Burton MICR System Solutions

Choosing Paper Stock for MICR Printing...

The choice of paper stock can be critical in ensuring quality MICR printing. The right - or wrong - selection can significantly affect printer reliability; the resultant image quality can also affect performance in the high-speed reader/sorters that will process your documents. Following are a few guidelines for choosing paper that will meet or exceed MICR printing specifications.

Grades of paper stock

There are many types of paper stock in use today. The most common include:

Bond - The most common type of paper in use today. It has a strong, hard surface and is used in many applications, including laser printing and copying.

Rag bond - Often used for business letterheads, this paper is known for its strength, pleasing texture and attractive appearance. The surface quality is often unsuitable for laser printing, however, since toner often applies unevenly to textured surfaces. Papers with a high rag content are also stiffer and more apt to jam when used in laser printing.

Xerographic bond - Specifically designed for use in laser printing equipment, it is slightly rougher than duplicator paper, but smoother than other grades of bond paper.

Duplicator paper - Extremely smooth, moisture-resistant paper designed for use in spirit (alcohol) or gelatin duplication machines. Since they are very thin and lack body, duplicator paper is generally not suitable for use in laser printers.

Mimeograph paper - A rough, thick, open-weave paper stock made to absorb ink during the mimeographic printing process. Their extreme roughness is unsuitable for use in printers with roll fusing systems.

Offset paper - Designed for use in commercial offset and lithographic printers, this paper provides good surface strength and water resistance but tends to curl when used in laser printing applications. Often used for business letterheads when an expensive 'look" is desired without the actual expense associated with rag bond.

Multipurpose paper - There are a wide variety of multipurpose papers. Most attempt to combine the properties of several grades, such as bond and offset; however, they often end up compromising the qualities of each. It is usually better to choose a grade of paper specifically designed for your particular application.

Which one to choose?

Obviously, there is more than one factor to consider. Although many types of paper will run through a laser printer successfully, not every type will result in acceptable MICR characters. Here are a few characteristics to take into consideration when choosing a paper for MICR printing:

Weight - Sometimes called "basis weight", this literally defines the weight of a representative sheet in pounds per ream (a ream is usually comprised of 500 sheets) or, less commonly in the U.S., in grams per square meter. 24-pound paper would be a good weight for MICR laser printing, with 20-pound paper as the absolute minimum.

Smoothness - This is more important that most people realize. If the paper is too rough, the image may be "spotty" or incompletely formed; also, the toner may not fuse properly. As the roughness increases, the loss of print quality becomes more dramatic. ANSI specifications permit papers within a range of 50 to 200 on the "Sheffield smoothness" scale (which ranks the degree of surface irregularity, with 200 being the roughest surface). MICR printers generally perform best using paper with a Sheffield rating of 150 or below.

Grain - There is a directional grain which occurs naturally during the paper manufacturing process. This grain can affect performance. "Long grain" paper has been cut so that the fibers align with the long dimension; "short grain" is the opposite. A 24-pound paper that meets recommended stiffness and moisture content levels will perform equally well, irregardless of grain. However, paper less than 24 pounds should be used only in applications where the grain is parallel to the long dimension of the document (i.e., long grain if you are printing in "landscape" mode, or short grain in the "portrait" mode).

Temperature, moisture content and paper curl - A resin is added during manufacture to increase the paper's resistance to water. However, a given paper's moisture content will fluctuate, depending on weather conditions and how the paper is stored. Ideally, paper should be stored at approximately 60-75 degrees, in an area with 35-55 percent humidity.

Paper curl is a common problem directly related to moisture content. During manufacturing paper is formed into rolls; as a result, the paper will assume a curve which generally runs parallel to the grain. The amount of curl will fluctuate, depending on moisture content. The larger the curl, the greater the potential for paper jams. You will usually get the best performance out of your laser printer when the curl side of the paper faces upwards.

If paper has been moved from a storage area with different temperature and humidity levels, the paper should be allowed time to adjust to the new environment before it is used.

Reflectance - Paper used for printing MICR characters must meet a specific background color reflectance standard. This is measured using a Moore Model 082A or Macbeth PCM-11 device, and must be a minimum of 60 percent.

Perforated paper - Perforated paper must meet all of the above specifications, and then some, since it is much more prone to folding, binding or even tearing during the laser printing process.

If pre-perforated forms are being used, be sure to choose a perforation that allows the sheet to retain as much stiffness as possible. Also, be certain the form has been debossed. "Debossment" is a process in which the sheet is submitted to pressure rollers to eliminate the bulge on the underside of the perforation line. If this hasn't been done, the sheet will not feed properly and you may have some difficulty in stacking the finished forms.

Preprinted forms - When choosing preprinted forms for MICR applications, be certain the ink used does not contain any ferromagnetic properties that would impact reader/sorter performance. Inks should also be tested for compatibility with laser fuser assemblies.

Stiffness - The stiffness of a given paper measures its resistance to bending. Thick papers are usually stiff papers. Also, long grain paper is stiffer than short grain paper. All three factors (stiffness, weight and grain) work in concert to determine a paper's performance in a laser printing application, as well in high-speed reader/sorters.

Trimming and cutting - Paper for MICR applications must be as near perfectly square as possible, and free of defects such as edge padding or bent sheets, to ensure optimum MICR band registration. Paper converted from continuous form paper are not acceptable for use MICR applications.

Burton MICR System Solutions has available a wide range of papers and pre-printed forms specifically suited for MICR printing purposes. Check out our online selection or contact us for more information.

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