AP Check printing setups for printing checks on your own

Question

HI
I am wondering if there a good document which deals with AP check printing with MICR and signature on your own check stock
thanks

Answer 1

Recently we started to deal with AP check printing in our organizatin. It was a daunting task with the information and resources scattered all over and missing critical pieces of information to make sense out of the whole process flow. We attempted to go through the AP check printing internally and succeded.
I decided to post the information for the benefit of people about the our experience
Check Printing Basics and Beyond for Printing Checks on Your Own
by
Sarma Chilukuri
This article deals with what is needed to get your own checks printed. It is a first attempt to uncover all the hidden rules that one should be aware to get your own checks printed. The first section deals with the basic AP check printing setup, while the 2nd half explores some of the flow of events that make it possible to print the check.
Part I – Basic Setup
AP Setup for check printing
There are multiple steps in the AP check printing. First set of steps deal with the AP side setups. The second step is to get the System side setups. The system side setup deals with printer setup and program options setups. The last step would be to make the print format files configured with the vendor provided escape sequences in the laser print format file.
Step 1: login as Payable Manager
Step 2: Bank Setup: Navigate to Setup: Payments > Banks
1.     Make sure the Bank # etc are present
2.     Tab to “Bank Accounts”, and make sure your account # has been setup
3.     On the Bank Accounts screen, tab to the “Payables Documents” and verify that Payment format (E.g., COK Laser Format) has been entered. This “Payment format links to next section where we associate it to the right payment program.
Fig 1. AP Payment Bank Setup Screen
Step 3: Program Setup (Setup: Payments > Programs)
As we know there are only 5 formats 3 of which are “Ever Green Laser” (APXPBFE G|L|F) which are explained in the AP Users Guide. For your own form printing, you have to associate the format to APXPFEL (laser format) program. Also, the APXPBFEL or APXPBFEF call the APXPBFEG, which is the base program that pulls the data from oracle base tables. APXPBFEL is the one which allows us to print the checks with MICR and signature on a plain paper not on a pre printed stationery.
Fig. 2 AP Payment Format Setup Screen
Printer Styles, Drivers setup
The above process summarizes the AP Setup. As a DBA, the printer setup needs to be validated. The base install provides the right setup to some extent. But the differences in printers and print queues may add some complexity to the final configuration. The following section discusses the set up the base install provides and changes as needed.
Step 1. Login as system Administrator
Step 2: Style (Install : Printer > Style)
Look for the “PORTRAITHPLJ4LASCHECK”. This one is associated with the SRW Driver Called, “APLASP” (AP Laser printer format).
Step 3: Driver (Install : Printer > Driver).
     1. The “PORTRAITHPLJ4LASCHECK” is associated with a “User Driver” of PORTRAIT for HPLJ4 and and a SRW driver of “APLASP”
     2. Also notice that there is an Initialization string at the bottom of it. This initialization string gets called as pre-report trigger for the APXPBFEG program (APXPBFEG.rdf) file. It sets the kind of format it should be. Please see the Appendix A for details on these printer pcl code translations. The Initialization string was as follows:
Initialization: /eE/e&l0o2a7C/e(s0P/e(8U
Step 4: Printer type (Install : Printer > Register)
Each printer type is associated with a set of styles. Make sure the printer that was selected has the above style and its associated driver listed against that.
Fig. 3 System Administrator Printer Seups
Step 5: Program Setup (Concurrent > Program > Define)
This step holds the key for check printing. It is necessary to define whether you need the check on top followed by the Stub or the other way around. The way it is controlled is based on the APXPBFEG.rdf, the report definition file and the APLASP.prt (Printer Style associate with the Portrait laser check format SRW driver). The APLASP.prt file ($FND_TOP/reports) has two identical setups called the 100 series and the 200 series. Those identical sets of setups define where the MICR and signature print on the check. The following table lists the some of the codes in the 100 series. Please refer to Doc ID #146452.1 for complete details.
Fig. 4 System Administrator Concurrent Program Definitions
CODE #     Code Definition
100     Electronic check activation string
101     1st Check #
102     2nd Check #
104     Deactivate check number mode string
111     Activate MICR line
112     MICR Deactivation / reset the printer head position
121     1st Signature
122     2nd Signature
141     Address font activation string
199     Return to default state string
Table 1. APLASP.prt -- MICR Activation Codes
The above code block repeats itself the same way in the 200 series. The decision to activate one way or the other controls the Check printing.
Step 2: Setting up the Option block
In the concurrent program definition for the APXPBFEL, there is an Options block in the middle. You need to list the codes that you want to activate. Please refer to Doc ID # 186640.1 for some explanation on these.
E.g.,
p_printer_code_mask="201,211,221,241" p_sig2_amount="" p_sig3_amount="" p_sig1_vendnum="" p_sig2_vendnum="" p_sig3_vendnum="" p_country_to_ignore="US" p_continuous_stationery="N"
Step 3: Output format is Text
Text format is sufficient, as the printer will pick up these escape sequences anyway.
Fig. 5 System Administrator Concurrent Program APXPBFEL Options Definition
UIPRINT.TXT, UIFONTS.ALI
One needs to be aware of a few more pieces in this puzzle. The UIPRINT.TXT identifies to the Oracle Applications the print queues that were setup. This file is needed to set your PCL / Post Script printer definitions. I did not have to really tinker with these files other than identifying the PCL and Post Script Q’s that were setup on the UNIX box.
Part II: Integrating all the pieces
The above setups are all documented in various articles. We need to understand a few more steps to see how all these pieces come together.
What you need to know about APXPBFEG.rdf
APXPBFEG (.rdf) is the report file which when called pulls the data from Oracle. If you open the APXPBFEG.rdf in the Oracle reports, there is initialization to the report called, SRW.Init. This will bring in the initialization string associated with the PORTRAITHPLJ4LASCHECK driver definition file. Also, please be very careful with this report format file. When you open it, there is small tiny empty block. in the first block which calls the printer initialization code 100/200 under the Format Mask (from APLASP.prt). If this portion gets changed or messed up, one can end up with some unexpected results. Each of those blocks like MICR, CHECK etc… have associated format triggers and printer codes.
Please make sure that the printer mask is properly handled. I noticed that the 200 series MICR (211) and Signature (221) printer masks were tied to 111 and 121 respectively. These should have been 211 and 221. The other place you need to be careful was the printer code before and after is proper.
For E.g.,
For the MICR, the ”printer code before and after columns “ should be 111 and 112 (or 211 / 212) respectively while Format Trigger should reference to 111 (211).
Fig. 6 APXPBFEG rdf file printer mask and Format Triggers
The escape sequences in the APLASP.prt file for these codes will play the crucial role in getting our format around the report output that gets generated from the APXPBFEG program. Please refer to the explanation of these escape sequence codes in the APPENDIX A.
At this point when you run the program, you will see that the formatted output report file will have all the initialization strings and the output associated with that. You can compare the fields and verify the results. Let us closely examine the parts of the 111 and 121 where the micr and signature prints. The key to this to code the escape sequences the right way to get the associate MICR and signature print out correctly.
Fig. 7 APXPBFEG rdf file MICR printer mask and Format Triggers
Code 111 and Code 112 from the APLASP.prt file.
I broke the line into pieces to illustrate the exact escape sequence code.
Code "211"
Part 1: esc "&f0S" esc "&f0y0X" esc "&l0E" esc "&a0L"
Part 2: esc "(8M" esc "(s0p8.00h8.0v0s0b80T" --- This will be provided by the ROM
Cartridge provider
Part 3: esc "&k15H" esc "*p3215Y" esc "&a13.8C"
code "212"
Part 1 : esc "&f1x3x8X"
Part 2 : esc "&f1S"
Let us go over these 2 sets of codes carefully.
Escape Code     Meaning     Comment
esc "&f0S"      Push Cursor Position     
esc "&f0y0X"     Define Macro ID 0 and Start Macro Definition     
esc "&l0E"      Define Top Margin at 0 Lines     
esc "&a0L"      Define Left Margin at Column 0     
esc "(8M"     8M Symbol SetNote : As per pcl codes this happens to be Font Primary JIS Math 8 symbol     MICR Part 1 : Provided by the Vendor from where you the ROM cartridge
esc "(s0p8.00h8.40s0b0T"     {Fixed Pitch}{pitch 8.00 cpi}{Font Style 8.40}{Medium Weight}{Typeface 0}     MICR Part 2 : Provided by the Vendor
esc "&k15H" esc "*p907Y"     Set HMI = 15/120" Vert position = 907 Dots     
esc "&a13.8C"     Move to Column 13.8     
     CODE 112     
esc "&f1x3x8X"     {End Macro Definition}{Call Macro}{Delete Macro ID}     
esc "&f1S"     {Pop Cursor Position}     At this point, the MICR gets printed
Table 2. Escape Sequences in APLAP.prt file Explanation
Fig. 8 APXPBFEG rdf file Signature printer mask and Format Triggers
The signature piece (221) has also similar meaning.
Escape Code     Meaning     Comment
esc "&f0S"     Push Cursor Position     
esc "*t300R"     300 DPI Graphics resolution     
esc "*p1500X"     Horiz position = 1500 Dots     
esc "*p650Y"     Vert position = 470 Dots     
esc "(4B" esc "(s1p53v0s0b102T"esc "&f0S!"     Symbol SetProportionalPoint Size 53UprightMedium WeightTypeface 102Push Cursor Position!     Vendor gave the us esc "(4B"esc"(s1p53v0s0b102T!"Note: the ! when the it pushes the ! and that is where it prints the signature piece. The first part forms the symbol set , say (4B and the later part forms the signature font and ! is the piece. I took the ! from the above and let it stay with the 3rd part of it so that signature does not print twice.
esc "&f1S"      Pop Cursor Position     
esc "*p+121Y"     Move down 121 Dots     
esc "&f1S"     Pop Cursor Position     
Table 3. Escape Sequences for Signature in APLAP.prt file and Explanation
Summary
One can print their own checks using the above steps. This can work as a cost effective solution for small organizations where the budgetary constraints are tighter. We are successful in getting the AP Checks printed using the above method.
References
Metalink Doc ID # 186640.1, Different Payment Formats …
Metalink Doc ID # 60936.1, Step by Step Guide to Setup a Printer in Oracle Applications
Metalink Doc ID # 250543.1, How to Create An Initialization String for a Payable Check Format
Metalink Doc ID # 48680.1, Accounts Payable FAQ – Payment Batch, Check
Metalink Doc ID # 1074792.6, Exclamation Point (!) Prints On Check When Using APXPBFEL And Cartridge
Metalink Doc ID # 158486.1, APXPBFEL Evergreen (Long Laser)
Metalink Doc ID # 146452.1, Listing of p_printer_code_mask Default Values for APXPBFEL
Chapter 2, Oracle Payables user guide
Appendix A
APLASP.prt printer codes explanation
code "200" esc "&l0o2a6d66p8.000c2e1x0l63f1H" esc "&k12.00H" esc "(8U"
esc "(s0p10.00h12.00v0s0b3T" esc "&k11.75H" esc "&a1l0R" control(M) esc"&f3005y4X"
{Portrait}
{Letter}
{6 LPI}
{Define Page Length to 66 Lines}
{Set VMI = 8.000/48"}
{Define Top Margin at 2 Lines}
{Select 1 Copies}
{Disable Perf Skip}
{Define Text Length as 63 Lines}
{Feed from Tray 1 (upper)}
0.1 esc "&k12.00H"
{Set HMI = 12.00/120"}
0.2 esc "(8U"
{Roman-8 Symbol Set}
0.3 esc "(s0p10.00h12.00v0s0b3T"
{Fixed Pitch}
{pitch 10.00 cpi}
{Point Size 12.00}
{Upright}
{Medium Weight}
{Typeface 3}
0.4 esc "&k11.75H"
{Set HMI = 11.75/120"}
0.5 esc "&a1l0R"
{Define Left Margin at Column 1}
{Move to Row 0}
control(M)
0.6 esc"&f3005y4X"
{Define Macro ID 3005}
{Enable Overlay}
code "201" esc "&f0S" esc "&a1.25r70C" esc "(8U" esc "(s1p14v0s3b4148T"
{Push Cursor Position} esc "&f0S"
1.1 esc "&a1.25r70C"
{Move to Row 1.25}
{Move to Column 70}
1.2 esc "(8U"
{Roman-8 Symbol Set}
1.3 esc "(s1p14v0s3b4148T"
{Proportional}
{Point Size 14}
{Upright}
{Bold}
{Typeface 4148}
code "202" esc "&f0S" esc "&a20.25r70C" esc "(8U" esc "(s1p14v0s3b4148T"
{Push Cursor Position}
2.1 esc "&a20.25r70C"
{Move to Row 20.25}
{Move to Column 70}
2.2 esc "(8U"
{Roman-8 Symbol Set}
2.3 esc "(s1p14v0s3b4148T"
{Proportional}
{Point Size 14}
{Upright}
{Bold}
{Typeface 4148}
code "211" esc "&f0S" esc "&f0y0X" esc "&l0E" esc "&a0L"
esc "(0Q" esc "(s0p8.00h8.40s0b0T" esc "&k15H" esc "*p907Y" esc "&a13.8C"
{Push Cursor Position}
11.1 esc "&f0y0X"
{Define Macro ID 0}
{Start Macro Definition}
11.2 esc "&l0E"
{Define Top Margin at 0 Lines}
11.3 esc "&a0L"
{Define Left Margin at Column 0}
11.4 esc "(0Q"
{0Q Symbol Set}
11.5 esc "(s0p8.00h8.40s0b0T"
{Fixed Pitch}
{pitch 8.00 cpi}
{Font Style 8.40}
{Medium Weight}
{Typeface 0}
11.6 esc "&k15H" esc "*p907Y"
{Set HMI = 15/120"}
{Vert position = 907 Dots}
11.7 esc "&a13.8C"
{Move to Column 13.8}
code "212" esc "&f1x3x8X" esc "&f1S"
{End Macro Definition}
{Call Macro}
{Delete Macro ID}
12.1 esc "&f1S"
{Pop Cursor Position}
code "221" esc "&f0S" esc "*t300R" esc "*p1500X" esc "*p470Y"
esc "(30C" esc "(4B" esc "(s1p53v0s0b102T!"
esc "&f0S!" esc "&f1S" esc "*p+121Y" esc "&f1S"
esc "&f0S"
{Push Cursor Position}
21.1 esc "*t300R"
{300 DPI Graphics resolution}
21.2 esc "*p1500X"
{Horiz position = 1500 Dots}
21.3 esc "*p470Y"
{Vert position = 470 Dots}
21.4 esc "(30C"
{30C Symbol Set}
21.5 esc "(4B"
{4B Symbol Set}
21.6 esc "(s1p53v0s0b102T!"
{Proportional}
{Point Size 53}
{Upright}
{Medium Weight}
{Typeface 102}
21.7 esc "&f0S!"
{Push Cursor Position}
21.8 esc "&f1S"
{Pop Cursor Position}
21.9 esc "*p+141Y"
{Move down 121 Dots}
21.10 esc "&f1S"
{Pop Cursor Position}
code "222" esc "&f0S" esc "*t300R" esc "*p1500X" esc "*p650Y"
esc "(30A" esc "(s0p.426h35.25v0s0b128T" esc "&f0S!"
esc "&f1S" esc "*p+141Y" esc "&f1S"
{Push Cursor Position}
22.1 esc "*t300R"
{300 DPI Graphics resolution}
22.2 esc "*p1500X"
{Horiz position = 1500 Dots}
22.3 esc "*p650Y"
{Vert position = 650 Dots}
22.4 esc "(30A
{30A Symbol Set}
22.5 esc "(s0p.426h35.25v0s0b128T"
{Fixed Pitch}
{pitch .426 cpi}
{Point Size 35.25}
{Upright}
{Medium Weight}
{Typeface 128}
22.6 esc "&f0S!"
{Push Cursor Position}
22.7 esc "&f1S"
{Pop Cursor Position}
22.8 esc "*p+141Y"
{Move down 141 Dots}
22.9 esc "&f1S"
{Pop Cursor Position}
code "241" esc "&a-100V" esc "&l5.8C" esc "(8U" esc "(s0p12.00h10.00v0s3b3T" esc "&k11.75H"
41.0 esc "&a-100V"
{Move up 100 Decipoints}
41.1 esc "&l5.8C"
{Set VMI = 5.8/48"}
41.2 esc "(8U"
{Roman-8 Symbol Set}
41.3 esc "(s0p12.00h10.00v0s3b3T"
{Fixed Pitch}
{pitch 12.00 cpi}
{Point Size 10.00}
{Upright}
{Bold}
{Typeface 3}
41.4 esc "&k11.75H"
{Set HMI = 11.75/120"}
code "299" esc "(8U" esc "(s0p10.00h12.00v0s0b3T" esc "&k11.75H" esc "&l6D"
{Roman-8 Symbol Set}
99.1 esc "(s0p10.00h12.00v0s0b3T"
{Fixed Pitch}
{pitch 10.00 cpi}
{Point Size 12.00}
{Upright}
{Medium Weight}
{Typeface 3}
99.2 esc "&k11.75H"
{Set HMI = 11.75/120"}
99.3 esc "&l6D"
{6 LPI}