Introduction

Many management companies wish to print checks with a prepared signature on them. This can be accomplished by installing both a MICR font and a signature font onto the specific printer the checks will be printed on. For security reasons, signatures should never be put into a ".pdf" file, since, by definition, these are portable documents. Consequently, a method has been developed that not only maintains security but ensures that checks are only printed locally, on management company printer(s).

There are certain steps users need to go through to ensure their checks properly print with a signature on them. Only one signature can be placed on a check, due to the variable nature of these font sizes. In addition, signatures can be limited to only those checks that do not exceed a pre-determined amount. This pre-determined amount must be set in the bank account and can be overridden for any specified vendor. In other words, a vendor limitation always supercedes the bank account limitation.

The steps to take are as follows:

1. Make sure the Bank Account(s) are set up for a signature.

   

2. You must enter a dollar limit for this bank account. If a check exceeds this limit then no signature will be printed on the check. If no amount is entered no signature will be printed unless a limit is entered for a vendor and a signature is defined.
3. Print the checks via an A/P check-run process. Make sure you check the "Print Signature(s) on Checks" checkbox.
4. When the "Print Manager" form appears the "Send PCL print file to FTP directory" checkbox is checked (leave it).
5. Use Bitvise SSH Client (or some other sFTP client) to transfer this print file to your PC desktop, or some other location specified in the "Print-PCL-Check" script.
6. Rename the file to that specified in the "Print-PCL-Check" script.
7. Double-click the "Print-PCL-Check" script icon on your desktop. This will send the PCL print-file to the network printer specified in this script. It will be printed in "binary-mode", which is very important.
8. Finally delete the print-file you just printed.

The "Print-PCL-Check" Script

It is important to know that this script is designed to send a PCL file, which includes all printer control commands, including font selection(s), to a defined printer. Two things are essential:

1. The 'lpr' feature has to be installed on the Windows computer that will run this script.
   • Go to Windows Programs and Features.
   • In the left side of the window click on "Turn Windows features on or off".
   • Open "Print and Document Services".
   • Check "LPR Port Monitor".
   • Click the [Ok] button and wait while this feature is installed.

   

2. The variables have to be modified inside the script to ensure all works properly in your environment.

The script is a very simple command that sends the defined print-file to the network printer (in "binary mode"), where the signature font resides. This is important. This script is provided by Advantos. It will be sent via email and the user simply has to drag this script onto their desktop. When a batch of checks is prepared the user will use the SSH Client to drag the print file from the 'Ftp' directory to your desktop then double-click the ".bat" file to actually send the print file to the defined printer.

As noted above, this script uses the "lpr" command, which is a linux command. Windows doesn't normally install this command by default. So, make sure it is installed.