Xerox 6180N Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide  - Page 43

Paper facts • Watermark: A variation that is made in the opacity of the paper during manufacturing. An artificial watermark is typically a white ink image that is printed on the back of the check. • Drop-out ink: Very low density ink that is used to print a message, usually on the back of the check • Thermochromic ink: An ink that is used to create an image that changes color when warmed by a finger Alteration prevention The most common security features for detecting alteration of forms include: • Security backgrounds: Patterns printed in the check background that show any attempt to alter the image. Regular patterns are preferable; irregular patterns may merge with altered areas. • Fugitive inks: Inks that run when they come in contact with liquids Application design Intelligent application design can provide additional protection against alteration. • In left- and right-fill fields, pad any open space with additional characters. Asterisks (*) are recommended to fill in the convenience amount field (the amount written in numerals). • Redundant data-duplicate information, such as the amount written in both numbers and words-makes altering the valid check data more difficult. • Fonts with large, wide-stroke characters are more difficult to alter than small, narrow type faces. Numbered stocks Preprinting sequential numbers on the sheets of MICR stock is a useful tool for tracking stock usage. Numbered stock is helpful for determining the number of sheets that were used for a check printing job, reconciling against the size of the job and the number of sheets that were used but not issued as checks. Following are some points to note for using numbered stocks: Generic MICR Fundamentals Guide 3-15