Customize Your Personal Checks

Personal checks can be customized  any way you like. They don’t have to be plain. Check printing companies offer a variety of ways to put your own imprint on those checks, so that you can create checks that meet your particular needs or desires.

The thing to do is compare. The options may vary, including such things as choice of designs, personal message lines, one-time offers of a few personal checks or a free box with the second at a reduced price. Be aware that some check printing businesses offer these options only to first-time customers. Look around and evaluate such things as the number of personal checks and the terms of the transaction, designs and shipping costs.  Then compare the variables to determine which appeals most to you. Some companies may offer free recycled checks or duplicates to entice you into an upgrade. Some require a coupon code, so make sure if you have such a code that it is still valid.

Follow these steps to complete your process:

1. Select a design. Companies will vary in how many designs they offer that you can choose among, ranging anywhere from four to 25.  If the special you choose includes a second box free, you’ll be set for a long time.

2. Select lettering styles. Some companies may throw in a monogram or symbol next to your name and address or add a personal message line gratis.

3. Be certain of the status of a register to keep a record of checks. If the deal you opt for does not include a register, you may want to add one to your shopping cart.
If you love the design you chose, consider coordinating with other items such as address books or labels to extend the effect.

4. When your check order arrives, be certain to look at the invoice to ensure that the fees and terms are what you agreed to. If you are certain everything is as it should be, submit your payment.

5. Print a copy of the invoice so you have a record of all the shipping terms, estimated shipping dates and customer service number just in case a question should arise after the fact. A printed copy is easier to access if it is required than having to look up the details online if references are needed later.

Personalizing your checks can be fun and rewarding. There is such a wide range of designs and photos that appeal to almost any age, women, men and young buyers.

Check writing not going out of style

Although a pocket full of plastic has become the norm for many Americans when they shop and pay bills, the online sales of personal checks show that writing checks remains a very viable option for millions, the experts at coolchecks.net say. In fact, the country’s two largest producers of personal and business checks posted revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars from sales in 2009. Obviously, it is too soon to say that credit and debit cards have nudged checks entirely out of the picture. Companies such as coolchecks.net are nowhere near ready to throw in the towel and they continue to provide a wide choice for those individuals and companies that find checks the best way to do business.

The 2009 annual report from Deluxe Corporation showed that more than 63 percent of its $1.3 billion in revenues came from the sale of checks. And Harland Clarke noted that 72 percent of its $1.2 billion in revenues was related to checks and other personal items. The Federal Reserve estimates that some 33 billion checks are written in this country every year—no small number.

There is evidence that Americans, dealing with a depressed economy, are now paying the price for over-use of credit cards They have racked up more than $1 trillion in such debt, a 25 percent increase in the past five years., the Federal Reserve reports. The experts predict that a return to personal checks may be one solution to this trend. The tendency to make a flip-of-the-wrist credit card purchase may be cooled by the necessity of actually writing the amount of the purchase on a piece of paper, they say. The immediacy of the deal cancels out that false sense that “I don’t have to pay until later” that accompanies a credit purchase. Many people find a canceled check to be a more tangible method of keeping track of finances.

And if checks online are your choice, they should say something about you. Being able to make a personal statement with every use is one of the good reasons to use checks. Coolchecks.net has hundreds of designs ranging from the simply classic to the Disney whimsical, with nature, hobbies and personal interests in between. And they come at prices that are up to half what a bank would charge. Check us out.

Is There A Future For The Check Printing Business?

The check printing business has gone through hundreds of years of refining.  In the 1600′s, England began using checks as a way to eliminate the problem of carrying sacks of money. Checks did not become a popular way of conducting money transactions until the early 1900′s. By 1913, checks were widely used in the United States and by 1915, W.R. Hotchkiss had created Deluxe Check Printers, a leader in the check printing business  now called Deluxe Corporation.

As personal checks  became more and more popular, an overwhelming problem  developed.  The process by which the checks were sorted to the correct account number was painstakingly slow and expensive.

By 1952, there were approximately  8 billion checks a year that needed to be processed. On one day alone, there could be 69 million checks requiring sorting.

Dr. Kenneth R. Eldredge of the Stanford Research Institute to the American Banking Association, came up with a solution to the problem. His solution is well known today as MICR technology, which he patented in 1961. The patent number 3,000,000 was given to him. The patent office held this number for someone who would create a significant invention and they felt that this invention was significant.

MICR stands for magnetic ink character recognition.  Dr. Eldredge used a special type of ink toner that had iron oxide in it. When the check  was passed through a magnetic machine, the iron oxide particles  became magnetized. These created patterns which were then recognizable by the magnetic reader. This allowed for matching checks to checking account numbers.

A special font was selected to use with this technology. That font can be seen in the bottom left hand corner of any bank check. The first font was called “E-13B.”  The font has ten numbers and four symbols. This has been revised five times so the letter E was used to represent that. The 13 was  used to represent .013-inch which was the design of the font. The B represents the second revision to the system.

By 1963, a standard had been set by the banking industry. The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) recognized the MICR technology and the chosen font as the one to be used on all printed checks.

Many revisions have been made over the years, but this original technology paved the way for the check business.

In the 1980′s the check business was predicted to be on the decline because of the use of electronic fund transfers. Thirty years later, the check business is still hanging in there.

Deluxe Corporation, recently acquired Custom Direct checks for $98 million.  Deluxe reported sales of $1.34 billion dollars in the past 12 months. They are anticipating the new purchase of Custom Direct will  increase their revenues by $60 million. They have successfully positioned their company as a leader in checks sold directly to consumers and not through financial institutions.

Although technology makes electronic funds cheaper than processing printed checks, the check printing business is still thriving in 2010. With fierce competition between VistaPrint, Walmart, Checks In The Mail, Carousel Checks and Harland Clark, it seems that Deluxe Corporation is currently the leader in this industry.

Personal Checks

When we talk about checks, we picture these very formal, intimidating looking checks. Well, this is a thing of the past. Now we can express our own uniqueness and style even through personal checks. Who says banking and finance management can be this fun? Thanks to personal checks, the world of money and other things dealing with finance need not be so dull and boring. Now, we have the freedom to express and show our fun side through personal checks.

Personal checks can be an avenue to express ourselves. This just means we can choose almost anything, from cars to clothes, jobs to spouses, and means of payments to check styles. Having a personal check does not only spell F-U-N. Personal checks help people you make transactions with know you better through the designs of your checks. What a nice thing, isn’t it? Who knows, maybe through your check design, you can even gain more friends and new acquaintances.

A lot of people have been ordering their personalized checks lately. Aside from the design, a personal check also contains essential check details: contact information, check number, date, signature line, payee, amount issued, routing number and account number. It’s just like a bank check except that a personal check is a fun version of checks. You can use these personal checks to pay bills, when shopping and buying groceries. Like all bank checks, personal checks are drawn from a bank account. However, their use has been gradually declining because of more popular and convenient means of payment like debit and credit cards. But the thing with these plastic cards is that you cannot have them personalized. For those who want things personalized, these checks have a big edge. If you want to see your own face printed on the check, it is possible with personal checks.

Having your checks personalized has become so easy now. Using the internet, you are just a few mouse clicks away to getting your checks personalized. Whatever design you want, cartoon characters, holiday themes, pictures and faces, you name it and you’ll have them printed on your checks. Wonderful, isn’t it? You are sure to find something that matches your unique style.

Personal checks are not your usual unexciting bank checks. For those who want to spread fun through cool checks, have them personalized. The next time you make a payment using a check, you might want to have one with your favorite cartoon character as a background design. There is no greater thing than sharing your style and personality to others even in financial and banking worlds. Have your own personal checks done now and add fun colors to your payments and other transactions.

Designer Checks of Well Known Artists

Designer checks are becoming more popular this year. Some people may wonder what designer checks are?  It’s really no mystery. They are just really fun checks with designs on them that make them stand out from the regular and plain checks people are used to.

Check printing companies have the ability to print anything they want for the  background image on the checks that people order. So they have just jazzed up the scene and added some stylish, artistic styles of checks.

The background designs that you can enjoy include marbelized designs, tie dye themes, floral images, graphic designs in circles, triangles and any other shapes you can imagine. Gone are the days where your only choices where the safety blue background or the boring green safety backgrounds.

One special artist that has her designs on checks is Mary Engelbreit. She began her career as an artist at a very early age. When she was 10 years old she had a special place in her home that was deemed, the studio. She loved drawing and eventually began her first successful publications through a greeting card company.  She now has her own company called the Mary Engelbreit Studios. Her illustrations are available on personal checks, checkbook covers, debit card covers, address labels and bill organizers. They have a playful, childlike theme and give you that unique designer theme.

Another artist that has her artwork on designer checks is Kathy Davis. A world renown, respected designer, Kathy has created more than 15,000 designs. Coming from a career in teaching, her new artistic designs have helped her to succeed in these tough economic times.  In 2007, she was so successful that she was making $15 million dollars in annual revenue.

Her mission is to “scatter joy.” She is well known for helping people to create their most abundant life. Her illustrations can be found on greeting cards, personal checks, checkbook covers, stamps and a variety of other mediums. She is best know for her work in watercolors and her subjects are floral presentations and nature. The designs she creates are cheerful, using bright colors and a playful brush strokes. She has made a great contribution to the designer checks available now for you to enjoy.

Our last artist to discuss is Thomas Kinkade. His work is well known for the conservative old American themes. He often paints pictures of quaint homes, gardens, churches and has Christian based ideologies throughout his works. He often hides the letter N in his pictures in honor of his wife, Nanette. He sells his mass reproduced work throughout America and has earned as much as $53 million dollars for his artwork. In the line of printed designer checks, you’ll find some of his most famous church paintings with scripture verses on them as well as his garden designs. The designs are also found on address labels and checkbook covers.

With the large variety of designer checks available to the public now, there is no reason to not enjoy using them to brighten up your personal image and give you pleasure each and every time you write a check.

Personal Checks With Footprints In The Sand Poem

If you cherish the footprints in the sand poem and enjoy reading its message, then why not give it away to others to enjoy every time you write out your checks to pay bills. This is a great way to spread hope to the world and to people you wouldn’t ordinarily meet.

During these trying times in our economy, everyone could use a little hope especially the kind of hope that the footprints in the sand poem gives. It gives people that need encouragement more encouragement and also strengthens their faith in God.

Most everyone has heard about the footprints in the sand poem but many haven’t read it in a while. Just think when you write out a personal check and put it in the mail to be delivered, who knows how many people will stop and read the poem after its been opened. You’re spreading hope and helping encouraging many when you send inspirational words of encouragement like this while paying your bills at the same time.

Inspirational checks are a way to reach people all over especially on jobs. The most stressful places for the average person is at work and if you are sending your footprints in the sand poem check into retail stores or regular bill collectors, you will no doubt help someone’s day when they see your check.

Take the time to consider changing the way your personal checks look. Stop buying the same old boring standard bank checks. Consider inspirational checks that cost the same or many times are cheaper than the regular bank checks. This is a small way you can contribute to society and help lift a total strangers day by buying customized checks like the footprints in the sand poem personalized checks.

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