MICR line (clear band) format requirements
Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide
Check serial number
This number is usually printed in the upper-right corner of the
check. It is not a required element of the check, and is provided
as a convenience to the account holder. In most cases, the
check serial number appears a second time in the MICR line.
Fractional routing number
This number in fractional format is printed in the upper-right
corner of the check. It identifies the payor institution and is used
in routing the check through the banking system. A portion of the
routing number is also in the MICR line.
MICR line
The MICR line is the line of machine readable information that is
printed at the bottom of each check. Financial institutions are
dependent on the accuracy and integrity of the data in this line.
Unlike the fixed elements of the form, the MICR line must be
printed using magnetic ink and a special MICR font, such as
E13B or CMC7.
The format of the MICR line must conform to the standards set
by ANSI specifications. The MICR line is contained within the
clear band area, which is located at the bottom of the check.
By ANSI standards, the minimum size of the clear band is
defined as the bottom 5/8 inch/16 mm of the check document.
The clear band must not contain any magnetic material other
than MICR characters. Because the entire Xerox MICR
document uses the magnetic dry ink, make sure that no marks of
any kind (cut lines, signature letters, etc.), other than the MICR
line font characters, are printed in the clear band on either side of
the paper.
All MICR characters must be in a single line within the clear
band. In accordance with ANSI standards, the MICR line must
be positioned as follows.
•
Between 3/16 inch/4.8 mm and 7/16 inch/11.1 mm from the
bottom edge of the check
Document design
4-5