page 34: ...rinting side Print on this side for one sided printing For two sided printing print on this side first unless instructed otherwise in the operator guide for your laser printer How you load preprinted...

Page 35: ...ee of paper dust and chaff Avoid printing any text or forms data within 1 8 inch 3 2 mm of any perforation For printers that use edge registration Full length perforation that is parallel to the regis...

Page 36: ...MICR band registration The dimensions must be controlled to 030 inch 0 762 mm Papers that have been converted from continuous form paper present a risk of jams and poorly registered forms in a Xerox M...

Page 37: ...use moisture proof ream wrappers which maintain critical moisture balance Xerox paper is covered with a polyethylene laminate ream wrapper This material is the most effective in resisting the transfe...

Page 38: ...ent before using it The time you should wait between paper storage and use is listed in the following table For example if you want to move 10 cartons boxes from your storage area at 55 degrees F to y...

Page 39: ...papers No mechanical defects Moisture proof wrapping Correct temperature and humidity are also important Refer to the Temperature and humidity conditions earlier in this chapter Your service represen...

Page 40: ...kew feeds Poorly cut paper Wrapper wax or glue on sheets Low humidity in printer environment Poorly drilled paper Paper too porous Paper misfeeds Poorly cut paper Excessive curl Jams in stacker bin Ex...

Page 41: ...s Choosing the correct ink is the first step in designing forms that function well in Xerox printers Inks for these forms must cure well must not be tacky and must not offset In choosing an ink you mu...

Page 42: ...the preprinted form These features should be chosen to achieve sufficient document security without negative effects on printer operation A secure document is protected against both duplication and a...

Page 43: ...when they come in contact with liquids Application design Intelligent application design can provide additional protection against alteration In left and right fill fields pad any open space with addi...

Page 44: ...ators are required to input the starting sequence number and the job must be restarted any time a jam occurs Features to avoid Some security features may either be ineffective or cause damage to the p...

Page 45: ...laces critical information such as the payee name and the check amount fields However if the feature interferes with the bonding of dry ink to paper poor image permanence results This negates the valu...

Page 46: ...Paper facts 3 18 Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide...

Page 47: ...te The design of a check should enable anyone to quickly and easily enter and extract the necessary information A blank check normally has the characteristics that are described in the following secti...

Page 48: ...s are placed on reflectance and contrast is defined in a localized manner that is more in keeping with the way automated equipment detects check data New scanner based test equipment is now required t...

Page 49: ...d the Convenience Amount field should be retained to aid in locating this data NOTE The Xerox MICR fonts contain a dollar symbol which is acceptable for all applications The area for the Amount in Wor...

Page 50: ...cause rejects or misreads Name of financial institution The institution where the account is located is referred to as the payor institution The payor institution name and address is generally printe...

Page 51: ...ed elements of the form the MICR line must be printed using magnetic ink and a special MICR font such as E13B or CMC7 MICR line clear band format requirements The format of the MICR line must conform...

Page 52: ...f the check The following figure illustrates the clear band dimensions for the E13B and CMC7 fonts Figure 4 2 MICR clear band dimensions 1 8 minimum Clear band 5 8 5 16 1 16 MICR band 3 16 3 16 1 4 E1...

Page 53: ...nting E13B character set There are two types of characters in the E13B font numbers and symbols E13B numbers The E13B font numbers are illustrated below E13B symbols The E13B font has the following fo...

Page 54: ...ount symbol The two Amount symbols tell the reader sorter that the numbers between the symbols are the amount of the check in cents You seldom see this symbol or the Amount field when you are developi...

Page 55: ...en 8 and 9 points The height of the On Us symbol is 0 091inch 2 3 mm and the dash is 0 052 inch 1 3 mm Both heights are multiples of the basic 0 013 inch 0 33 mm unit Figure 4 3 E13B character matrix...

Page 56: ...check Some checks also have an External Processing Code EPC digit located between the Transit and Auxiliary On Us fields The Amount and Transit fields have a standardized content while the contents of...

Page 57: ...the quality control procedures of the bank Each MICR symbol and the numbers or spaces between those symbols must be properly registered so that the fields do not flow into one another The exact field...

Page 58: ...Document design 4 12 Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide Figure 4 5 MICR Document Specifications form U S example NOTE In this example X denotes blank spaces required by the issuing bank...

Page 59: ...and 31 or 32 To the left of the On Us symbol reading right to left as the reader sorter does are the account number the bank branch number and the check number The check serial number is typically to...

Page 60: ...ld is an optional field that is sometimes used by the banks for additional processing information or high value serial numbers When it is present it is the farthest left on the check between positions...

Page 61: ...ifying the institution upon which the check is drawn Position 33 Opening transit symbol 34 Check digit This number combined with the first eight digits verifies the accuracy of the routing number in c...

Page 62: ...always properly aligned NOTE The Amount field of the MICR line is not normally printed by the laser printer but is added by a proof machine at the bank of first deposit The proof machine being an impa...

Page 63: ...n the CMC7 s equivalent to the E13B Auxiliary On Us field S 2 Identifies the start of the Amount field Unlike the E13B structure this symbol is not used to terminate the Amount field The CMC7 Amount f...

Page 64: ...th Each CMC7 character format consist of seven vertical strokes separated by six spaces of 0 3 or 0 5 mm referred to as short and long intervals Each character contains two long intervals and four sho...

Page 65: ...e divided evenly by 8 characters per inch resulting in 75 dots per character However 300 dpi when divided by 8 characters per inch results in 37 5 dots per character The system cannot print half a dot...

Page 66: ...ESC 1U ESC s0p8 00h9 06v0s0b0T NOTE The PCL 5 font rotation commands are used to rotate the E13B and CMC7 portrait fonts for landscape applications Table 4 2 PCL fixed pitch MICR font characteristics...

Page 67: ...7 5 35 5 37 5 37 6 36 6 37 6 37 7 37 7 37 7 37 8 38 8 37 8 37 9 39 9 37 9 37 3A Transit symbol 37 S 1 symbol 37 3B Amount symbol 37 S 2 symbol 37 3C On Us symbol 37 S 3 symbol 37 3D Dash symbol 37 S 4...

Page 68: ...75 2 37 5 75 3 3 37 5 75 3 37 5 75 4 4 37 5 75 4 37 5 75 5 5 37 5 75 5 37 5 75 6 6 37 5 75 6 37 5 75 7 7 37 5 75 7 37 5 75 8 8 37 5 75 8 37 5 75 9 9 37 5 75 9 37 5 75 Transit symbol 37 5 75 S 1 symbo...

Page 69: ...mensions are limited to U S standards each national standards organization has established the minimum and maximum size documents that are used in their jurisdictions shown in the following table The...

Page 70: ...x 12 sheet if check has stub otherwise 4 checks per 7 25 x 12 sheet Canada 6 x 2 75 min 8 5 x 3 66 max Typically 6 1 4 x 2 3 4 France 175 mm x 80 mm Check booklet 225 mm x 80 mm 102 mm x 175 mm and 22...

Page 71: ...pt free of any printing that would interfere with bank endorsements NOTE This information is applicable only if your system supports duplex printing Perforations If you are using perforated forms the...

Page 72: ...ptable Potential solutions include Ensure there is always enough data to fill the last page with partial pages being voided by the data Design more than one form when the correct form is being selecte...

Page 73: ...capture processing and storage for the entire check make this requirement more important Work is in progress to make the digital image of a check legally binding when captured and processed by banks...

Page 74: ...Document design 4 28 Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide...

Page 75: ...der sorter passes The reader sorter inputs data from the checks captures each check image endorses the checks and sorts them according to their destination The checks are separated into either transit...

Page 76: ...mine the correct MICR Amount field content Poorly designed checks may interfere with amount determination in the following ways Non standard amount location Amount value written too small or too large...

Page 77: ...orters recognize the magnetic waveform of the character its magnetic pattern its visual pattern using OCR or a combination of these characteristics Reader sorters can be programmed to validate and sor...

Page 78: ...lowing figure illustrates the process Figure 5 1 On Us symbol waveform reading First the character is magnetized by the reader sorter Then as the character passes the read head edge A generates a chan...

Page 79: ...aveform reader sorters are generally low to medium speed reading devices The reject rates for these readers is slightly higher than for matrix readers Matrix or AC reader sorters Matrix readers use a...

Page 80: ...hms and circuitry in each station to determine which character was read Another type of dual read reader sorter has one single slot waveform read station and one matrix head read station The single sl...

Page 81: ...ess an OCR printed turnaround document followed by a MICR printed check They identify a check by the presence of magnetic ink then switch to a MICR font recognition system If the turnaround document i...

Page 82: ...ge of a check is damaged slightly in one of these passes repeated sorting can increase the damage until the document no longer feeds properly Because of the high cost of handling misfeeds check proces...

Page 83: ...document and spread out by the bristled wheel pressing on the paper If the wheel is worn the spreading or scraping processes could be uneven resulting in a lump of material being redeposited on a lat...

Page 84: ...and layers of paper may separate a small amount on each pass After multiple passes this can cause lead edge fluff Reject repair If a MICR document cannot be read or is badly damaged in processing it...

Page 85: ...n most cases processing banks do not encode the full MICR line on transit items Instead they encode only the routing number and amount information that they need in order to pass the document on This...

Page 86: ...Document processing 5 12 Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide...

Page 87: ...e High grade xerographic print quality Good character uniformity when viewed with back lighting Few or no defects Good fusing Good paper quality meeting xerographic and MICR processing needs Good form...

Page 88: ...satisfactory to the unaided eye the MICR tools are required to determine if a document is within specifications MICR Gauge The MICR Gauge lets you compare the location of Xerox MICR printed informati...

Page 89: ...equipment Each MICR symbol and character has an ideal waveform and nominal signal strength Every MICR printing technology modifies the waveform from the ideal in a different way so that the nominal MI...

Page 90: ...to some degree even when they are set up correctly and in calibration These differences are caused partly by the different MICR characteristics of the printing technology that is used and partly by t...

Page 91: ...in a MICR job before the documents enter circulation Regularly monitor the printer output Regularly run test documents that simulate production jobs Thoroughly test all new MICR applications to detect...

Page 92: ...he form should represent the correct document size MICR line and a unique serial number for each document for identification purposes The test application should be validated for skew vertical alignme...

Page 93: ...y a registration problem Several documents should be checked before action is taken Compare actual documents with prints of the diagnostic MICR line test pattern to help isolate printer and applicatio...

Page 94: ...blem Use the MICR Gauge to measure character to character vertical position see the following figure Vertical variation from one character to the next is seldom produced by a Xerox MICR printing syste...

Page 95: ...he top and bottom lines of the character boxes If the characters appear too high or too low see the following figure a software or a registration problem is indicated Figure 6 6 MICR line vertical pos...

Page 96: ...versus unacceptable line skew figures are exaggerated To check for line skew follow these steps 1 Place the document in the MICR Gauge Place the document so that the tops of all the MICR line characte...

Page 97: ...the skew scales 4 Subtract the smaller degree number from the larger The remainder is the degree of line skew Line skew in excess of 1 5 degrees may cause characters to be out of the MICR vertical reg...

Page 98: ...line and notice any characters whose right edges are not touching the right edges of their boxes These characters are more or less than 0 125 inch 3 175 mm from their next closest character To find ou...

Page 99: ...proper use of the spacing algorithm Voids The absence of ink is called a void or deletion Voids can be generated by excessive paper dust a hardware problem or excessive paper moisture This problem occ...

Page 100: ...of spots may be present within the clear band if they are contained in a 0 003 by 0 003 inch 0 08 by 0 08 mm square Random spots that are contained within a 0 004 by 0 004 inch 0 10 by 0 10 mm square...

Page 101: ...ystem xerographic specification for extraneous ink or spots in the clear band Examples of extraneous ink or spots are illustrated in the following figure Any number of black spots 0 25 mm and smaller...

Page 102: ...Quality control 6 16 Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide Figure 6 11 Examples of extraneous ink spots...

Page 103: ...degradation of MICR quality is observed during inspection Information on MICR signal level measurement is provided here for those customers who have access to magnetic signal strength test equipment...

Page 104: ...used by a MICR character that is noticeably skewed by extraneous ink spots or by a void that exceeds specifications The following figure shows a graphic display of the magnetic footprint for each MICR...

Page 105: ...Quality control Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide 6 19 Figure 6 12 E13B characters and waveforms...

Page 106: ...ent is determined by measuring the distance between the lowest point of each encoded character and the maximum reading obtained from the surrounding paper within that character space on the same horiz...

Page 107: ...s about the average edge may extend 0 0035 inch 0 089 mm from nominal edge dimension Sum of edge present in 0 0015 to 0 0035 inch 0 038 to 0 089 mm zone shall not exceed 25 of total edge Comparator Vo...

Page 108: ...ly ragged characters may be caused by a failed dry ink cartridge or the need for machine service Character damage may also occur if the paper is sharply creased or folded before printing or during rea...

Page 109: ...Magnetic testing equipment usage MICR signal strength is measured magnetically along with uniformity and spots and is specified numerically as 50 to 200 per cent of nominal Waveform uniformity is not...

Page 110: ...or persistent dimensional flags may indicate a real problem which must be verified by optical inspection Character to character spacing 0 010 inch 0 254 mm tolerance Character spacing controlled by t...

Page 111: ...pting it as a replacement for a MICR reticle on an eye loupe The optical test equipment does registration character spacing and character alignment well because these tolerances 0 0625 inch 1 588 mm 0...

Page 112: ...ent Recommendation Automated test equipment is a valuable tool for highlighting areas that require close inspection This inspection must be performed by a trained inspector who understands the limitat...

Page 113: ...ect rate investigations are less complicated at this stage because the rejected documents are not negotiable and the parties are already involved in document testing When rejected characters can be id...

Page 114: ...quality control evaluation or used aggressive requirements beyond ANSI standards Problem solving process MICR problems are usually identified through one of the following Problem notification from th...

Page 115: ...d Reported from bank Gather information Obtain rejected checks From reviewing returned checks Compare reject rates to expected reader sorter rates Inspect documents Determine cause Success Problem cor...

Page 116: ...should also investigate the effect of base paper stock and the preprinting of forms Printer If the printer is the cause of the rejection you can verify this by examining the rejected documents or MICR...

Page 117: ...ing details may uncover the cause In addition institute an active reader sorter testing program to replicate the problem under controlled conditions You should also closely examine the four areas of i...

Page 118: ...s the critical indicator of quality for the batch of documents that are printing In order to know whether test results are good or bad Know the average performance Keep adequate records for individual...

Page 119: ...ects each time a jam occurs This is often misunderstood by those who use the reader sorters Identify and remove jams from the calculation Are multifeeds counted as rejects Documents may stick together...

Page 120: ...document Are the rejects clustered by field If multiple rejects occur in a particular field a mechanical problem may exist in the printer or the reader sorter Is there a pattern to where the rejects o...

Page 121: ...xpected reject rate for reader sorters is between 0 5 and 3 per cent You should investigate for causes if this rate suddenly increases Expected reject rates There is no ANSI reject rate specification...

Page 122: ...all batch for example 500 may vary greatly Use the following guidelines Use a batch of 3000 to 10 000 documents Sort continuously not in bunches Use several sorters of the same model not a single unit...

Page 123: ...ion for spots Image quality out of specification Paper stock impacts Amount field encoding by bank Low signal strength Low density characters Document handling problems for example uncirculated docume...

Page 124: ...ct font placement or format Always use a MICR font Ask yourself the following questions Was a non qualified font purchased and installed from a source other than Xerox Is the font in the correct posit...

Page 125: ...eeds of up to 400 inches per second treatment may be rough enough to abrade paper If there are many smears investigate the following causes Stock incompatibility Paper surface too rough or too smooth...

Page 126: ...ide down or backwards Was the machine serviced immediately after this check run An accurate dated record of base information may indicate this Analyzing reader sorter printout Obtain a copy of the rea...

Page 127: ...ted Find out if there is a special code for these items or if they are treated as other types of rejects Are they completely missing from the report or do they appear garbled Are all the documents acc...

Page 128: ...se of these test patterns with advanced MICR test equipment permits very sophisticated analyses validating all magnetic waveform characteristics against established expectations Problem escalation sho...

Page 129: ...printing system is to control access to critical and sensitive files and to keep track of the legitimate use of these files through audit procedures The critical files vary depending on check printin...

Page 130: ...ures However as usage increases the number of people who need access to the printer also increases Therefore the first step in implementing any sort of security process must include a means of control...

Page 131: ...s are susceptible to pilfering Numbered stock helps control check stock but it increases job complexity Storage and disposal Equipment It is important that you regularly inventory and monitor the equi...

Page 132: ...oftware features provide different levels of protection from class level logon control to automatic deletion of files at completion of a print job NOTE Internal audit features vary depending on the pr...

Page 133: ...ol of valued items The auditor then finds ways to stop that loss of control You can maintain an audit record by doing the following Create an audit control worksheet to account for each page Keep a re...

Page 134: ...MICR documents are not negotiable or if the print facility is highly secure it may be an acceptable method Any extra copies must be voided You might prefer to have the Sample button disabled On most...

Page 135: ...ink solvents If organic dye based inks which are susceptible to bleaching will be used select papers containing a bleach indicator Because dry ink images are encapsulated in a plastic resin they are a...

Page 136: ...g methods Lithographic printing Lithography is difficult to modify The inks are liquid when applied and soak into the fibers of the paper The flow of the ink through the paper fibers makes the edges o...

Page 137: ...s depending on the nature of the inks and the pressures that are used In some cases mylar ribbon images bond so poorly to the paper that they can be removed with sticky tape With enough pressure and t...

Page 138: ...k amount for example provided in both numeric and text versions A traditional check protection method uses multiple fields to indicate the payable amount This amount can be written as a numeric field...

Page 139: ...rinted over all or parts of a printed document Overprinting may be combined with a texturing process The varied colors and the texture make it very difficult to modify the characters under the overpri...

Page 140: ...ced checks often do not use multiple amount fields One reason is the difficulty in deciding on an appropriate text string for larger amount values The text Amount field requires advance planning for f...

Page 141: ...re built into the paper stock during the manufacturing process They are most easily seen when the paper is held up to the light Artificial watermarks are light colored inks that look like part of the...

Page 142: ...he duplicate In recent years this device has become less popular due to its negative impact on those who have legitimate reasons for duplicating checks Its effectiveness has also degraded due to impro...

Page 143: ...ot prevent payment of a correct amount to a different payee or honoring of a duplicate check that arrives before the legitimate one Embezzlement Embezzlement involves an employee writing checks for fi...

Page 144: ...If an unauthorized entry occurs such as during a burglary fire or medical emergency make sure that no unissued checks are missing Enroll in a positive pay program This program is effective against sto...

Page 145: ...speed of operation damaged documents and operational problems The most popular protection method is safety paper If the applications design permits its use a safety paper is one reasonable way to prot...

Page 146: ...Security 8 18 Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide...

Page 147: ...Bank Deposit Tickets ANS X9 33 1999 Specification for Electronic Check Exchange ANS X9 37 1994 Revised 2001 Check Correction Strip Specification ANS X9 40 1994 Revised 1998 Financial Image Interchange...

Page 148: ...dept asp dept_id 80 Ordering hardcopy You can order the standards by phone fax or mail as follows American National Standards Institute ANSI 11 West 42nd Street 13th Floor New York NY 10036 Attn Custo...

Page 149: ...ent process information U S only For information on joining the U S standards development process contact Associate Director ASC X9 Secretariat c o American Bankers Association 1120 Connecticut Avenue...

Page 150: ...References A 4 Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide...

Page 151: ...ees APACS Association for Payment Clearing Services An organization similar to ABA but with standards setting authority for banking systems in the U K Used to be known as CLCB auxiliary domestic field...

Page 152: ...rea in the MICR line which provides the routing information for the document BSB symbol The Australian special MICR character to separate the BSB field from the next adjacent field calibration documen...

Page 153: ...poration that acts as a medium through which banks in some areas exchange items drawn on each other and make settlements CMC7 A font used in magnetic ink printing code line MICR The 25 inch 6 35 mm hi...

Page 154: ...aracter measured within the space that it occupies document One or more recorded or printed pages forming a logical whole dot A unit of measurement representing the smallest unit of image placement al...

Page 155: ...onto a screen so that the liquid drains out leaving only the pulp which dries to form the paper The side of the paper that is exposed away from the screen is called the felt side This side has a felt...

Page 156: ...ch is the weight in grams of a square meter of paper Also called grams per square meter g m2 or gsm hole plugs The circular pieces of paper residue produced from punching holes for binding purposes in...

Page 157: ...alue of the check expressed in text If this value differs from the convenience amount the legal amount prevails laser printer A non impact xerographic printer that uses a laser beam to form images on...

Page 158: ...OCR may refer to the technique the machine or any aspect related to the technique or machine offset printing A printing process where an image formed on a metal plate or other type of master is trans...

Page 159: ...MICR encoded deposit slip attachments UK phantom Any light image placed on a document usually for decorative purposes The subject is intended to be printed or written over and is generally lightened b...

Page 160: ...ssing machine that performs a number of functions including Magnetizes the MICR characters and senses the electrical signals generated by the subsequent passage of the characters under a read head Dec...

Page 161: ...nal peak signal level designated in the ANSI specification as well as an acceptable signal level range This is also called signal strength single slot reader sorters See waveform reader sorters sizing...

Page 162: ...gotiable instrument Warrants are considered cash items by banks waveform reader sorter A device which interprets MICR characters by measuring their magnetic waveforms These were the first type of MICR...

Page 163: ...opying and printing where a photoreceptor usually a drum or a belt is electrically charged Mirrors or a laser beam then remove the charge from selected sections of the photoreceptor that are not to be...

Page 164: ...Glossary Glossary 14 Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide...

Page 165: ...13 errors in 5 2 multiple 8 12 using multiple 8 10 Amount in Words field 4 3 tampering prevention 8 12 ANSI standards 1 3 check size 4 23 clear band 4 5 4 6 Convenience Amount field 4 3 documentation...

Page 166: ...proofing 5 2 5 3 protective coating 8 15 repairing 5 1 role of issuer 1 11 routing number 4 5 security features 4 1 serial number 4 5 Signature lines 4 4 size 4 23 4 24 summary by country 4 24 stolen...

Page 167: ...zzlement protecting against 8 15 embossment 6 20 encoding equipment see proofing equipment endorsing stations reader sorter 5 9 enhancements to printing systems 2 5 environment paper 3 10 printing 3 1...

Page 168: ...y 3 1 paper environment 3 10 hybrid reader sorters 5 7 I image capture unit reader sorter see microfilm unit impact printing ribbon 5 1 tampering with 8 8 8 9 ink spots extraneous 6 14 6 16 inks drop...

Page 169: ...reader sorters 5 6 optical testing equipment usage 6 25 6 26 vs magnetic 6 23 6 26 ordering standards A 2 overprints tampering prevention 8 11 oxidative inks 3 13 P padding character 3 15 paper basis...

Page 170: ...nal fonts 4 19 4 22 characteristics 4 21 protecting checks 8 15 Q quality control factors 6 1 printing of MICR characters 6 1 tools to check 6 2 6 3 R read write heads reader sorter 5 9 readability 4...

Page 171: ...der sorters skew 6 9 6 11 checking 6 10 6 11 slivers dry ink 6 22 Small Optical Comparator 6 3 smears ink 7 13 smoothness paper 3 3 sorter pockets reader sorter 5 10 source of problem determining 7 4...

Page 172: ...ng prevention 8 11 thermal ribbon encoding 2 4 5 1 thermochromic ink 3 15 tools quality checking 6 2 6 3 training operator problem solving 7 4 Transit field 4 13 symbol 4 8 troubleshooting see problem...

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