Defeating the Check Security Features

I'm fighting the same battle, we even filled out something for Ricoh, App for change in firmware) and they came back and stated there were not enough machines for them to warrant the change for the check/security feature.

Boy are those Japanese dumb!  There are thousands of one-ups in the field that have this issue and just because there is not one account with 100 plus units, they will not pursue a firmware upgrade.  That's bad business.

I did hear that there will be a change on some of the new units, that's all I have for right now.  This entire check issue/bonds, certificates is starting to take it's toll on my productivity.

Art

I spent a couple hours playing with it yesterday.  Here is the best I came up with.  If I scan them as a jpeg in Color, Text Photo mode they come over to the computer as a magenta image with legible text.  Then using Picasa picture editing software select "Pencil Sketch" and it will convert the document into a perfect B/W image.

Someone suggested reducing or enlarging the document and it "Should" copy but I had no success doing this with this model copier.

With the copier mode, I was able to set the system at 146% and was able to copy the checks, however there was some of the image that was cut off.  Your work around may work for me with another customer who is just scanning checks.  I will give that a go here.

Art

We run into the same thing for copying money.  It is legal to do it if it is monochrome or reduced or enlarged.  We found with money, which I would figure would be the same kind of deal, you have to reduce less than 64% or enlarge more than 155%.  Took a bit of messing with it to get it past, but it has to do with R/E and monochrome and you can get around it.

Good luck!

I have found it helpful to fully understand what is going on and why. I always thought that it was the silver "hologram" looking thing that triggered the black copy but that is not correct. It is a patch of yellow dots that show up three places across the bottom of the check. You eliminate those and the check copies. This can be done by having that part of the check positioned on the glass so that the yellow dots don't scan but you have to be willing to give up the routing information that is also at the bottom of the check. If you need the routing info, you can use white-out or if you don't like the idea of modifying the check, then small pieces of Post-it Note works or I suppose you could create a stencil overlay that shows the check but covers the yellow dots. None of this is very practical if you have hundreds a day but might be suitable for lesser accounts.

Old Glory:

This is awesome, not even the gurus' at ricoh could figure this out!!!  Are the yellow dots always in the same places?  What do you need to do to see them?

To the best of my knowledge, every check that doesn't scan has them and they are always in the same place... lower right, lower left and the one in the middle is slightly higher up then the two on the sides. You can see them with the naked eye but they aren't obvious unless you are looking for them. I started to scan one to show you and then realized that the whole point of the conversation is the fact that they won't scan. Like flipping a light switch after the power goes out. We've all done it so no laughing at me.