MICR Fonts

Both the two MICR fonts used, E13B and CMC7, are defined under ISO 1004, which combines the requirements of ANSI (American National Standards Institution) and ECMA (European Computer Manufacturers Association), upon which all National MICR standards are based.

E13B code was introduced in 1959 by the ABA (American Bankers Association), automatically to process the rapidly increasing volume of cheques in circulation in the USA at that time. It is a block code based upon a 0.0013” matrix, and consists of 10 numerals and 4 symbols which identify the code fields. It looks like this:

E13B is currently the standard MICR code in North America, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Turkey, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, India, China, and throughout the Middle East and Pacific Rim.

CMC7 code was developed at around the same time by Compagnie des Machines Bull in France, and is a 7 bar code consisting of 10 numerals and 5 symbols (there is also a full alphabet, but this is very little used in the Security Printing Industry):

CMC7 is the standard MICR code used in France, Southern European countries, Israel, and throughout most of South America.

The two OCR codes commonly used are these:-

• OCR-A:
• OCR-B:

If you are unsure of the type of ribbon required in your area, Click here for a comprehensive list of countries using MICR E13B and CMC7 codes, and OCR codes.