Even as digital payments dominate the financial industries, there remains a demand for printed checks.
Checks descend from ancient instruments of credit and exchange. Early precursors appeared in Mesopotamia and Persia, where clay tablets served as promissory notes enabling merchants to avoid carrying large sums of currency. By the 9th century, the Islamic world used written payment orders called sakk, the linguistic ancestor of the check. These instruments spread to Europe by the 13th century, where Italian banking families such as the Medici formalized their use for long-distance trade.
Checks arrived in America during the colonial era, with the first recorded U.S. check written in 1681. By the late 1800s, checks had become central to American commerce, aided by standardized federal banknotes and expanding rail and telegraph networks that improved clearing efficiency.
The U.S. Civil War era marked a turning point. Federal laws discouraged banks from issuing their own currency, pushing them toward checks as a standardized payment method. This shift required a national clearing system, which remained slow and costly until the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 created a unified clearing framework and eliminated "non-par" banking.
After World War II, check usage surged. The Federal Reserve reported growth from 8.5 billion checks in 1952 to over 85 billion by 1995, making checks the dominant non-cash payment method.
Key innovations included standardized check sizes and layouts; routing and account numbering systems; magnetic ink character recognition (MICR), enabling automated reading of routing and account numbers; and mechanical proofing machines, increasing processing speed from 33,000 to 100,000 checks per employee per hour. By the late 20th century, check printing had become a specialized industry focused on secure document production, fraud prevention, and high-volume fulfillment.
Despite predictions of extinction, checks remain widely used. In 2021, 52% of consumer and business checks were deposited as images, up from 22% in 2015, reflecting the shift toward digital processing rather than the disappearance of checks themselves. Businesses continue to rely on checks for insurance and medical payments; B2B transactions; government disbursements; rent, utilities, and vendor payments; and high-value transactions where physical documentation is preferred. Even today, Americans write over 20 billion checks per year, and checks remain valued for their simplicity, low fees, and independence from Internet access.
Traditional check printing involved manual writing, envelope stuffing, and postal mailing processes prone to delays, errors, and fraud. Modern check printing companies now offer cloud-based check creation platforms; automated printing and mailing; address cleansing and validation; same-day mailing; security features such as watermarks, microprinting, holograms, and chemically sensitive paper; and integration with accounting software. Outsourcing check printing has become common, allowing businesses to reduce labor, improve security, and streamline operations.
Some of the major players in the check printing industry today include Superior Press, SmartPayables, Deluxe Corporation, Harland Clarke/Vericast, CheckWorks, and Checks Unlimited.
Even as ACH, credit cards, and mobile payments grow, checks retain advantages, such as physical documentation for audits and recordkeeping, decentralizaton (no reliance on Internet or third-party apps), customizability for branding and security, low transaction fees, and compatibility with legacy systems used by governments, insurers, and large enterprises.
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The Check Gallery is a consumer check-printing retailer that offers personal and business checks, checkbook covers, and address labels. They can provide a wide range of themed personal check designs (animals, nature, charitable causes, scenic art, high-security formats) and accessories, as well as designs tied to causes such as wildlife protection, cancer awareness, and environmental groups. Its pricing and promotional offers are featured, and contact information is available.
https://www.checkgallery.com/
The personal check-printing company sells customizable paper checks, checkbook covers, deposit slips, and related accessories. Operating entirely online, they emphasize low prices and print checks that meet ANSI X9 banking standards. The U.S.-based e-commerce company specializes in personal checks in many designs, checkbook covers, address labels, deposit slips, and fraud-protection add-ons, such as SentryShield. Their website references a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
https://www.checks.com/
A long-established personal check printer, Checks Unlimited offers a large catalog of designs, accessories, and security-enhanced check options, including personal checks, special edition checks, high security checks, checkbook accessories, and businessd check options for small businesses. Security features include SentryShield check fraud protection, SentryShield Pro, and high-security check stock. Its promotions and pricing are highlighted, and reordering is streamlined through its system.
https://www.checksunlimited.com/
Originating as Bank Printing Company in 1922, the company was acquired by Main Street Checks in 2019, and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama. CheckWorks is a check manufacturer and online retailer that sells directly to consumers as well as to banks and credit unions. Its website emphasizes low prices, designer check styles, security paper, and U.S.-based labor. Their products and services are highlighted on its website, which includes promotional offers, guarantees, and contacts.
https://checkworks.com/
Founded in 1915 and headquartered Minneapolis, Minnesota, Deluxe Corporation, Deluxe is one of the largest commercial check printers in the United States by volume, and known for its national scale, security features, and long-standing relationships with banks. The company competes in multiple sectors, including payment processing, business services, and check printing. Its products, services, and clientele are highlighted, and its products may be ordered online.
https://www.deluxe.com/
Acting as the consumer-facing check-printing arm of Vericast, this is a portal for ordering secure personal or business checks. This site is designed to funnel visitors into two actions: ordering checks or accessing customer service. Its core service is producing secure personal and business checks for banks and credit unions across the United States. It provides direct access to order status and customer service, highlights security features, and offers guidance for avoiding check fraud.
https://www.harlandclarke.com/
The full-service check printing storefront offers personal checks, business checks, high-security formats, and a wide range of accessories. Geared for both individuals and small businesses looking for secure, customizable check products, its products are divided into categories: business checks, personal checks, high security checks, tax forms, checkbook covers, and business accessories. Business check kits designed to cover payroll and general operations are also available.
https://www.samsclubchecks.com/
Superior Press is a bank-focused treasury services and fulfillment company that provides banks with check printing, treasury supply fulfillment, remote-deposit hardware distribution, cash-vault supplies, and conversion/onboarding support for commercial banking clients. Superior is a specialized treasury-services vendor founded in 1931 and based in Santa Fe Springs, California, operating as a one-stop outsourced supply and hardware fulfillment partner for banks.
https://www.superiorpress.com/
