ISO 1004-2:2013

Information processing - Magnetic ink character recognition - Part 2: Print specifications for CMC7

ISO 1004-2:2013 specifies the shapes, dimensions and tolerances for the 10 digits 0 to 9, five symbols, and 26 letters, to be printed with magnetic ink for the purpose of character recognition. It describes the various types of printing defects and other printing considerations, together with the tolerances permitted, and also contains specifications to signal level measurement.

Traitement de l'information — Reconnaissance des caractères à encre magnétique — Partie 2: Spécifications d'impression CMC7

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 26-May-2013
• ICS: 35.240.40 - IT applications in banking
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 68/SC 9 - Information exchange for financial services
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 68/SC 9 - Information exchange for financial services
• Current Stage: 9093 - International Standard confirmed
• Start Date: 29-Jul-2025
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2025

Relations

• Consolidated By: ISO 25239-3:2020 - Friction stir welding - Aluminium - Part 3: Qualification of welding operators
• Effective Date: 06-Jun-2022

Overview

ISO 1004-2:2013 - Information processing - Magnetic ink character recognition - Part 2: Print specifications for CMC7 - defines the printed form requirements for the CMC7 magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) font. The standard specifies the shapes, dimensions and tolerances for the 10 digits (0–9), five symbols and 26 letters when printed in magnetic ink for reliable automatic recognition. It also covers permitted printing defects, signal-level measurement and related printing considerations.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 1004-2:2013 provides detailed, technical print specifications and measurement rules, including:

• Character configuration and coding

  • CMC7 characters are formed from seven strokes and six intervals (combinations of “long” and “short” intervals determine each character).
  • Full alphanumeric set and symbol drawings are included for four font heights (3.20 mm, 3.00 mm, 2.85 mm and 2.70 mm).

• Dimensions, tolerances and alignment

  • Exact definitions for stroke width, stroke interval, segment height and character height.
  • Segment end zones limited to a maximum of 0.22 mm.
  • Character pitch (B) and minimum inter-character distances (examples in the standard: Dm = 0.67 mm for certain codes; Dm2 = 0.50 mm for others).
  • Rules for horizontal and vertical print location relative to document reference edges (e.g., printing band 6.4 mm high; bottom of band located 4.8 mm above bottom reference edge; right-hand margin guidance such as at least 6.0 mm from the right edge).

• Print quality, defects and tolerances

  • Definitions and allowed tolerances for voids, extraneous ink (spots front/back), uniformity of ink, debossment and vertical misalignment.
  • Requirements for paper and MICR ink permanence.

• Signal level and sensing

  • Specifications for magnetic sensing, signal level definitions (nominal and residual signal levels), allowable signal level range and methods to measure signal output from printed characters.

• Clear band

  • A 16 mm clear band measured from the bottom edge must be free of magnetic ink other than the CMC7 line; CMC7 and E13B fonts cannot share the same clear band.

Practical applications and who uses this standard

ISO 1004-2:2013 is primarily aimed at:

• Banks and financial institutions (cheque and check processing)
• MICR ink and cheque printers
• Document production and print bureaus
• MICR reader/manufacturer engineers and test labs
• Quality assurance teams, compliance auditors and systems integrators involved in automatic document handling

Use cases include high-volume automated check processing, secure document design, equipment calibration, production quality control and interoperability between MICR readers and printed documents.

Related standards

• ISO 1004-1:2013 - Part 1: Print specifications for E13B (the other widely used MICR font)
• Other ISO/IEC directives referenced for measurement and editorial rules

Keywords: ISO 1004-2:2013, CMC7, MICR, magnetic ink character recognition, print specifications, signal level, cheque processing, character tolerances.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 1004-2
First edition
2013-06-01
Information processing — Magnetic
ink character recognition —
Part 2:
Print specifications for CMC7
Traitement de l’information — Reconnaissance des caractères à
encre magnétique —
Partie 2: Spécifications d’impression CMC7
Reference number
©
ISO 2013
© ISO 2013
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of
the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail [e-mail]
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2013 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviations . 1
3.1 Terms and definitions . 1
3.2 Symbols and abbreviations . 2
4 Character configuration . 3
4.1 Code description . 3
4.2 Configuration . 3
5 Means of automatic sensing . 4
6 Reference edges of documents . 4
7 Print location. 4
7.1 Horizontal location . 4
7.2 Vertical location. 4
8 Clear band . 4
9 Character spacing and alignment . 5
9.1 Horizontal character spacing. 5
9.2 Vertical misalignment . 5
10 Character definition and tolerances . 5
10.1 Definitions . 5
10.2 Stroke edge zones and mean edges . 6
10.3 Skew angle α .6
10.4 Stroke width L .6
10.5 Stroke interval P .6
11 Extraneous ink (spots) . 7
11.1 Extraneous ink front . 7
11.2 Extraneous ink back . 7
12 Voids . 7
13 Segment end zones . 7
14 Uniformity of ink . 7
15 Debossment . 8
16 Signal level . 8
16.1 Description of the signal . 8
16.2 Definitions relating to signal level . 8
16.3 Allowable signal level range . 8
16.4 Nominal signal level . 9
16.5 Residual signal level . 9
17 Paper . 9
18 MICR ink permanence . 9
19 Drawings of the printed characters of Font CMC 7 .10
Annex A (informative) Use of CMC7 Symbols .32
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2. www.iso.org/directives
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received. www.iso.org/patents
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 68, Financial services, Subcommittee SC 7,
Core banking.
This first edition of ISO 1004-2, together with ISO 1004-1, cancels and replaces ISO 1004:1995, which
has been technically revised.
ISO 1004 consists of the following parts, under the general title Information processing — Magnetic ink
character recognition:
— Part 1: Print specifications for E13B
— Part 2: Print specifications for CMC7
Annex A is for information only.
iv © ISO 2013 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 1004-2:2013(E)
Information processing — Magnetic ink character
recognition —
Part 2:
Print specifications for CMC7
1 Scope
This part of ISO 1004 specifies the shapes, dimensions and tolerances for the 10 digits 0 to 9, five symbols,
and 26 letters, to be printed with magnetic ink for the purpose of character recognition. It describes
the various types of printing defects and other printing considerations, together with the tolerances
permitted, and also contains specifications to signal level measurement.
The characters specified in Clause 4 of this part of ISO 1004 were developed initially for use in banks
to permit automatic document handling for bank data processing, but they have application to other
automatic processing systems as well.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.”
ISO 1004-1:2013, Information processing — Magnetic ink character recognition — Part 1: Print
specifications for E13B
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviations
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1.1
magnetic ink
ink capable of being magnetized and sensed
3.1.2
vertical misalignment
deviation of the printed character from the nominal vertical position on the document
3.1.3
void
absence of magnetic ink outside the printed edge zone and outside the segment end zones in an area that
should be inked
3.1.4
segment end zones
zone of maximum height of 0,22 mm that can be located at both ends of strokes and stroke segments
3.1.5
residual signal level
maximum signal level delivered by a character which has been voided
3.2 Symbols and abbreviations
Corresponding
Symbol or
clause or Characteristic
abbreviation
subclause
A 9.1.4 Character width
A 9.1.4 Character width of a character with one long interval
A 9.1.4 Character width of a character with two long intervals
A 9.1.4 Character width of a character with three long intervals
A 9 Alignment
L
b 10.2.1 Printed edge zone width
B 9.1.1 Character pitch
CB 8 Clear band
D 9.1.2 Intercharacter distance
D 9.1.1 Minimum interchange distance
m
Minimum interchange distance for character with one or two long inter-
D 9.1.3
m1
vals
D 9.1.3 Minimum interchange distance for character with three long intervals
m2
DM 15 Debossment
ExB 11.2 Extraneous ink back
ExF 11.1 Extraneous ink front
FT 18 Format
h 10.1.2 Segment height
H 10.1.4 Character height
c
H 10.1.5 Font height
f
L 10.4 Stroke width
M 10.1.3 Stroke height
P 10.5 Stroke interval
P 10.5.2 Short stroke interval between left mean edges
L1
P 10.5.2 Long stroke interval between right mean edges
L2
P 10.5.1 Short stroke interval between right mean edges
R1
P 10.5.1 Long stroke interval between right mean edges
R2
SP 9 Character spacing
UI 14 Uniformity of ink
V 12 Voids
2 © ISO 2013 – All rights reserved

Corresponding
Symbol or
clause or Characteristic
abbreviation
subclause
VM 9.2 Vertical misalignment
α 10.3 Character skew angle
4 Character configuration
4.1 Code description
The coded character is composed of six intervals contained within seven strokes cut to the shape of a
conventional character.
Two interval widths are used: “long” and “short”. It is the combination of these “long” and “short”
intervals that determines the character code.
Two long and four short intervals may be combined in 15 possible ways (C ) – a total which is available
for the 10 digits and five symbols.
6 6
The alphabetic code uses one or three long intervals, allowing a total of C + C = 26 combinations
1 3
which are thus available for 26 letters.
Table1 shows the correspondence between codes and the characters. The intervals are numbered 1 to 6
from left to right on the printed character. Their values are represented by the digit 0 for short intervals
and by the digit 1 for long intervals.
4.2 Configuration
There are four font heights (see 10.1.5): 3,20 mm, 3,00 mm, 2,85 mm and 2,70 mm. Figures 3 to 23 give
full details of the alphanumeric character set and symbols.
Table 1 — Character code description (0 = short interval. 1 = long interval)
Interval pattern Interval pattern
Coded Coded
character character
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 A
0 1 1 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 B
1 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 1 C
1 0 0 1 0 0 4 1 0 0 1 1 0 D
0 0 0 1 1 0 5 0 0 0 1 0 0 E
0 0 1 0 1 0 6 0 0 1 0 1 1 F
1 1 0 0 0 0 7 1 0 0 0 1 1 G
0 1 0 0 1 0 8 1 0 1 1 0 0 H
0 1 0 1 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 1 I
0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 J
1 0 0 0 0 1 S I 0 1 1 0 1 0 K
0 1 0 0 0 1 S II 0 1 0 0 1 1 L
0 0 1 0 0 1 S III 0 0 1 1 1 0 M
0 0 0 1 0 1 S IV 0 0 1 0 0 0 N
0 0 0 0 1 1 S V 1 0 0 0 0 0 O
Table 1 (continued)
Interval pattern Interval pattern
Coded Coded
character character
1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
0 1 0 1 1 0 P
1 1 1 0 0 0 Q
0 1 1 1 0 0 R
0 1 0 1 0 1 S
0 0 0 0 1 0 T
1 1 0 1 0 0 U
1 1 0 0 0 1 V
1 0 0 1 0 1 W
1 1 0 0 1 0 X
0 1 1 0 0 1 Y
0 0 1 1 0 1 Z
5 Means of automatic sensing
The automatic character recognition takes place by means of identification of the interval lengths
between adjacent strokes. Stroke sensing takes place magnetically.
6 Reference edges of documents
For the purpose of measuring the printed image, the right-hand and the bottom edges are the reference
edges of the document.
7 Print location
7.1 Horizontal location
The extreme right mean ed
...