Business Check Printing Guide for Small Businesses

As a small business owner, you know that every dollar and every minute counts. Printing your own business checks can save both—eliminating the cost of pre-printed checks and the delay of waiting for them to ship. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know to start printing professional business checks today.

Why Small Businesses Should Print Their Own Checks

In an era of digital payments, you might wonder why checks matter at all. The reality is that many business transactions still require checks: security deposits, vendor payments to small suppliers who don't accept cards, contractor payments, and tax payments. For these situations, having the ability to print a check on demand is invaluable.

Cost Savings

Ordering pre-printed checks from your bank typically costs $0.30-$0.50 per check before you even write anything on it. With freecheckprint.com, your only cost is paper—about $0.01-0.06 per check depending on whether you use plain paper or check stock. Over a year, a business writing 50 checks can save $200 or more.

Time Savings

When you need a check and your pre-printed supply is depleted, you're looking at 5-10 business days for new checks to arrive. That's assuming you remembered to reorder before running out. With on-demand printing, you can create a check in under 60 seconds, anytime you need one.

Flexibility

Pre-printed checks lock you into specific information. If your business address changes, if you want to add a DBA name, or if you open a new account, you're stuck with outdated checks or need to order new ones. Printing your own checks means you can update information instantly.

Understanding Business Check Anatomy

Before printing checks, it helps to understand what goes on a business check and why. Here's a breakdown of each element:

The Header Area

• Business name: Your company's legal name or DBA
• Address: Your business mailing address
• Check number: A sequential number for your records

The Payment Information

• Date: When the check is written
• Pay to the order of: The payee's name
• Amount box: The numeric amount (e.g., $1,234.56)
• Amount line: The written amount (e.g., "One thousand two hundred thirty-four and 56/100")
• Memo: Optional note about the payment purpose
• Signature line: Where you sign to authorize payment

The MICR Line

The most critical element for check processing is the MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) line at the bottom. This contains three pieces of information:

• Routing number (9 digits): Identifies your bank
• Account number: Identifies your specific account
• Check number: Matches the number in the header

freecheckprint.com automatically formats the MICR line according to ANSI X9.13 specifications, ensuring banks can process your checks correctly.

Choosing Your Paper

You have two main options for check paper:

Plain Paper

Standard 20-24 pound bond paper works perfectly for occasional checks. You'll need to cut along the provided guidelines after printing. This option costs essentially nothing since you probably already have paper in your printer.

Check Stock

For a more professional appearance, use blank check stock paper. Look for "check on top" format, which places the check at the top of the page with perforations for easy separation. Check stock often includes subtle security features like watermarks.

Printer Requirements

You don't need a special printer for checks. Any modern inkjet or laser printer will work. Here are the key considerations:

• Resolution: At least 300 DPI for clear MICR characters
• Paper handling: Must handle letter-size (8.5" x 11") paper
• Ink type: Both inkjet and laser work fine; you don't need MICR ink
• Print quality: Use your printer's highest quality setting

Step-by-Step: Printing Your Business Check

1. Gather your information: Have your bank routing number, account number, business name and address, and payment details ready.
2. Go to freecheckprint.com: Navigate to the check printing page and enter your information.
3. Review the preview: Double-check all information, especially the routing and account numbers.
4. Print: Use high-quality settings and print at 100% scale (not "fit to page").
5. Cut if needed: If using plain paper, cut along the guidelines.
6. Sign: Always sign checks by hand—never print a signature.

Best Practices for Business Check Printing

Keep Good Records

Maintain a check register or use your accounting software to track check numbers, dates, payees, and amounts. Even though you're printing checks on demand, proper record-keeping is essential for reconciliation and tax purposes.

Secure Your Information

freecheckprint.com processes everything locally in your browser—your banking information is never sent to our servers. However, you should still treat your routing and account numbers as sensitive information. Don't leave check PDFs on shared computers, and secure any check stock you keep on hand.

Test Before Critical Payments

Before using a printed check for a large or time-sensitive payment, consider doing a test run. Print on plain paper first to verify alignment, then print on check stock. For important payments, you might even deposit a small check to yourself to confirm your bank processes it correctly.

Common Small Business Check Uses

• Paying contractors and freelancers
• Security deposits for office leases
• Vendor payments when wire fees aren't justified
• Estimated quarterly tax payments
• Insurance premium payments
• Equipment purchases from small suppliers

Getting Started

Ready to simplify your business check process? With freecheckprint.com, you can print your first check in about 60 seconds. There's no signup, no software to install, and no cost. Your information stays on your device, and you get a professional, bank-compatible check ready to sign and send.