White office laser printer with a freshly printed sample check sticking out of its output tray, laptop beside it

Printing Checks From QuickBooks or Sage on Blank Stock, Step by Step

ACOM Business Solutions

QuickBooks does not print the account and routing numbers onto blank check stock on its own: Intuit says QuickBooks Online does not directly support it and points to add-ons such as PrintBoss, MultiCHAX and VersaCheck. Sage 50 can do it if you add the numbers to the check form in a MICR font, and Sage Intacct has a blank-stock option built into each checking account.

What you need before you open the software

Gather these first, because every package below assumes them.

  • Blank check stock. ACOM's secure blank check stock comes in top, middle and bottom check layouts.
  • A laser printer that can use MICR toner, and MICR toner for that exact model. Sage Intacct's printing guidelines say to use a dedicated, high-quality laser printer with a reliable sheet feeder and a MICR toner cartridge. See ACOM's MICR toner and MICR printers.
  • Your bank's MICR specification. Intacct notes that each bank has its own.
  • A MICR gauge, which Intacct says most office supply stores sell.

QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop

Intuit's page on printing checks on blank check stock (updated August 2026) says QuickBooks Online does not directly support blank stock and lists three third-party tools: MultiCHAX, VersaCheck Gold and PrintBoss. PrintBoss says it works with QuickBooks Online and Desktop.

PrintBoss's FAQ describes the setup for QuickBooks Desktop. Other add-ons will differ, so treat this as one example and follow your vendor's guide.

  1. Set up each bank account in PrintBoss with its account and routing numbers.
  2. In QuickBooks, open File, then Printer Setup.
  3. Under Form Name, choose Check/Pay Check.
  4. On the Settings tab, set the printer name to PrintBoss 50.
  5. Set Printer Type to Page-Oriented (single sheets) and Check Style to Voucher.
  6. Check Print company name and address, then click OK.
  7. Print checks from QuickBooks as you normally would. PrintBoss receives the payee, amount and company data, picks the matching bank record and prints the complete check.

PrintBoss warns that a QuickBooks update can clear the "Print company name and address" box, which makes PrintBoss pick the wrong bank record. If the wrong account prints, check that box first.

Sage 50

Sage's knowledge base article, How to print MICR fonts on checks, covers Sage 50 Accounting. It says printing a complete check needs a specialized ink, printer and font, and that Sage's recommended practice is to buy forms from Sage. Support will not help with third-party products. The steps are:

  1. Install a MICR font on the computer (Sage 50 Cloud users must ask Sage Support to install it).
  2. Go to Reports & Forms, then Forms, then Checks or Payroll Checks, pick the form and click Customize.
  3. Click Add, then Text, and type the account number.
  4. Right-click the text field, choose Font and select the MICR font.
  5. Repeat for the routing number.
  6. Drag both fields to the position on the form your bank requires.
  7. Save the form under a new name.
  8. Print a test check, and take it to your bank.

Sage also notes that the transit and on-us symbols come from particular characters in the font. The article gives the mapping for its example font, so check the characters for the font you installed.

Sage Intacct

Intacct handles it per bank account. In the checking account setup, open the Check printing tab and set Print on to Blank check stock (MICR printer ink required). Then:

  • Enter the routing number and account number on the account's detail fields. For blank stock, the routing number is the nine-digit number printed at the bottom of the check.
  • Choose a printing format. Standard prints most quickly. Business prints amounts in a font that makes alteration difficult.
  • In the MICR section, adjust the account number alignment or positioning only if your bank asks. Set the check number length if your bank wants zero-padded numbers (the minimum is 6 digits). Turn on the On-Us symbol position (31 or 32) if your bank requires it, and ask the bank for its MICR specification sheet if you are unsure.
  • If your laser printer shifts the MICR line, Intacct lets you adjust the whole PDF check image relative to the top-left corner of the sheet.

Intacct's print settings advice: load stock in the cassette tray, preview the PDF in Adobe Acrobat, print as image, and clear the fit-to-page and shrink options.

Test before you print a run

Print one check on blank stock at actual size, slide it under a MICR gauge and compare it with the bank's spec. Then take a test check to your bank. If it is rejected later, our guide to setting up a printer for MICR checks is a good second read.

Frequently asked questions

Can QuickBooks print on blank check stock without an add-on?

According to Intuit's page, QuickBooks Online does not directly support it. PrintBoss says QuickBooks itself can only print preprinted top checks.

Does one blank stock work for all my bank accounts?

With an add-on that stores each bank record, yes. Intuit says MultiCHAX and PrintBoss let you use one blank stock for every account. In Sage Intacct, you set the check stock per checking account.

Do I need MICR toner if I only use a MICR font?

Yes. Sage says the account and routing numbers must be printed in MICR ink.

What size check should I buy?

That depends on the layout your software supports. Top, middle and bottom positions are all common, and Intacct's setup includes a paper-format setting for exactly that.

Talk to us

Questions about check stock, MICR toner or printers? Call ACOM Business Solutions at 800-891-7899 or use the contact page.

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