Check Printing & Pay-by-Check
Print real checks onto pre-printed stock with your saved signature, queue checks for batch printing later, and pay vendor bills through the integrated check writer -- all from inside Kantivo.
Skip assigning a check number at write time and add the check to a printable queue instead -- the same pattern QuickBooks calls "Print Later." A new Print Later checkbox sits next to the check-number field in the Write Check window, and a new 📋 Checks to Print button on the modal footer opens the queue. Filter by bank account, set the starting check number (Kantivo will Suggest one based on your most recent check), pick which queued checks to print, and Kantivo assigns sequential numbers automatically -- preserving any prefix and zero-padding -- and prints an assignment slip showing which number went to which check. Full walkthrough in the Print Later & Batch Printing section below.
Open the Write Check window or change the bank-account dropdown and Kantivo automatically pre-fills the Check # field with the next sequential number based on the most recent check on that account. The suggestion respects any prefix (CHK1234 advances to CHK1235) and the original padding (0042 advances to 0043). If you type your own number first, Kantivo never overwrites it.
A single check can now be distributed across multiple accounts. The classic example is a loan payment where part is principal (a liability reduction) and part is interest (an expense), but the same mechanism works for any payment that needs to hit more than one general-ledger account.
- Click + Add Split Line to add another distribution row.
- Each row gets its own account, dollar amount, and optional per-line memo.
- A live distribution total shows whether your splits balance against the check amount; saving is blocked until they match.
- The single-account workflow still works -- the first row auto-fills with the full amount, so simple checks remain one-and-done.
Uploading Your Signature
Once your signature is on file, Kantivo prints it automatically on every check, so you don't have to sign physical paper one at a time. The image is stored privately in your local company database; nothing leaves your machine.
- Open Settings from the sidebar
- Use the Jump to menu and choose Check Printing
- In the Signature section, click Upload Signature
- Pick a PNG, JPG, or SVG file -- the preview area updates immediately so you can confirm the size and clarity
Choosing a Check Layout
Pre-printed check stock varies between vendors -- the position of the signature line, the dollar box, the memo field, and even the date can shift by half an inch from one stock provider to another. Kantivo lets you pick a base layout and then nudge each individual field into place.
Page-position options
Standard three-per-page check stock has three check positions on a single sheet. Tell Kantivo which slot you're using:
- Top: The first check on the page (most common when feeding fresh sheets)
- Middle: The second check position
- Bottom: The third check on the sheet (useful when you've already used one or two checks from a partial sheet)
Kantivo remembers your selection per company, so the page slot persists between sessions.
Adjusting Field Positions
Each printable element on the check has its own X (horizontal) and Y (vertical) offset measured in inches. Increase Y to move a field down; increase X to move a field right. The fields you can adjust:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Date | Printed near the upper-right of most check layouts |
| Payee (Pay to) | The "Pay to the Order of" line -- usually the longest field |
| Amount ($) | The numeric dollar figure inside the small box, typically right-aligned |
| Amount in Words | Spelled-out amount on the line below the payee |
| Memo | Optional note printed on the memo line at the lower-left |
| Signature | Your saved signature image, positioned over the signature line at the bottom-right |
Click Save Settings after each adjustment. Each field's position is stored per company, so different businesses on the same Kantivo install can use different check stock without interfering with each other. There's also a Reset to defaults button if you ever want to start over.
Running an Alignment Test
Before feeding pre-printed check stock through your printer, always verify alignment with a plain-paper test print. It's faster and cheaper than wasting a check.
- Open Settings → Check Printing
- Click Print Test Page
- Kantivo generates a sample check filled with placeholder data ("SAMPLE PAYEE", "$1,234.56", today's date, etc.)
- Print the test on plain copier paper
- Hold the printout up against a real blank check from your stock and confirm each field lines up correctly
- If anything is off, adjust the offsets and run another test print until everything aligns
Printing a Check
After your alignment is dialed in, printing a check is just an extension of writing one.
- Open Transactions → Write Check (or the Write Check quick-action button on the dashboard)
- Fill in the payee, amount, expense account, memo, and date
- Click 🖨️ Print on Pre-Printed Check at the bottom of the modal
- Kantivo opens the print dialog with your saved layout applied
- Confirm the printer and paper tray, then send the job
The check number you typed (or the suggested next number) is saved with the transaction so you can reference it later. If you save the check without printing, you can always come back to the transaction and print from there.
Print Later & Batch Printing
You don't have to print each check at the moment you write it. Mark it as Print Later and Kantivo holds it in a queue until you're ready to feed pre-printed stock through the printer. Numbers are assigned sequentially at print time -- no risk of skipped or duplicated numbers from interleaving multiple writers.
Queueing a check for later
- Open Transactions → Write Check
- Fill in the payee, amount, account, and memo as usual
- Tick the Print Later checkbox next to the Check # field -- the number field disables and clears, since Kantivo will assign it later
- Click 💾 Save Check
The transaction posts with a placeholder description ("Check (Print Later) - [Payee]") and joins the print queue.
Printing the queue as a batch
- From the Write Check modal, click the 📋 Checks to Print button at the bottom-left of the footer
- The queue lists every queued check with date, payee, bank account, and amount
- Filter by bank account if you have multiple bank accounts and want to print only one set
- Type a starting check number into the Starting Check # field, or click Suggest to pull the next sequential number for the selected bank account
- Use the row checkboxes to pick which queued checks to print (all are selected by default)
- Click 🖨️ Print Selected & Assign Numbers
Kantivo assigns sequential numbers from the starting value (preserving any prefix like CHK1234 and any leading zeros like 0042), saves the assignments back to each transaction, clears the print_later flag, and pops a print-ready assignment slip showing which check number went to which payee. Use the slip as your paper trail when you load the actual check stock and run the print job.
Paying a Bill by Check
When you record a payment against a vendor bill and choose Check as the payment method, Kantivo opens the check writer with the relevant fields already filled:
- Payee: Pulled from the vendor on the bill
- Amount: The payment amount you entered
- Memo: Auto-filled with the bill number for easy reconciliation
- Date: Defaults to today (or whatever payment date you set)
Save the check and Kantivo records the bill payment in one step -- one click handles the physical check and both sides of the accounting entry. The check number lands as the payment reference on the bill record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Text on the printout is shifted from where it should be on the check.
Run another test page after small offset adjustments (about 0.05 to 0.10 inch at a time). Different printers manage margins differently, so a few rounds of fine-tuning is normal whenever you set up a new printer.
My signature looks blurry on the printed check.
Replace the image with a higher-resolution scan -- 300 DPI minimum is recommended. PNG with a transparent background gives the cleanest output; JPEG compression artifacts often show as a faint rectangle around the signature.
Can I use non-standard check stock?
Yes. The per-field position controls are flexible enough to accommodate almost any layout. Adjust each data field independently using the test-page tool until the printout matches your stock.
Does Kantivo support continuous-feed check stock?
No -- Kantivo is built for cut-sheet (letter-size) three-per-page check stock. Continuous-feed check printing is not supported at this time.
Can different companies in my install use different layouts?
Yes. Check Printing settings are stored per company, so each business in your Kantivo install can use its own check stock and signature without interference.
What if I save a Print Later check by accident?
Open it from the Account Register or Checks to Print queue, edit it, untick the Print Later box, give it a check number, and save. You can also delete the queued check from the register if you'd rather start over.
Why does Kantivo skip the check-number field when I tick Print Later?
Because numbers are assigned at print time from your starting value, with sequential increments. Locking the field down at write time prevents accidental gaps or duplicates that would happen if multiple users queued checks simultaneously.