How do I print a check?

By: Stephen L. Nelson | Posted: 21st February 2008

You don’t need to print checks with Money. You can still write checks by hand. But Money lets you print checks easily, which can be a time saver—especially if you have a lot of checks to print.
To print checks in Money, you record the checks in the account register in roughly the same way—and then tell Money to print the checks. To print a check, take the following steps:

1. Display the account register.
To display the account register, click the account name listed in the Favorite Accounts area of the Money home page. Or click the Accounts & Bills link, and then select Account List to display a list of all your Money accounts. Then click the account you want.

2. Indicate that you want to record a withdrawal.
To tell Money that you want to record a withdrawal transaction, first click the Withdrawal tab in the transaction entry area. Then click the New button, select the Common Withdrawals list, and select Write A Check. Money opens up input boxes, or fields, in the transaction entry area that you use to record information about the
check you’re going to print.
34 Ask the Expert Guide to Microsoft Money 2001 - Electronic Edition

3. Specify that this check is one that Money should print.
Press the Tab key or click the mouse to select the Number box. However, rather than entering a check number in this box or asking Money to calculate the next check number, select Print This Transaction from the Number box—or type the word print
in the Number box.

4. Specify the date you want to print the check.
Select the Date box by either pressing the Tab key or clicking the mouse and then entering the check date. You can type a date using the regular date format, or click the box’s button to display a pop-up calendar that you can use to select the date.

5. Provide the name of the person or business you want to pay when you write the check.
Press the Tab key or click the mouse to select the Pay To box. Then enter the name of the person or business you are paying by printing a check. Alternatively, click the
Pay To box’s button so that Money displays a list of past payees. Then select a name from the list by clicking.

6. Record the check amount.
Press the Tab key or click the mouse to select the Amount box. Then enter the check amount. Or click the Amount box’s button to display a pop-up calculator you can use to calculate the check amount.

7. Categorize the check.
To categorize a check, press the Tab key or click the mouse to select the Category box. Next, click the Category box’s button so that Money displays a list of categories you can use to describe the reason for your check. Then click a category.
You can also record a subcategory for the check. To do this, press the Tab key or click the mouse to select the Subcategory box. Next, click this box’s button so that Money again displays a list—this time a list of subcategories. Then click a subcategory.

8. (Optional) Provide a memo description.
If you want to collect additional information about the check you’re printing, press the Tab key or click the mouse to select the Memo box. Then enter any additional information you want to record.

9. Record the check.
After you have correctly described the check, click the Enter button.

10. As necessary, provide the address.
Because you entered the word print in the Number box, Money knows this is a check to be printed. For this reason, when you record the check, Money searches for an address for the payee. If it doesn’t find one, Money requests the address using the Print Address dialog box. To complete this dialog box, simply enter the address information requested for the individual or corporation you're printing a check for. Do this by completely filling out
the Address, City, State, Zip Code, Phone Number, and Account Number fields supplied. Then click the OK button. Money uses this information to print the check in such a way that you can send it using a window envelope. Note, too, that the account number gets printed on the face of the check, so whomever you are paying
knows why you are paying. This bit of information is particularly important when you are paying corporations, limited liability corporations, and so forth, that have previously billed you. But sure to check the name and address block fits within the envelope. (This problem of names and addresses fitting is less of a problem when you're talking about individuals because the name and address information usually fits easily on three lines.)

11. Repeat steps 3–10 for the other checks you want to print.
In general, it’s more efficient to print your checks in batches. But you can, of course, print checks one at a time.

12. Tell Money to print the checks.
After you record one or more to-be-printed checks in a register, Money adds a “to do” list to the list of tasks along the left edge of the Money window. To indicate that you want to print checks, click the Print Checks task, which appears on this list.
Money displays the Print Checks dialog box, which asks you to confirm that you want to print all of the to-be-printed checks, asks for the number of the first check— this should be the same number that is printed on the face of the check—and asks
how many check forms are on the first page of the check form paper that you are going to put into the printer. Now is a good time to load the printer.
Answer these questions by clicking the appropriate buttons and entering the appropriate information in the text boxes. Then click the Print button. If you want to print a test check to make sure everything aligns correctly, or if you want to make
sure you loaded your forms into the printer correctly, click the Print Test button. If you want to print only a subset of the checks to be printed, click the Selected Checks button. Money then displays the Select Checks dialog box. After you print the checks, Money updates the check numbers recorded in the account register. All that’s left to do is sign and send them.

CPA Stephen L. Nelson is the author of do it yourself kits for
href="http://www.fasteasyincorporationkits.com/OhioCorporationKit.htm">Ohio incorporation,
href="http://www.scorporationsexplained.com/doityourself_OhioSCorp.htm">Ohio S corporation, and
href="http://www.llcsexplained.com/doityourself_Ohio.htm">Ohio llc formation.
This article is copyright
Printed From: http://www.articlealley.com/article_478285_19.html
Back to the original article