How do I align my printer for printing checks?

Aligning Your Printer for Check Printing in Quicken

Ensuring your printer is correctly aligned is crucial for printing checks accurately using Quicken. This guide walks you through the process of aligning your printer using both coarse and fine adjustments to achieve perfect check prints.

Do I need to align my printer?

Printer alignment issues, particularly for tasks like check printing, have become less common with modern printers, thanks to advancements in automatic alignment and calibration technologies. However, manual alignment may still be necessary for specialized printing tasks or when using older printer models. Always consult your printer’s documentation for the best practices specific to your device.

Setting Your Printer's Coarse Alignment

1. Initiate Coarse Alignment: Select the Coarse alignment option in Quicken. A message will appear, advising not to adjust your printer itself. This alignment step adjusts the starting position of checks in your printer.
2. Print a Sample Check: Click OK to print a sample. If the printing aligns improperly, you'll need to adjust the check's position manually.
3. Adjust the Pointer Line Position: Follow the on-screen instructions to adjust the pointer line position based on where the sample check indicates.

Tips for Coarse Alignment:

• If the pointer line isn't visible on the sample, avoid rolling the check forward. Instead, inspect the printer's interior to locate the pointer line.
• Disable any "skip-over-perforation" feature on your printer, as it may affect the pointer line position, consulting your printer's manual for guidance.
• Remember the successful check position for future reference, aiding in quick setup for subsequent printing tasks.

Setting Your Printer's Fine Alignment

1. Print a Full Page of Sample Checks: Choose to print a full page of checks for a comprehensive alignment test. Use blank paper if you're out of sample checks.
2. Examine the Dollar Amount Alignment: Check if the printed dollar amount aligns within the designated grid. Misalignment might indicate improper paper feed.
3. Make Vertical and Horizontal Adjustments: Use the provided grid to guide your adjustments in the vertical and horizontal fields, aiming to correct any misalignment.
4. Reprint and Evaluate: Print another sample to verify alignment adjustments. Repeat the adjustment process as necessary until satisfied.

Tips for Fine Alignment:

• For page-oriented printers, it's economical and convenient to test print on plain paper.
• Utilize the alignment grid to accurately measure necessary adjustments. Remember, one grid square equals approximately 10 units.
• Be mindful that full and partial pages of checks might require different alignment settings. Quicken remembers these settings separately to facilitate future printing.

Ensuring Compatibility and Correct Setup

• Always use Quicken-compatible checks for reliable printing.
• Verify your printer setup in Quicken to ensure it's optimized for check printing.
• Quicken automatically suggests starting with coarse alignment for continuous-feed printers or when significant adjustments are needed. Fine alignment is ideal for page-oriented printers and minor adjustments.

Additional Tips

• If you're printing wallet-sized checks and encounter alignment issues, switch the check style in Quicken to either Wallet checks or Wallet checks (Check 21). This option is found under File > Printer Setup > For Printing Checks in the check style section.

By following these steps and tips, you can align your printer for accurate and professional-looking check printing using Quicken.

Note for our Canadian Customers

The following terms will be different in the Canadian releases of Quicken.

Canada: "Cheque" / United States: "Check"
Canada: "Colour" / United States: "Color"
Canada: "Centre" / United States: "Center"
Canada: "Realise" / United States: "Realize"
Canada: "Behaviour" / United States: "Behavior"
Canada: "Analyse" / United States: "Analyze"