Print & Cheques Now Inc., a Calgary-based cheque printer holding CPA Self-Accredited Printer #1010 status, has published a guide aimed at demystifying the technical specifications that govern cheques drawn on Canadian bank accounts. The guide, written for accountants, controllers, business owners, and administrative staff, focuses on Standard 006, the Payments Canada rulebook that dictates how cheques must be printed to ensure they are processed without issue.
The importance of this guide lies in the fact that a cheque can be visually flawless yet still be rejected by financial institutions if its MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) line is not printed precisely. According to the company, many businesses are unaware that the bottom 5/8-inch band of a cheque is reserved exclusively for MICR encoding, with strict requirements for clear zones above and below the printed characters. Any intrusion of logos, signatures, or other elements into this band can cause the cheque to fail automated processing.
The guide breaks down the components of the MICR line, which uses the E-13B font—comprising digits 0 through 9 and four symbols: Transit, On-Us, Amount, and Dash. These characters must be printed with magnetic ink that produces a signal within specific tolerances. The guide emphasizes that even if the account and transit numbers are correct, incorrect magnetic signal strength, character dimensions, or spacing can lead to rejection. Payments Canada recommends that organizations printing their own cheques submit pre-production samples to their financial institution for testing.
Print & Cheques Now, which has served over 46,000 customers since 2006, holds the self-accreditation designation through Payments Canada's Cheque Printer Self-Accreditation Program. The company's cheques also include three confirmed security features: holograms, thermochromic ink, and microprinting. These features are designed to deter fraud but must be placed so they do not interfere with MICR reading.
For businesses that print cheques in-house, the guide highlights the need for control over the MICR font, magnetic signal, and clear-band dimensions. Any change in printer, toner, or paper can affect compliance. To mitigate risks, Print & Cheques Now tests its production under the self-accreditation program and offers a Bank Acceptance Guarantee: if a Canadian financial institution rejects a cheque, the company will reprint or refund the order.
Jon Gilchrist, owner of Print & Cheques Now, noted that most business owners never look at the underlying standard until a cheque is rejected. He said, "The person ordering cheques is usually an accountant or office manager, not a compliance specialist, so we wrote this guide in plain language instead of leaving that standard buried in a technical document only a printer would read."
The guide is available for businesses to review business cheque options or order cheques matched to their financial institution. The company's cheques are accepted by major banks and credit unions across Canada.
