Adding a Check Setup for Employees

Note: If a check-writing software is used to print checks (and direct deposit stubs, if applicable), follow the instructions for Adding a Check Setup for Employees and Payees for Use with a Check-Writing Software instead.

From the Payroll screen, select the Maintenance menu and then Check Setup - Employees.
At the Check Setup - Employees screen, click the New Record button.
Click the General tab to complete the general information and settings for the new check setup.

Enter a unique name for the check setup in the Report Name field. The name can be alphanumeric and up to 255 characters long.

Complete the Page Settings section for the check setup:
Enter the desired page orientation (Portrait or Landscape) for the new check setup in the Orientation field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. To print the checks or direct deposit stubs with the long edge of the paper down the side, enter Portrait. To print the checks or direct deposit stubs with the long edge of the paper on the top and bottom, enter Landscape. The default of Portrait will appear (unless Landscape is set as the default in the Report Writer Defaults option if the district has the Report Writer module), but can be changed.
Enter the distance in inches from the top edge of the paper to where the information should start printing on the checks or direct deposit stubs in the Top Margin field. The margin cannot be greater than 2 inches, but can be up to 4 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable. The default of 0.50 for one-half inch (or other specified margin as designated in the Report Writer Defaults option if the district has the Report Writer module) will appear, but can be changed.
Enter the distance in inches from the bottom edge of the paper to where the information should stop printing on the checks or direct deposit stubs in the Bottom Margin field. The margin cannot be greater than 2 inches, but can be up to 4 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable. The default of 0.50 for one-half inch (or other specified margin as designated in the Report Writer Defaults option if the district has the Report Writer module) will appear, but can be changed.
Enter the distance in inches from the left edge of the paper to where the information should start printing on the checks or direct deposit stubs in the Left Margin field. The margin cannot be greater than 2 inches, but can be up to 4 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable. The default of 0.50 for one-half inch (or other specified margin as designated in the Report Writer Defaults option if the district has the Report Writer module) will appear, but can be changed.
Enter the distance in inches from the right edge of the paper to where the information should stop printing on the checks or direct deposit stubs in the Right Margin field. The margin cannot be greater than 2 inches, but can be up to 4 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable. The default of 0.50 for one-half inch (or other specified margin as designated in the Report Writer Defaults option if the district has the Report Writer module) will appear, but can be changed.
Enter the desired check and stub format (Check Stub, Check Stub Stub, Stub Check, Stub Check Stub, Stub Only, or Stub Stub Check) for the new check setup in the Check Layout field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. To print the check first followed by one stub, enter Check Stub. To print the check first followed by two stubs, enter Check Stub Stub. To print just one stub followed by the check, enter Stub Check. To print one stub first followed by the check and then a second stub, enter Stub Check Stub. To print just the stub (no check), enter Stub Only. To print two stubs first followed by the check, enter Stub Stub Check.
Enter the actual height of the check portion in inches in the Check Height field. The height cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.
Enter the actual height of one stub in inches in the Stub Height field. The height cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.

Note: The height of the stub multiplied by the number of stubs plus the height of the check must equal the size of the paper (or slightly less due to rounding).

Enter the distance in inches from the top edge of the stub (edge of paper or perforation) to where the first line should print on the stub in the Stub Top Margin field. The margin cannot be greater than 2 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.
Select the Print Zero Balance Checks field to have checks and direct deposit stubs print if they are a zero balance. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.
Enter the description of the referenced custom field to use to sort the checks when printing in the Sort Checks by Custom Referenced Field field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. Specify No Custom Referenced to sort (print) the checks in alphabetical order.
Enter the description of the referenced custom field to print right above the name and address of the employee on the check in the Custom Referenced Field to Print on Checks field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. Specify No Custom Referenced to not have a custom field print on the check.

Only if the new check setup is for direct deposit stubs, enter the desired option for printing the bank account information (Do Not Print Bank Account Information, Print Bank Name/Exclude Account Number, Print Bank Name/Full Account Number, or Print Bank Name/Last 4 Digits of Account Number) in the Bank Account Information on Direct Deposit Stubs field, or click the down-arrow button to select the correct one. To omit the employee's bank account information and deposit amount from printing on the direct deposit stubs, enter Do Not Print Bank Account Information. To print just the name of the employee's bank with the deposit amount and not the employee's bank account number, enter Print Bank Name/Exclude Account Number. To print the name of the employee's bank and the employee's entire bank account number with the deposit amount, enter Print Bank Name/Full Account Number. To print the name of the employee's bank and only the last 4 digits of the employee's bank account number with the deposit amount, enter Print Bank Name/Last 4 Digits of Account Number. Leave this field blank to have the system default to Do Not Print Bank Account Information.

Select the font, font style, and font size to use for the information printed on the stub by clicking the Search button for the Stub Font field. After selecting the desired font information, click the OK button and the selected font will appear in this field. The default of Arial, Regular, font size 8 (or other specified font as designated in the Report Writer Defaults option if the district has the Report Writer module) will appear, but can be changed.
Select the font, font style, and font size to use for the information printed on the check portion of the check setup (if applicable) by clicking the Search button for the Check Font field. After selecting the desired font information, click the OK button and the selected font will appear in this field. The default of Arial, Regular, font size 8 (or other specified font as designated in the Report Writer Defaults option if the district has the Report Writer module) will appear, but can be changed.
In the Checking Accounts List, specify which checking accounts use the particular check setup as the default when printing checks and/or direct deposit stubs for employees.
To select the particular check setup as the default when printing checks, select the Default Check Format field (column) for the desired checking accounts. A checkmark will appear in the box under the Default Check Format column for the checking account if the field is selected.
To select the particular check setup as the default when printing direct deposit stubs, select the Default Direct Deposit Format field (column) for the desired checking accounts. A checkmark will appear in the box under the Default Direct Deposit Format column for the checking account if the field is selected.
To select the particular check setup as the default when emailing direct deposit stubs, select the Default Email Format field (column) for the desired checking accounts. A checkmark will appear in the box under the Default Email Format column for the checking account if the field is selected.

Note: Only one check setup can be selected as the default for checks or direct deposit stubs per checking account. If the Default Check Format, Default Direct Deposit Format, or Default Email Format field is selected for a checking account that also had been previously selected for a different check setup, the field will be unselected for that other check setup after saving this check setup.

Click the Check Print Positions tab to complete the check print positions for the check setup.

To print the date on the check portion of the check setup, enter the distance in inches from the top edge of the check (edge of paper or perforation) to where the date should print in the Top field for Date. Enter the distance in inches from the left edge of the check (paper) to where the date should start to print in the Left field for Date. Enter the distance in inches for how wide the date should be in the Width field for Date. The distance cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable. To omit the date from the check setup, leave the Top, Left, and Width fields for Date blank.
To print the amount written in words on the check portion of the check setup, enter the distance in inches from the top edge of the check (edge of paper or perforation) to where the amount in words should print in the Top field for Amount (Words). Enter the distance in inches from the left edge of the check (paper) to where the amount in words should start to print in the Left field for Amount (Words). Enter the distance in inches for how wide the amount in words should be in the Width field for Amount (Words). The distance cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable. To omit the amount in words from the check setup, leave the Top, Left, and Width fields for Amount (Words) blank.
To print the amount written in numbers on the check portion of the check setup, enter the distance in inches from the top edge of the check (edge of paper or perforation) to where the amount in numbers should print in the Top field for Amount (Numbers). Enter the distance in inches from the left edge of the check (paper) to where the amount in numbers should start to print in the Left field for Amount (Numbers). Enter the distance in inches for how wide the amount in numbers should be in the Width field for Amount (Numbers). The distance cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable. To omit the amount in numbers from the check setup, leave the Top, Left, and Width fields for Amount (Numbers) blank.
If desired, select the Display Dollar Sign field located to the right of the fields for Amount (Numbers) to print a dollar sign with the check amount written in numbers. A checkmark will appear in the box if the field is selected.

Note: The Display Dollar Sign field only applies to the check amount in the check portion and does not apply to the amounts included in the stub. If the district has the Report Writer module, the system will use the applicable settings for printing dollar signs with the amounts in the stub portion from the Report Writer Defaults option (defaults are applied when saving the new check setup).

To print the name and address on the check portion of the check setup, enter the distance in inches from the top edge of the check (edge of paper or perforation) to where the name and address should print in the Top field for Name & Address. Enter the distance in inches from the left edge of the check (paper) to where the name and address should start to print in the Left field for Name & Address. Enter the distance in inches for how wide the name and address should be in the Width field for Name & Address. The distance cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable. To omit the name and address from the check setup, leave the Top, Left, and Width fields for Name & Address blank.
To print only the name on the check portion of the check setup, enter the distance in inches from the top edge of the check (edge of paper or perforation) to where the name should print in the Top field for Pay To The Order Of. Enter the distance in inches from the left edge of the check (paper) to where the name should start to print in the Left field for Pay To The Order Of. Enter the distance in inches for how wide the name should be in the Width field for Pay To The Order Of. The distance cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable. To omit the name from the check setup, leave the Top, Left, and Width fields for Pay To The Order Of blank.
To print the check number on the check portion of the check setup, enter the distance in inches from the top edge of the check (edge of paper or perforation) to where the check number should print in the Top field for Check Number. Enter the distance in inches from the left edge of the check (paper) to where the check number should start to print in the Left field for Check Number. Enter the distance in inches for how wide the check number should be in the Width field for Check Number. The distance cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable. To not have the check number print on the check portion of the check setup, leave the Top, Left, and Width fields for Check Number blank.

Note: Typically, the check number is only included (printed) on the check portion of the check setup if the check number is not already printed on the check stock.

If the Top, Left, and Width fields are completed for Check Number, select the font, font style, and font size to use for the check number printed in the check portion of the check setup, by clicking the Search button for the Font field. After selecting the desired font information, click the OK button and the selected font will appear in this field. The default of Arial, Regular, font size 8 (or other specified font as designated in the Report Writer Defaults option if the district has the Report Writer module) will appear, but can be changed.
Complete the Signature Images section if the signatures to print on the checks have been scanned and saved as a .gif file. Up to two signature files can be used for each check setup, with each signature file containing multiple signatures, if desired.

Note: Complete the Signature Image 1 fields for the first signature file and the Signature Image 2 fields for the second signature file, if applicable.

Enter the distance in inches from the top edge of the check (edge of paper or perforation) to where the image should print in the Top field. The distance cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.
Enter the distance in inches from the left edge of the check (paper) to where the image should print in the Left field. The distance cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.
Enter the width of the image in inches in the Width field. The width cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.
Enter the height of the image in inches in the Height field. The height cannot be greater than 11 inches, but can be up to 5 digits long (including the decimal point) and will be rounded to 2 decimal places by the system if capable.
Enter the path (drive and folders) to the signature file in the Image Path field, or click the Search button to select the correct path and file. The path can be up to 150 characters in length.

Tip: If desired, view the tutorial below demonstrating the signature image setup. In order to view the tutorial, you must have an active Internet connection, along with a sound card and speakers installed on your computer.

Signature Image Setup Tutorial

Click the Field Selection tab to select the fields of information to include on the stub portion of the check setup.

To add fields to the check setup, select the section for where to insert the fields by clicking once on the line for the desired section in the Report Layout List on the right side of the screen, and then select the fields (columns) of information to include on the stub by double-clicking on the desired fields in the Report Fields List on the left side of the screen. The fields displayed in the Report Fields List will change depending on the section selected in the Report Layout List as the fields can only be added to particular sections. As the fields are added to the check setup, the fields will appear under the selected section in the Report Layout List on the right side of the screen.

Note: The Stub Heading section is the first line of information that prints on the check stub, such as the name of the employee, check date, and check number. To remove a field from the check setup, click the Delete button located to the left of the desired field; when prompted to delete the line, click Yes.

Tip: To print the total number of hours entered in the pay period for Add type pay codes for an employee, include the Current Hours Worked field in the Stub Wages section. To print the tax table and number of allowances used for calculating an income tax for an employee (as entered on the Taxes screen in the Employee File), or the rate table description used for calculating a deduction, include the W4 Rate Table Description field in the Stub Deductions section; also, verify the Print Employee W4 Information on Check field is selected for the desired taxes (in the Tax File) and the Print Rate Table Description on Check field is selected for the desired deductions (in the Deduction File).

The order the fields are listed on the screen under each section in the Report Layout List is the order the fields (columns) will print on the stub. If desired, to change the order of the fields, click once on the field to move and then click the Top, Up, Down, or Bottom button until the field is in the desired position.
Define the settings for each field included in each section on the check setup as follows:
Enter the heading description to print for the field (column) on the stub in the Label field, or leave the field blank to omit the heading, if desired. The description can be alphanumeric and up to 128 characters long. A default heading description for the field will appear, but can be changed.
Enter the number of characters for how wide to print the field (column) on the stub in the Field Width field. The number for the width can be up to 3 digits long. A default width for the field will appear, but can be changed.
The name of the field (column) to print on the stub appears in the Field Name field and cannot be changed.

Click the Save button.

Note: If the district has the Report Writer module, the system will use the applicable settings from the Report Writer Defaults option when saving the new check setup. For example, if the default for how a negative number prints is changed in the Report Writer Defaults option, the setting will be applied to the new check setup.

If desired, click the Execute button to print a test of the check setup from within the Check Setup - Employees option.