Business firms in this era of technological advances are always looking for security, especially when it comes to money. What better way to secure money other than dealing with banks? As a result, millions of firms deal with checks and constantly find themselves running out of them.
If you are an owner of a business, and always in need of checks, it is wise to buy a check printer not only because it will save you money, but also because it is a great solution for minimizing the day-to-day hassle.
Since we know that your schedule is probably already full, we figured it will be better to compile a list of the best printers for printing checks, so you can look at it and decide for yourself.
Table of Contents
List of the Best Check Printers:
- MTI LaserJet Pro M402n MICR – Best Overall
- MICR Toner International Xpress M2020w – Runner Up
- Renewable Toner ImageCLASS LBP6030W – Best For Money
- Renewable Toner Laserjet M15w – Compact Sized
- VersaCheck HP Deskjet 3755MX – Best For Its Versatility
Our Top Picks:
Printer | MTI LaserJet Pro M402n MICR | MICR Toner International Xpress M2020w | Renewable Toner ImageCLASS LBP6030W | Renewable Toner Laserjet M15w | VersaCheck HP Deskjet 3755MX |
Weight | 22.1 lbs. | 8.8 lbs. | 14.65 lbs. | 10 lbs. | 5.13 lbs. |
MICR Brand | MTI | MTI | RT | RT | VersaCheck |
Connectivity | Ethernet | Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi direct | Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi direct | Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi direct | Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi direct |
No. of Checks per Toner Cartridge | 9,300 | 3000 | 4,800 | 3000 | 3000 |
Speed | 40 ppm | 21ppm | 19 ppm | 19 ppm | 8 ppm |
Monthly Duty Cycle | 80.000 | 1500 | 5000 | 8,000 | 1000 |
Price | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE | CHECK PRICE |
The 5 Best Printers for Printing Checks in 2024
1. MTI LaserJet Pro M402n MICR – Best Overall
This is an impressive laser printer for check printing if you need one for large companies. It can print 3,100 pages or 9,300 checks per toner with its MTI MICR toner.
Moreover, it is speedy at 40 pages per minute, and its duty cycle is 80.000, which is truly impressive! This speed and huge printing capacity will definitely save you a lot of precious time and reduce the hassle of your work.
Even though it does not accept wireless connectivity, it supports network connectivity via its Ethernet port.
- Very fast
- Great for large companies
- Very large printing volume
- Very high monthly duty cycle
- Expensive
- No Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi direct features
Bottom Line
This is an excellent printer for large companies that need to print large volumes in no time. However, it must be connected via a wire.
2. MICR Toner International Xpress M2020w – Runner Up
At an affordable price, this is on top of the list of the best printers for printing checks, as it will offer you the best experience, whether you use it at home or in an office.
It comes with MICR toner from no one but the very best MTI that is best known for its best printing solutions for check printing. It also saves you a lot of money since it prints about 1500 pages per month. If you compare this with the price of checks, you will notice the load of money it saves.
Xpress M2020w is also great with speed as it can print up to 21 pages in a minute, which translates to 63 checks in a minute, given that each page has almost three checks. Moreover, on a single toner, it can print up to 1000 pages or 3000 checks.
Regarding connectivity (which is so essential), this babe doesn’t only have an excellent wired connection, but can also be wirelessly connected to the LAN.
Moreover, it has an NFC feature, so you can use NFC compatible devices – like smartphones – to print directly.
- Has NFC feature
- Accepts wireless and wired connection
- Excellent printing capacity
- Speedy
- Not good with using conventional toner
Bottom Line
This is the most celebrated printer for check printing, given that it offers various impressive features without breaking the bank. Also, the wireless connection is a great plus because it enables the users to get a lot of printing done remotely.
3. Renewable Toner ImageCLASS LBP6030W – Best For Money
This is another nice printer that can print up to 1600 pages or 4800 checks per toner. However, it is a bit slower than its fellow printers. Also, it should be able to handle tons of checks daily, given that its duty cycle is 5000 pages per month.
This printer uses RT MICR toner and not MTI’s; however, it can still get the job nicely done. Moreover, it connects to a computer using a cable or wirelessly.
All of these features convey a sense of assurance that this printer won’t fail you if you need it for a medium-firm.
However, its main drawback is that it is a bit slow.
Given all the above, it is safe to say that you can use Renewable Toner ImageCLASS LBP6030W if you need to print a large quantity at a low price, and speed is not your priority.
- Relatively low price
- High printing volume
- Excellent for medium enterprises
- Slow
Bottom Line
If you need a printer for a medium enterprise or for printing a lot of checks, go for this one. However, you must put in mind that it is a bit slow.
4. Renewable Toner Laserjet M15w – Compact Sized
Like Renewable Toner ImageCLASS LBP6030W, this printer uses MICR toner from RT and not MTI, yet it gets its job done without any compromises.
If you think its ability to print 1000 pages per toner is great, how impressive would it feel when I inform you that it prints up to 3000 checks per toner! Pretty amazing, huh?
Moreover, it is very suitable for those who do not have much space to provide, because it is very compact, so it can pretty much fit anywhere.
Sadly, it is a bit slower than its fellow printers and relatively expensive. Also, you will have to buy the check printing software and MICR fonts separately.
- Compact size
- High yield of checks per toner
- Slow
- Expensive
- Check printing software and MICR fonts are separately sold
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a printer that can fit in tight spaces and prints an average of 3000 checks per toner, this one won’t disappoint you. However, you will pay a lot of money, and it is a bit slow.
5. VersaCheck HP Deskjet 3755MX – Best For Its Versatility
If you’re looking for a multifunction printer that does not only print checks but also scans and copies them, you have found the one! This is not its only individualistic feature as it also uses an inkjet instead of the usual laserjet.
This is an all-in-one machine that uses VersaCheck MICR Ink Cartridges. It is also easy to connect to because it accepts both wired and wireless connectivity.
However, its printing capacity is very low, given that it can only print 300 checks per toner cartridge, and its monthly duty cycle is 1000.
- All-in-one printer
- Prints, copies and scans checks
- Uses inkjet with cheaper replacement inks
- Very slow
- USB cable not included
Bottom Line
This is one of the best printers for printing checks if you are looking for versatility. However, if you are looking for speed or high printing capacity, stay away from this one.
How To Know That The Printer Is Good For Printing Checks?
1. Type of Printer
A laser printer is preferable for printing checks because it is faster. Moreover, monochrome printers have a lower cost per page. However, if you need to print graphs and charts, you better get a color printer. The inkjet type is better suited for graphics with high resolution.
2. Connectivity
The printer that accepts connectivity from various devices is more professional. For example, some printers accept connection from a USB port to connect to the computer or the office network via an Ethernet or wireless. Even greater printers have WIFI-direct, NFC connections and can even print from the cloud, phone, or tablet.
3. Efficiency
Even though the initial cost of some printers is expensive, you will find that they are cheaper than the ones that have a low initial cost. This is because expensive printers are usually equipped with energy-saving built-in features. They also save paper and ink, that you will find costly if you decide to buy them separately as accessories.
4. Printer Size
If you do not have much space, and if you need an easily portable printer, go for a compact printer; however, small printers lack many advantages that larger ones enjoy. For example, small printers do not have large and efficient cartridges.
However, if you decide on buying a large printer, you must also consider the space it will take with its trays open.
5. Printing Speed
Office printers must be very speedy in order not to compromise your work productivity. Without compromising the sharpness, a high-speed laser printer can print up to 20-40 pages per minute. However, speed is likely to vary depending on what you are printing. Images; for example, might take up more time than printing texts.
6. Duty Cycle
Would you like it if you got a printer and then had it broken because of how much you use it. I believe not! That is why it is crucial to inquire about the duty cycle (the number of times it can print per month) before buying it.
7. Quietness
Office work is a headache without the extra noise of a printer. It is better to buy a printer that does not make much noise to maintain a productive and healthy work environment.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I Print Regular Documents With a Check Printer?
Of course, you can. However, make sure not to waste your MICR ink on normal documents. Use regular toner/ink cartridges, instead.
Can My Regular Printer Print Checks?
It can if it accepts MICR cartridges. You just need to use proper paper and MICR fonts.
What is MICR, and Why Must I Use It to Print Checks?
MICR that stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition is a special kind of toner that prints characters at the bottom of a check. The Federal Reserve requires checks to be printed with MICR toner. It prevents fraud, identifies incorrect iron oxide levels, minimizes errors, and grants us security. Moreover, if you print checks with regular ink, they may get rejected more often.
Final Thoughts
Now that we have reviewed the best printers for printing checks, you are supposed to have a clear vision of the best products on the market. We also hope you have had an idea of what to look for in a printer for printing checks.
In case you are still a bit confused, let us sum it up.
If you are okay with spending lots of money, get MTI LaserJet Pro M402n MICR, if you want a fast one, or Renewable Toner Laserjet M15w, if you are okay with slow printing.
If you have a medium enterprise, get Renewable Toner ImageCLASS LBP6030W for its affordability and high printing volume.