ANSI X9.27 : 2000

PART 1: PRINT SPECIFICATIONS
1 SCOPE AND PURPOSE
   1.1 SCOPE
   1.2 PURPOSE
2 REFERENCE AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS AND TECHNICAL
   GUIDELINES
3 DEFINITIONS
4 GENERAL INFORMATION
   4.1 PLACEMENT OF MICR CHARACTERS
   4.2 DOCUMENT BACKGROUND
   4.3 PAPER FOR CHECKS
5 CHARACTER CONFIGURATION
   5.1 DESIGNATION
   5.2 DIMENSIONS
6 CHARACTER SPACING AND ALIGNMENT
   6.1 SPACING
   6.2 ALIGNMENT
7 CHARACTER SKEW
8 CHARACTER TOLERANCES
   8.1 DIMENSIONS
   8.2 AVERAGE EDGE DEFINITION
   8.3 AVERAGE EDGE TOLERANCE
   8.4 EDGE IRREGULARITY TOLERANCE
   8.5 MINIMUM WIDTH OF HORIZONTAL BARS
9 VOIDS
   9.1 MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE SINGLE VOIDS
   9.2 MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE COMBINED VOIDS
10 UNIFORMITY OF INK DISTRIBUTION
11 EXTRANEOUS INK
   11.1 MAGNETIC
   11.2 NONMAGNETIC
   11.3 EXTRANEOUS INK FRONT
   11.4 EXTRANEOUS MAGNETIC INK BACK
12 DEBOSSMENT
13 EMBOSSMENT
14 SIGNAL LEVEL
   14.1 DEFINITION OF SIGNAL LEVEL
   14.2 NOMINAL SIGNAL LEVEL
   14.3 RELATIVE SIGNAL LEVEL
   14.4 RESIDUAL SIGNAL LEVEL
15 FORMAT
   15.1 REFERENCE EDGES
   15.2 CLEAR BAND (MICR)
   15.3 OPTICAL CLEAR BAND
   15.4 LOCATION OF THE MICR ENCODING STRIP AND PRINTING
        WITHIN THE CLEAR BAND
16 OPTICAL CLEAR BAND BACKGROUND
   16.1 GENERAL
   16.2 BACKGROUND REFLECTANCE
   16.3 PRINT CONTRAST SIGNAL (PCS) - MAGNETIC INK PRINTED
        CHARACTER
   16.4 PRINT CONTRAST SIGNAL (PCS) - WITHIN THE BACKGROUND
17 PERMANENCE OF MICR PRINTING
   17.1 PERMANENCE SPECIFICATION
ANNEX A - DEBOSSMENT
PART 2: CONFORMANCE TESTING
1 SCOPE AND PURPOSE
   1.1 SCOPE
   1.2 PURPOSE
2 REFERENCE AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS AND TECHNICAL
   GUIDELINES
3 DEFINITIONS
4 ACCEPTANCE SAMPLING (INFORMATIVE)
5 DIMENSIONAL/VISUAL MEASUREMENTS
   5.1 CHARACTER SPACING
   5.2 CHARACTER ALIGNMENT
   5.3 CHARACTER SKEW
   5.4 CHARACTER DIMENSIONS
   5.5 EDGE IRREGULARITY TOLERANCES
   5.6 MEASUREMENT OF VOIDS
   5.7 UNIFORMITY OF INK
   5.8 EXTRANEOUS INK (FRONT AND BACK)
   5.9 DEBOSSMENT AND EMBOSSMENT
6 SIGNAL LEVEL MEASUREMENTS
   6.1 GENERAL
   6.2 SIGNAL LEVEL CALIBRATION
   6.3 RELATIVE SIGNAL LEVEL CALCULATION
   6.4 RESIDUAL SIGNAL LEVEL
7 REFLECTANCE AND PCS
   7.1 GENERAL
   7.2 REFLECTANCE AND PCS EVALUATION
   7.3 CAUTIONS
   7.4 MEASUREMENT METHOD
8 PERMANENCE CONTROL AND TESTING
   8.1 TESTING METHODS
   8.2 PERMANENCE EVALUATION AREAS
ANNEX A
  A.1 INTRODUCTION
  A.2 TEXT REFERENCES FOR QUALITY CONTROL AND INSPECTION
  A.3 REFERENCES FOR ACCEPTANCE SAMPLING PLANS
ANNEX B - SOURCES FOR EQUIPMENT FOR MEASURING DEBOSSMENT AND
          EMBOSSMENT
  B.1 THE LIGHT SECTION MICROSCOPE
  B.2 STYLUS PROFILOMETER
PART 3: SECONDARY REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
1 SCOPE AND PURPOSE
   1.1 SCOPE
   1.2 PURPOSE
2 REFERENCE AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS AND TECHNICAL
   GUIDELINES
3 DEFINITIONS
4 SECONDARY REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
   4.1 DEFINITION OF SECONDARY REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
   4.2 PURPOSE
   4.3 REQUIREMENTS
   4.4 SIGNAL LEVEL REFERENCE MONITORING
5 WAVEFORM UNIFORMITY OF SECONDARY REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
6 TEST EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATION FOR MEASURING SIGNAL LEVEL
   FROM SECONDARY REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
   6.1 DOCUMENT DIRECTION
   6.2 DOCUMENT SPEED
   6.3 DC MAGNETIZING WRITE HEAD
   6.4 MAGNETIC READ HEAD
   6.5 DOCUMENT PRESENTMENT TO MAGNETIC READ HEAD
   6.6 AMPLIFIER REQUIREMENTS
7 CONFORMANCE TESTING OF TEST EQUIPMENT FOR MEASURING SIGNAL
   LEVEL
   7.1 TRANSPORT SPEED
   7.2 DOCUMENT DIRECTION
   7.3 WRITE HEAD MAGNETIC POLARITY
   7.4 AMPLIFIER EVALUATION
   7.5 MAGNETIC READ HEAD EVALUATION
   7.6 EVALUATION OF THE ENTIRE READ SYSTEM
   7.7 WRITE HEAD TESTS
   7.8 REPEATABILITY TESTS
8 WIRE CARD CALIBRATION
   8.1 WIRE CARD CONSTRUCTION NOTES
   8.2 WIRE CARD CALIBRATION (WCC) PROCEDURE
9 ACCURACY OF MEASURING SIGNAL LEVEL
10 REPEATABILITY OF MEASURING SIGNAL LEVEL
ANNEX A
  A.1 THEORETICAL WAVEFORMS
  A.2 ASSESSMENT OF WAVEFORM NON-UNIFORMITY
ANNEX B
  B.1 AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT
  B.2 AMPLIFIER FREQUENCY PLOT
  B.3 MAGNETIC READ HEAD FREQUENCY RESPONSE
  B.4 SYSTEM FREQUENCY RESPONSE PLOT
ANNEX C - AMPLIFIER MODULE
ANNEX D - AMPLIFIER PARAMETERS AT OTHER TRANSPORT SPEEDS
ANNEX E - COMMERCIAL SIGNAL LEVEL TESTERS
ANNEX F - CPSA SECONDARY REFERENCE DOCUMENT CERTIFICATION
          PROCEDURES
  F.1 SCOPE AND PURPOSE
  F.2 CERTIFICATION PROCESS
ANNEX G - SUPPLEMENTAL REFERENCES FOR MAGNETIC ANALYSIS
  G.1 EXTENDED SIGNAL LEVEL CALIBRATION DOCUMENTS
  G.2 WAVEFORM REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
  G.3 ANCILLARY DOCUMENT CALIBRATION
ANNEX H - SOURCES FOR SECONDARY REFERENCE DOCUMENTS
Figures
TABLES

Specifies the shape, dimensions, magnetic signal level, and tolerances for the ten numerals and four special symbols printed in magnetic ink and used for the purpose of character recognition. Describes the various known types of printing defects and other printing considerations, together with the tolerances permitted. Specifies the conformance testing requirements for the Part 1 requirements. Specifies the requirements for secondary reference documents and the equipment for calibrating and maintaining their signal level.