MICR Cartridges And Standard Laser Toner Cartridges
MICR cartridges contain magnetic components, especially iron oxide. This technology is used primarily by banking industry to make the processing of checks easy. MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Reader. This technology allows printers to print important information such as account numbers and check numbers in special typefaces. MICR characters can be easily read by computers as well as humans. MICR cartridges are also used in printing banking exams. The main reason to use them is to enable machines to study exams and other documents appropriately.
Other industries such as insurance, airlines, and activities ticketing also use this technology. This is because magnetic printing allows the characters to be read easily and clearly even if they have been overprinted. In addition to this, the error rate while reading or scanning magnetic printed checks and other documents is extremely low.
Difference between Regular Laser Toner Cartridges and MICR Cartridges
A laser toner is fine carbon-based powder mixed with a polymer. It is absolutely dry and is stored in a hopper chamber of the laser printer, whereas MICR toner contains a high percentage of ferrous oxide. It is a specially formulated toner mixture that is designed to be used for a specific laser printer. It is similar to laser toner, but requires 50 to 60 percent iron oxide preservative content.
MICR cartridges are used instead of laser toner when printing checks and other important documents because they support in identification and prevention of fraud. MICR readers cannot read through the documents that are not printed with MICR toners. In a laser-printed document, detecting fraud is little difficult. That’s why laser cartridges are used for printing out important documents.
Magnetic printing allows accuracy. This is mainly used in printing banking exams, checks, tickets, insurance documents, and other important deed or certificate. These can be easily assessed by MICR readers. If documents are not created properly, they’ll be straightaway rejected by the machines. Exams are assessed by MICR readers so that they can identify the exact spot on paper. In a laser-printed document, it is not possible.
Magnetic cartridges are used generally to print documents using magnetic ink and special fonts so that machine can easily read this information ensuring quick document processing. When a laser cartridge is used to print standard documents, such documents don’t need to be assessed to verify fraud. General official documents can be printed by using a laser toner.
The main purpose of MICR toner is to print negotiable documents. That’s why they are used in banking, insurance, and airlines industries for printing checks, deeds, certificates, and tickets. A laser cartridge is used to print general information with an idea to reduce human effort. Any information other than negotiable documents can be printed with it.
MICR printing has the ability to mark all information on negotiable documents, including your digitized signature, the MICR line, and other important information. A standard laser printer does not have the capability to imprint such information.
MICR cartridges do not have much importance in printing daily official documents. But yes, they are very important in printing out checks, certificates, deeds, and other special documents that need to be verified. A laser printer cartridge is much more useful for official printing purposes. Both technologies are different from each other and have their own advantages and disadvantages.
About the Author: Andrew Yeung is the Marketing Director of ComboInk, a leading online provider of premium printer ink cartridges, including Canon cartridges and HP deskjet cartridges. By purchasing a large volume from factory, ComboInk is able to sell laser toner cartridges at steep discounts, saving small businesses thousands in operating costs each year.