ProMark MICR toner

The toner decides whether the check clears

ProMark™ MICR toner is the first polyester-based MICR toner in the industry. Independent testing puts its reject rate at 0.1% or lower, against an industry-typical range of 2% to 4%.

Most MICR toner is polystyrene-based. ProMark MICR toner is polyester-based, which gives it stronger cohesion properties and lets it withstand the higher temperatures inside a bank reader/sorter. That is the whole mechanism, stated plainly: the toner holds together where other toner begins to break down, so the magnetic signal on the line survives the trip.

We formulate the toner to work with each individual print engine rather than selling one universal product. A new printer is not added to the line until an exhaustive evaluation of its print engine, controller, and raster image processor is complete, and a toner has been developed to match that specific machine.

Ask about supplies Part numbers
A ProMark MICR toner cartridge on dark stone, ringed by a sweep of loose toner particles
Hands seating a ProMark MICR toner cartridge in a desktop MICR printer
Each cartridge is formulated for the print engine it goes into, not sold as one universal product.
0.1% ProMark reject rate, or lower Independently tested
2% to 4% Industry-typical MICR toner reject rate Industry-typical range
1st Polyester-based MICR toner in the industry Our formulation
5 Criteria evaluated on every formulation Per print engine, not per product line

Why a reject rate is a cost rather than a quality score

  1. A weak MICR signal

    A worn fuser, the wrong toner, or paper outside the specification.

  2. The bank rejects the item

    The reader/sorter cannot read it magnetically.

  3. Exception handling

    The item is processed by hand at the bank.

  4. A bank fee

    Charged on rejects above the rate your bank accepts.

The toner is the first link in that chain

ProMark MICR toner tests at a 0.1 percent reject rate or lower. The industry-typical range is 2 to 4 percent.

ProMark MICR toner independently tested on an IBM 3890 high-speed reader/sorter.

What gets evaluated

Five criteria, perfected for every printer

A team of chemists and engineers works the formulation for each MICR printer, so performance stays consistent across the life of the machine and adheres to national and international MICR standards.

Character signal strength

The measurement of the magnetic property of the toner. This is the one a reader/sorter reads directly.

Adhesion

The ability to adhere or fuse to the paper.

Cohesion

The ability of toner molecules to adhere to each other. The polyester base is what improves this.

Durability

The performance of the toner through multiple passes in reader/sorters.

Toner life

The measure of output expected per toner cartridge or bottle.

A macro view of black MICR toner particles scattered across a dark surface, lit so the individual particles separate

Particle size and consistency are what a per-engine formulation controls.

How a toner gets made

Four steps, repeated until the numbers hold

This is the part no supply purchase can replicate, and the reason our toner is not interchangeable with a generic MICR cartridge.

  1. 01

    Characterize the engine

    Fully configured standard printers are instrumented and tested, producing a performance database that describes the machine from first page out to full monthly duty cycle.

  2. 02

    Formulate to match

    That data is used to create a MICR toner matched to the printer, delivering the signal strength, optical density, adhesion, cohesion, and yield that ANSI and bank specifications require.

  3. 03

    Verify and iterate

    Candidate toner is evaluated by printing MICR lines and running them through a MICR verifier. Formulations change and the process starts again. E-13B and CMC-7 fonts are tuned to both the engine and the toner.

  4. 04

    Verify in production

    Every MICR printer we ship is tested, and its sample checks are evaluated on a MICR verifier for signal strength, character formation, and toner adhesion.

The standards behind it

  • MICR characters conform to a specification set by both the American Bankers Association and the American National Standards Institute.
  • Those standards are reviewed by the Accredited Standards Committee X9 Financial Services.
  • We are a standing member of the ASC X9B Committee on Paper Payment Systems.
A technician in safety glasses and a lab coat holding a small vial of black toner up to the light, with analytical instruments and sample trays on the bench behind

Formulating per print engine means a separate qualification for each one.

Part numbers

Toner, drums, and developer

Yields are stated at the coverage percentage for each part, which is not the same across the line.

Toner

PrinterPart numberItemYield
SP 3710DNM, P 311M10371000Toner Cartridge MICR5,000 at 4%
P 501M, IM 430FbM10501000Toner Cartridge MICR15,000 at 3.6%
SP C840DNM1084C000Print Cartridge MICR23,000 at 4%
SP 8400DNM10840000Toner MICR, one bottle50,000 at 4%
SP 3600DNM10451001Toner Cartridge MICR6,000 at 5%
SP 4510DNM10451000Toner Cartridge MICR, high yield10,000 at 5%
SP 4510DNM10451001Toner Cartridge MICR, low yield6,000 at 5%
SP 8200DN, SP 8300DN10820000Toner MICR, two pack72,000 at 5%
Pro 8310M, Pro 8320M10978000Toner Kit MICR ProMark, four bottles350,000 at 4%
Pro 8310M, Pro 8320M10978004Toner Kit MICR ProMark, four bottles, GB350,000
Pro 8310M, Pro 8320M10978005Toner Kit MICR ProMark, six pack2.1 million at 4%
Pro 8100, Pro 820010877600Toner Kit MICR ProMark, four bottles300,000 at 4%
Pro 8100, Pro 820010877601Toner Kit MICR ProMark, six pack1.8 million at 4%
Pro C7210XM1072C000Toner MICR ProMark, one bottle70,000 at 4%

Drums

PrinterPart numberItemYield
P 501M, IM 430FbM10501001Drum MICR40,000
P 501M, IM 430FbM, Canada10501003Drum MICR40,000
SP C840DNM1084C001Drum Unit MICR60,000
SP 4510DNM, SP 3600DNM10451002Drum MICR20,000

Developer

PrinterPart numberItemYield
Pro 8310M, Pro 8320M10978001Developer MICR ProMark900,000
Pro 8310M, Pro 8320M, GB10978006Developer MICR ProMark900,000
Pro 8100, Pro 820010877605Developer MICR ProMark, one bottle900,000
Pro 8100, Pro 820010877606Developer MICR ProMark, four pack900,000
Pro C7210XM1072C001Developer MICR ProMark, one bottleNot published

Yields are at 4% coverage unless stated. Part 1072C000 for the Pro C7210XM is rated at 65,000 to 70,000 impressions.

The MICR Performance Guarantee applies when all five are true

  1. A Rosetta Technologies branded printer

    Purchased in the United States or Canada.

  2. Bought from an authorized source

    Rosetta Technologies or an authorized reseller.

  3. Approved supplies

    Toner, developer, cartridges, maintenance kits and PCDUs.

  4. Rosetta Technologies MICR fonts

    E-13B and CMC-7 as supplied.

  5. Continuous maintenance

    An approved service plan or an approved provider.

All five, together

Miss one and the guarantee does not apply. Mixing standard and MICR parts is explicitly excluded.

What it pays: bank fees for rejected checks above the acceptable rate your bank sets, where Rosetta Technologies materials caused the rejection.

Common questions

MICR toner, answered

What makes MICR toner different from regular toner?

MICR toner carries iron oxide, which gives the printed characters a magnetic signature a bank reader/sorter can detect. Ordinary toner has no magnetic content, so a check printed with it looks correct to a person and carries no usable signal for a machine.

Why does a polyester base matter?

Most MICR toner is polystyrene-based. A polyester base has stronger cohesion properties, meaning the toner molecules hold to each other better, and it withstands the higher temperatures inside a reader/sorter. That is what keeps the magnetic signal intact through multiple passes.

Can I mix standard and MICR toner in the same printer?

No. Mixing standard and MICR toner cartridges or photoconductor drum units is both a print-quality problem and an explicit exclusion from the MICR Performance Guarantee. The workgroup printers support swapping the complete MICR assembly for a complete standard assembly, which is a different thing.

Is ProMark toner specific to each printer?

Yes. We formulate the toner to match each individual print engine rather than selling one universal product. A new printer is characterized from first page out to full monthly duty cycle, and a toner is developed against that performance data.

Get in touch

ProMark MICR toner for your print engine

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