ANSI X9.7:1999 pdf download. Bank Check Background and Convenience Amount Field Specification.
This standard specifies the location and background design of essential check data fields and is intended for all business size and personal size checks.
1.2 Purpose
The intent of this standard is to:
a) establish the specific location for the convenience amount (amount in numerics)
h) standardize the design of the background for four essential data fields as well as the
Convenience Amount Area and the MICR Clear Area.
This revision of the standard has been expanded to include the entire front of the payment document and to fleet the Current requirements [or electronic imaging of checks. These new requirements have an incorporation date of December 31, 2000 to allow the industry participants time to prepare for implementation.
This revised standard maintains the previous specifications for the design, location, reflectance and PUS of the dollar amount field. Adherence to this standard has become more important as more payments are automatically scanned and amount recognition is performed by machine. It is important that the design and location of the dollar amount field he standardized to allow recognition algorithms to efficiently locate the amount and the background of the amount field should not contribute to any errors in the reading of the dollar aniount.
New to this revision of the standard are background requirements for other essential data fields on the check. The processes of electronic scanning and imaging of checks as well as microfilming necessitate the use of adequate information contrast with respect to the check background: