Print & Cheques Now Inc., a Calgary-based cheque printer holding CPA Self-Accredited Printer #1010 status, has published a guide to Standard 006, the Payments Canada specification governing cheques drawn on Canadian bank accounts. The guide aims to clarify technical requirements for businesses that order or print cheques, potentially reducing the risk of rejected payments.
Standard 006 outlines precise specifications for the MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) line, which is essential for automated cheque processing. The guide explains that a 5/8-inch band along the bottom of a cheque is reserved exclusively for MICR encoding. Within this band, the lower 3/16 inch must remain clear, the encoding line occupies the next 1/4 inch, and the 3/16 inch above it must also be unobstructed. Any logos, signatures, or other printed elements entering this area can interfere with processing and cause cheques to fail testing.
The MICR line must be printed with magnetic ink and produce a signal within tolerances set by Standard 006. Testing evaluates character dimensions, spacing, placement, and the presence of extraneous magnetic ink. According to Payments Canada, organizations printing their own cheques should submit pre-production samples to a financial institution for testing to ensure compliance.
Print & Cheques Now's guide is designed for accountants, controllers, business owners, and administrative staff who order or approve business cheques. It covers how MICR encoding, layout, magnetic signal strength, and security elements affect automated processing. The company emphasizes that cheques may appear correct to the human eye yet still fail testing if the MICR line is improperly printed or positioned.
In addition to meeting Standard 006, the company's cheques include three confirmed security features: holograms, thermochromic (heat-sensitive) ink, and microprinting visible under magnification. These features are regulated by Standard 006 to ensure they do not interfere with imaging, the MICR band, or required cheque fields.
The guide also addresses the challenges of in-house cheque printing, which requires control over the MICR font, magnetic signal, character placement, and clear-band dimensions. Changes to printers, toner, paper, or other components can affect compliance. Print & Cheques Now tests its production under the self-accreditation program and offers a Bank Acceptance Guarantee, promising to reprint or refund any cheque rejected by a Canadian financial institution.
“Most business owners never look at the standard behind a cheque until one gets rejected,” said Jon Gilchrist, Owner of Print & Cheques Now. “The person ordering cheques for a company is usually an accountant or an office manager, not a compliance specialist, so we wrote this guide in plain language instead of leaving that standard buried in a technical document only a printer would read.”
The company, founded in 2006, has served more than 46,000 customers across Canada. It prints personal cheques, manual business cheques, and laser and computer cheques compatible with QuickBooks, Sage 50, Xero, and Simply Accounting. Its cheques are accepted by major banks including RBC, TD, BMO, CIBC, Scotiabank, ATB Financial, Desjardins, National Bank, and over 200 credit unions.
Businesses can review their options for business cheques or order cheques matched to their financial institution through the company's website.
