MICR Toner and Check Printing
Tips & Tricks – When Businesses Should Print Their Own Checks
Interview with John Miller, ADVANTAGE
Managing a company’s finances isn’t always easy. As a veteran with Advantage Laser Products (ALP), he knows the challenges you face. For more than 30 years, the Advantage Team has helped accounting and finance professionals and their teams overcome those challenges.
In this exclusive interview, John provides his insight into the advantages and disadvantages of printing your own business checks.
Question 1: When does it make sense for a business to print their own checks?
John: “There is no one-size-fits-all solution. I try to answer each customer’s questions based on my experience working with thousands of business customers. Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense for customers to print their own checks. You might be better off with a payroll service or a good bookkeeper, or it may make more sense financially to order pre-printed checks.
Here are a few questions to consider:
- How many checking accounts do you have?
- How many checks do you write per week in each?
- How often do your checking accounts turn over? (Do you have to open new accounts all the time?)
- How many people in your organization will be printing checks for these accounts?
- And are these people at the same location?
The decision to print your own checks depends on your answers to these questions. We advise clients daily about these decisions. It’s exciting to help guide them through this process.”
Question 2: What equipment does a company need to print their own business checks?
John: “If your check printing volume isn’t very high, and you have check printing software, I recommend a suitable printer, depending on your budget and needs. Printers range from $199 and up.
If you’re printing 1,000 checks a week, the HP Laserjet M602 ($920) can print 500 checks in just 10 minutes. Of course, there is a range of printers to consider, but it’s important to choose one designed for check printing.”
Question 3: What other technology do you recommend to make the check printing process easier?
John: “We also sell machines that fold, insert, and seal checks into envelopes. You can also print checks on z-fold pressure-seal form. Once you print the checks, you put them in a pressure sealer and stick a stamp or metered postage on each sealed check.”
Question 4: What are some best practices of companies who print their own checks?
John: “We recommend that they use that printer solely for printing checks, because printing checks requires a special magnetic toner called MICR toner. We manufacture high-quality MICR toner cartridges and provide our customers with a satisfaction guarantee.
What not everyone knows is that MICR toner is not all the same quality, and using bad quality MICR toner can cause serious problems during the check printing process. I also recommend that every company has few printers in case one goes down. Missing a payroll date is a no-no for most employers. No excuses.”
Question 5: Does Advantage help companies set up the check printing process?
John: “Absolutely. If you have issues with quality and need to know how to fix your printer, we perform free document testing. We don’t require any service contract. That is just a free benefit of being our customer.
When we sell software, we provide one-on-one support. We will personally walk you through how to set up accounts properly and print checks consistently.”
Question 6: Is there special software needed to print?
John: “Yes, and we do offer a variety of software options. We want our customers to be completely satisfied so we’re happy for them to try it out first. To check this out go to advlaser.com, and look for the GC Former software.”
This interview with John Miller is brought to you by Advantage Laser Products (ALP). Since 1987, ALP has specialized in check printing supplies, including MICR toner, blank check paper, laser printers and more. ALP also provides high-quality products and exceptional customer service every day.
We’re ready to offer you the excellent service and high-quality products you deserve. Contact us at 800-722-2804 today!
New Product – HP CF237A / CF237X New MICR Toner Cartridge
HP LaserJet M607n
We’ve just released MICR Toner cartridges for the HP LaserJet M607, M608 and M609 series laser printers. There are three different yields for the CF237 series of cartridges, CF237A (11K), CF237X (25k) and CF237Y (41K). At this point we are making New MICR toner cartridges for the CF237A and CF237X models.
HP CF237A MICR Toner Cartridge 11,000 page yield – $277, 2.52 cents per page
HP CF237X MICR Toner Cartridge 25,000 page yield – $459, 1.84 cents per page
For the moment, we are not manufacturing a CF237Y MICR toner cartridge. If this is something you are interested in, please let us know.
This new series of printers replaces the HP LaserJet M604, M605 and M606 series of printers. The printers are slightly faster than their predecessor at 55ppm, 65ppm and 75ppm respectively. Our prediction is these will be a reliable workgroup printer. In the months to come, we will have HP MICR Laser Printers for all of the new models: M607, M607 and M609.
As with their predecessor, we highly recommend the M608 and M609 series over the M607 series as the M607 can only accept the standard yield CF237A MICR toner cartridge. The cost savings of using the CF237X high yeild MICR toner cartridge with it’s lower cost per page will easily pay for itself over the life of the printer. Plus you get a faster printer out of the deal.
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New HP LaserJet P607, P608, P609 Series Includes Radical Design Change
We just received the new HP LaserJet M608N printer. This is a radical internal redesign from the previous few generations of Enterprise Level HP LaserJet printers. The M608 and it’s sisters the M607 and M609 will be replacing the M604, M605, M606 models as the go-to networked work-group monochrome printer in the HP lineup. This new line of printers now has three toner cartridges to choose from: CF237A (11,000 pgs), CF237X (25,000 pgs) and the CF237Y (41,000 pgs). As with previous generations, the lowest printer in the line, the M607 will not accept the two higher yield toner cartridges. The ability to accept the larger toner cartridges makes the operating costs much lower for the M608 and M609 series.
We are working on MICR Toner cartridges for the new series of toner cartridges. We don’t have an ETA of when the CF237A and CF237X MICR toner cartridges will be available. Stay tuned for more information…
Here are some pictures of the new P608n.
New Products: HP CF287A and CF287X MICR Toner – Remanufactured
We now have the HP CF287A and CF287X Remanufactured MICR toner cartridges for check printing in stock. The remanufactured cartridges offer 30-40% savings over the New HP MICR Cartridges. If you are printing volume, the CF287X High Yield toner cartridge saves you 50% over the standard yield cartridge.
The CF287A/X cartridges fit the HP LaserJet M501dn M506n M506dn M527 MFP printers.
Check out our CF287A and CF287X MICR Toner Section
CF287A MICR Toner Cartridge, Page Yield 9,000, $180.00
CF287X MICR Toner Cartridge, Page Yield 18,000, $210.00
We have standard remanufactured CF287A and CF287X toner cartridges as well.
CF287A Remanufactured Toner Cartridge, 9,000, $99
CF287X Remanufactured Toner Cartridge, 18,000, $125
NEW Product: HP CF279A MICR Toner for HP M12w, M26nw
We’ve just released the CF279A MICR Toner Cartridge for the HP LaserJet M12w and M26nw MFP. The CF279A MICR toner cartridge only prints 1,000 pages. This may be a good printer if you only print 50-100 checks a month or less. Otherwise you are better off buying the HP LaserJet P1102w or similar. You’ll get a better faster printer that costs less to operate than the M12w.
This printer is unusual as HP is only selling these through big box stores such as Staples, Best Buy, Office Depot, etc. While HP dealers are not allowed to sell this model, there are equivalent models in HP’s standard line up. We are offering both a standard remanufactured toner cartridge and a magnetic (MICR) toner cartridge for check printing for the M12w.
CF279A MICR Toner Cartridge $69 – http://www.advlaser.com/MICR-Toner-HP-M12w-M26nw-MFP-CF279A-p/rccf279arm.htm
CF279A Toner Cartridge $40 – http://www.advlaser.com/HP-M12w-M26nw-Toner-Cartridge-CF279A-p/rccf279ar.htm
New Product: Canon 137 MICR Toner Cartridge
We’ve just released the Advantage Brand Canon 137 MICR toner cartridge for check printing. Our Canon 137 has a page yield of 2,500 pages and is compatible with the Canon 137 / 9435B001AA toner cartridge. As with all of our cartridges the MICR output for this cartridges exceeds both ABA and ANSI standards. This cartridge is remanufactured and is guaranteed to perform as a new cartridge in all aspects.
The Canon 137 MICR toner cartridge is compatible with the following machines: ImageCLASS LBP151dw, imageCLASS MF212, imageCLASS MF216N, ImageCLASS MF217W, imageCLASS MF227DW, imageCLASS MF229DW, imageCLASS MF236n, imageCLASS MF244dw, ImageCLASS MF247dw, imageCLASS MF249dw
http://www.advlaser.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=RCCAN137RM
HP New MICR Toner Cartridge Price Increase
On January 1st, 2017, HP (again) increased their toner cartridge prices by 5%. Previously, we’ve absorbed HP’s price increases, but this latest increase has caused us to reevaluate our pricing. Effective February 15, we will have a price increase on HP New MICR Toner Cartridges. So if you have any plans to buy a New MICR Toner Cartridge soon, may as well do it before the 15th and save a few dollars.
Note: Our remanufactured HP MICR cartridges are not affected by this price increase. One more reason to buy remanufactured. All of the quality, half the price.
CF217A MICR Toner for HP M102w Release
HP CF217A MICR Toner Cartridge For HP M102w
Our CF217A MICR Toner Cartridge for the HP LaserJet M102w is in the final phases of quality assurance. We plan to release the New CF217A MICR Toner on December 5, 2016. The CF217A has a page yield of 1,600 pages. The MICR quality for printing checks is fantastic. Our CF217A MICR toner is a new MICR toner cartridge, not remanufactured. The CF217A MICR toner is compatible with the following HP Models: HP LaserJet M102w, M130fw MFP, M130fn MFP. The M102w uses a toner and an imaging cartridge. This new two cartridge system is something we’ve never seen from HP. In theory the two cartridge system should save you money, but in this case it really doesn’t. HP charges the same for this 1,600 page toner cartridge as they did for the 1,600 page CE285A used in the HP LaserJet P1102w (this was a single cartridge system). The imaging cartridge CF219A only needs to changed every 12,000 or once per 7.5 toner cartridges if you are printing 5% page coverage. Note, you don’t need a MICR imaging cartridge to print checks, just the MICR Toner Cartridge.
New HP CF217A MICR Toner Cartridge for M102w, M130fw, M130fn MFP – 17A MICR – $120.00 (Includes Free Ground Shipping)