SKU:

HEWQ2612A-MCR

Printer Brand:

Hewlett Packard

OEM Number:

Q2612A

Ink Color:

Black

Page Yield:

2,000 Pages

Printer Type:

Laser Cartridge

Condition:

New Compatible

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes this a MICR cartridge rather than a regular 12A?

The Q2612A cartridge itself is the standard shape for this printer family, but the toner inside is a MICR formulation — Magnetic Ink Character Recognition toner containing magnetic particles. That is what allows the routing and account numbers along the bottom of a check to be read by bank scanning equipment.

What is in the box?

One sealed Q2612A MICR black cartridge, priced at $28.15 and rated at 2,000 pages. It fits the printer exactly like the ordinary cartridge it replaces; only the toner inside is different.

Will my bank accept checks printed with this cartridge?

We cannot guarantee acceptance by any particular bank — that depends on the magnetic signal strength of the print, the check stock, and the positioning of the MICR line, as well as the cartridge. The sensible routine is to print a small test batch first and have your bank verify it before you run a full check run.

Can the same cartridge print ordinary documents as well?

Yes, it lays down normal black text, so letters and reports print perfectly well. Most businesses that print checks, though, keep one printer dedicated to the task with the MICR cartridge left in place, so the check printer is never caught with the wrong toner fitted.

How many checks will one cartridge print?

The 2,000-page rating is measured at standard page coverage, and a check page carries far less print than a full document page. Real counts vary too much with layout and test prints to promise a number — what matters is verifying that test batch early, while the cartridge is fresh.

What should I check if the MICR line prints faintly?

Remove the cartridge and rock it gently side to side to redistribute the toner, then reprint the test page. Check that any toner-saving setting in the driver is switched off for check work, since lighter print weakens the magnetic signal the bank's reader needs.

How do I keep the MICR cartridge from being mixed up with a standard one on the shelf?

Because the Q2612A MICR cartridge and the ordinary 12A share the same shape and the same code family, the only reliable separation is a label you add yourself. Write MICR in large letters on the carton the day it arrives, store it apart from any standard-toner stock, and keep it next to the check printer rather than in the general supply cupboard. Whoever fits cartridges should know that the check machine takes the labeled carton only, so a routine toner swap never puts plain toner into check duty by mistake.

What does check printing with this cartridge work out to per page?

The arithmetic is simple: at $28.15 for a cartridge rated at 2,000 pages, the toner cost is roughly 1.4 cents per page at standard coverage. A check page carries far less print than that standard assumes — a payee line, an amount and the MICR line along the bottom — so the real cost per check lands lower still, and the test pages you print for the bank come out of the same inexpensive supply. For a small firm printing its own payroll and supplier checks, the cartridge itself is rarely the item that decides whether in-house check printing pays.

Should I keep the bank-verified test page after the first batch passes?

Yes — file it with the cartridge's paperwork. That approved test page is your reference sample: it shows exactly how the MICR line looked when the bank's reader accepted it, printed on your check stock with this Q2612A cartridge. If a later batch is ever questioned, comparing a fresh test page against the filed one tells you immediately whether the print has drifted lighter or shifted. Note the date and the cartridge's install date on the sample so the comparison stays meaningful months later.

Does it make sense to hold a spare MICR cartridge before a check run?

For any business that cannot postpone paying people, yes. Checks are deadline work: a cartridge that fades the morning of a payroll run leaves no graceful fallback, because the standard cartridge in the cupboard cannot produce a readable MICR line. One sealed Q2612A MICR spare, stored labeled beside the check printer, turns that morning into a two-minute swap. When the spare goes in, order its replacement the same day so the shelf never sits empty behind the next run.

About This Q2612A MICR Cartridge

Small firms that print their own checks on a LaserJet 3050 need the bottom line of every check to be machine-readable, and that is the entire job of this cartridge: a Q2612A filled with MICR toner, rated at 2,000 pages and priced at $28.15. Fit it, print a short test batch, and let your bank confirm the line reads cleanly before the cartridge goes into regular service.

It is covered by a 1-year warranty and 1-year free returns, and ships from the nearest of our IL, PA, GA and CA warehouses — see the shipping & returns page for delivery details. Questions are answered by our team Monday–Friday, 9 AM–5 PM CST, and more for this printer family is catalogued under HP.

Printer coverage for the 12A (Q2612A) runs to LaserJet 3050, LaserJet 3052, LaserJet 3055, LaserJet M1319, LaserJet 1010, LaserJet 1012, LaserJet 1015, LaserJet 1018, LaserJet 1020, LaserJet 1022n, LaserJet 1022nw, LaserJet 3015, LaserJet 3020 and LaserJet 3030. The surrounding range includes the standard-toner 12A (Q2612A) single cartridge and the standard-toner 12A (Q2612A) two-pack.