MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. It's the line of oddly-shaped numbers along the bottom edge of a check — and it's what lets banks sort and process millions of checks a day by machine instead of by hand.
What it contains
Reading left to right, the MICR line typically encodes, in this order:
- The check number
- The routing number (bank identifier), bracketed by a special transit symbol
- The account number, bracketed by an on-us symbol
Why the font looks strange
MICR uses a standardized font called E-13B, designed so each character has a distinct magnetic signature a reader can recognize even if the check is smudged, folded, or stamped. This isn't decorative — it's a technical requirement defined by ANSI X9 standards for check processing in the US.
If you're printing your own checks, the MICR line needs to be in the correct font, size, and position to be machine-readable. Check Writer 123 handles this automatically so every check you print is positioned correctly.