To print checks on a Mac, open a web-based check printing tool in Safari or Chrome, enter the check, press Command+P, choose your printer and US Letter paper, set the scale to 100% and turn off headers and footers. Print a test page on plain paper first, then load blank or pre-printed check stock and print the real check. Nothing needs to be installed.
The steps below work on any recent MacBook, iMac or Mac mini and with almost any inkjet or laser printer. They also explain which settings cause the most trouble, so your first real check lands where it should.
What do you need to print checks on a Mac?
- A Mac with Safari or Chrome. Both work the same way for check printing.
- A printer your Mac can already print to. Many current printers connect over Wi-Fi through AirPrint and need no extra software. Older models may need the maker's driver, which you can add in System Settings under Printers and Scanners.
- Check paper: blank check stock, pre-printed check stock, or plain US Letter paper, depending on how you plan to use the check.
- Your bank details: the name on the account, the routing number and the account number, plus a logo and signature if you want them on the check.
- A few sheets of ordinary plain paper for test prints.
Which browser should you use on a Mac?
Use Safari or Chrome, whichever you already prefer. Both open the standard Mac print dialog and both let you control scale, paper size and headers. Stick with one browser for check printing so the print settings you choose stay the same from one session to the next.
Keep the browser up to date and avoid printing from a zoomed-in page. Browser zoom does not change the size of the printed check in a well-built tool, but a clean 100% view makes it easier to spot problems on the live preview before you print.
How do you print a check on a Mac, step by step?
- Open your check printing tool in the browser and sign in. Check that your bank account, logo and signature are saved.
- Pick the paper type: blank check stock, pre-printed check stock or plain paper. The layout of the page changes with this choice.
- Enter the payee, amount, date and an optional memo. The amount in words should fill in automatically; read it once against the numbers.
- Click the print button in the tool, or press Command+P, to open the Mac print dialog.
- Choose your printer. Set the paper size to US Letter, the scale to 100% and turn off headers and footers.
- For a first run, load plain paper and print a Test Print. Hold the page against a real check in front of a light.
- Load your check stock, print the real check and let the ink or toner settle before you handle the page.
Which Mac print dialog settings matter most?
Labels differ a little between Safari, Chrome and macOS versions, but the same five settings decide whether a check prints in the right place.
| Setting | What to choose | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Printer | The physical printer, not a PDF option | Printing to a file will not put ink on your check stock |
| Paper size | US Letter (8.5 x 11 inches) | A different size, such as A4, shifts every field |
| Scale | 100% or Default | Shrink to fit or fit to page moves the check and the MICR line |
| Headers and footers | Off | A date or web address printed at the page edge can land on the check |
| Margins | Default or None, then keep it the same every time | Changing margins between prints changes the alignment |
In Safari, the Scale box and the headers and footers checkbox sit in the main print dialog. In Chrome, open More settings to find Margins, Scale and Headers and footers. If you cannot find an option, press Command+Option+P in Chrome to use the standard system dialog instead.
What paper size should you choose?
Choose US Letter, 8.5 x 11 inches, for every check type. Blank check stock comes as a letter-size sheet with three sections, one check and two stubs, and the check can sit at the top, middle or bottom of the sheet. Pre-printed checks used with software also feed as letter-size sheets. Plain-paper checks print on a standard letter sheet with a dashed cut guide.
If your printer lists both Letter and Letter borderless, pick plain Letter. Borderless modes can enlarge the page slightly so the ink reaches the edge, which nudges every field out of place.
Why print a test page on plain paper first?
A test costs a sheet of ordinary paper. A misprinted sheet of check stock costs more and, once a check is spoiled, it should be voided and shredded. A good Test Print marks every page with a TEST PRINT watermark so a practice sheet can never be mistaken for a real check.
After the test prints, hold it on top of one of your real checks or a blank check sheet and look through both against a window or a lamp. You are checking that the date, payee, amount box and signature line sit where they belong, and that the MICR line is not cut off at the bottom.
Blank check stock or plain paper on a Mac?
| Paper | What the Mac prints | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Blank check stock | The whole check, including the MICR line | Checks you hand or mail to payees |
| Pre-printed check stock | Date, payee, amount, amount in words, memo and signature | Checks you already own with your bank details on them |
| Plain letter paper | One complete check at the top of the page | Deposits you make yourself, including mobile deposit |
Blank check stock is the recommended choice for anything you give to another person. Plain-paper checks are best for deposits you make yourself or by mobile deposit, and whether any bank takes a printed check is up to that bank. For more on stock, read what blank check stock is.
How do you fix common Mac check printing problems?
- The check prints too small or too large: the scale was not 100%. Reset it and print another test.
- The whole check sits too high or too low: nudge the page up or down in the alignment settings rather than moving paper by hand. See how to fix check printing alignment.
- The check prints on the wrong side: many printers feed the second side differently. Print a test on plain paper marked with a small pencil arrow so you can see which way the sheet goes in.
- Two sheets feed at once: fan the stack, load fewer sheets and use a clean tray.
- The page cuts off on one edge: check that the paper size is Letter and that no borderless option is selected.
- The printer prints a blank page: make sure you chose the real printer, then restart the print job.
Check Writer 123 is made by the publisher of this site and runs in Safari or Chrome on a Mac, with nothing to download, install or update. It shows a live preview of the finished check, fills in the amount in words automatically and offers a free Test Print on plain paper. Simple alignment nudges are saved per bank account, so your Mac settings only need adjusting once. Start with the 14-day free trial, which needs no card.
Next steps
Pick your paper, set up your bank account once and run a Test Print before anything else. If you want a Mac-specific overview, see check printing software for Mac. For a wider look at print settings that apply to any computer, read how to print checks from your computer, and for the paper side of alignment, how to align a check on blank check paper.