Blank check stock is security paper with watermarks and other anti-fraud features, but with none of your bank's information pre-printed on it. That makes it flexible — you can use the same stock for multiple bank accounts — but it also means your software has to print everything: the bank name, your business information, the MICR line, and the check layout itself.
What to check before you start
- Confirm your bank accepts checks printed on blank stock — most major US banks do, but it's worth a quick call if you've never done this before.
- Make sure your software can print full MICR encoding, not just the visible numbers — some basic templates only print human-readable text, which banks can't process by machine.
- Check that the stock is rated for your printer type (inkjet vs. laser) — some security papers behave differently with each.
Printing steps
- Set up your bank account details once in your check software — routing number, account number, business name and address.
- Choose a check layout (check-on-top, middle, or bottom) that matches how your blank stock is formatted, if it has a stub.
- Print a test check on plain paper and compare it against your blank stock to confirm every field lines up.
- Print your actual check, let it dry, then sign it.
This is the default workflow in Check Writer 123 — it's designed to print complete checks, MICR line included, on blank stock so you're not locked into pre-printed checks from a single bank.