Frequently Asked Questions
Our checks looked perfect, but the bank's equipment could not read them. What went wrong?
Almost certainly the toner. The numbers along the bottom of a check — routing and account numbers — are read magnetically, not optically, and they only register if they were printed with magnetic toner. This CRG-119 MICR cartridge (part number 3479B001AA) is filled with that magnetic formulation. Checks printed with the standard CRG-119 look identical to the eye, but a bank's reader cannot process the MICR line, and the checks come back. If you print your own checks, this is the cartridge that job requires.
What does MICR actually mean?
MICR stands for Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. The toner contains magnetic material, so the characters printed in the check's bottom line carry a magnetic signal that bank sorting equipment reads at speed, even if the line has been stamped over or handled. It is a specialist fill in an otherwise standard CRG-119 (3479B001AA) cartridge body — same fit, same 2,100-page rating, different toner inside.
Why does it cost $148.75 when the standard CRG-119 is $31.50?
Here is the straight arithmetic. MICR toner is a low-volume specialist formulation, and at $148.75 — about 7.08 cents per rated page — it costs roughly 4.7 times the standard cartridge. Judged as document toner, that makes no sense at all. Judged per check, it looks different: most businesses print three checks to a page from standard check stock, so one cartridge can produce up to about 6,300 checks, putting the toner cost near 2.4 cents per check. Compare that with buying pre-printed check stock or paying an outside service to print your checks, and in-house MICR printing is usually the economical route — but only for checks.
Is the MICR cartridge all we need to print checks?
It is the piece most often missing, but not the whole setup. You also need blank check stock and accounting or payroll software that lays out the check, including the MICR line at the bottom. What this cartridge guarantees is the magnetic readability of that line; if your checks are being rejected for unreadable routing numbers despite correct software and stock, the toner is the variable to fix.
Can we just leave the MICR cartridge in for everyday printing too?
You can — MICR toner prints ordinary documents perfectly well — but it is an expensive way to print invoices and memos. The common pattern is a dedicated check run: fit the MICR cartridge (3479B001AA) on check day, print the batch, then swap back to the standard CRG-119 at $31.50 for daily work. The swap takes a minute, and it keeps the costly magnetic toner for the one job only it can do.
What backing comes with a specialist cartridge at this price?
The same as every cartridge we sell: a 1-year warranty and 1-year free returns. If the cartridge fails early or prints weakly, it is replaced or refunded under the terms on our shipping and returns page — the premium buys specialist toner, not extra risk. Orders ship from our warehouses in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Georgia and California, and support is available Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM CST if you would like to talk through your check-printing setup first.
About This Canon CRG-119 MICR Black Toner Cartridge
This is a single compatible Canon CRG-119 MICR black toner cartridge, part number 3479B001AA, rated at 2,100 pages and priced at $148.75. Its magnetically readable toner exists for one job: printing your own checks on imageCLASS machines such as the LBP251dw, LBP253dw, LBP6300dn, LBP6650dn, MF414dw, MF416dw, MF419dw and MF5960dn, so the routing line clears the bank's magnetic readers. For anything that is not a check, the standard CRG-119 at $31.50 is the right cartridge. It is covered by our 1-year warranty and 1-year free returns, and the rest of the family is on our Canon toner page.
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