ISO 1004:1995

INTERNATIONAL Is0
STANDARD 1004
Third edition
1995-06-I 5
Information processing - Magnetic ink
character recognition - Print
specifications
- Reconnaissance des caractkres P encre
Traitemen t de I’in forma tion
- Spkcifica tions d ‘impression
magnktique (M/CR)
Reference number
IS0 1004:1995(E)
IS0 1004:1995(E)
Page
Contents
Section I-Font E 13 B
..................................................
1 Scope
.................................... 1
2 Character configuration.
............................ 1
Character spacing and alignment.
..........................................
4 Character skew.
...................................... 2
5 Character tolerances.
Voids .
...................................... 3
7 Uniformity of ink film.
8 Extraneousink .
.................................. 4
9 Debossment (impression).
10 Signallevel .
11 Paper .
12 Format .
...................................
13 MICR ink performance.
Figures
.................. 9
Stroke 0 (Zero) to Stroke 3 (Three).
1to 4
.................. IO
5to 8 Stroke 4 (Four) to Stroke 7 (Seven)
.............. 11
9to 12 Stroke 8 (Eight) to Stroke 11 (Symbol 2)
......... 12
13 to 14 Stroke 12 (Symbol 3) to Stroke 13 (Symbol 4).
........................... 13
15 Character design matrix.
....................... 13
16 Distance between characters
...................
17 Allowable variation in vertical align
.......................... 14
Allowable character skew
....................................
19 Average edge
........................... 14
20 Average edge tolerance.
................................. 14
21 Edge irregularity.
..........................
22 Examples of single voids.
0 IS0 1995
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced
or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, tncluding photocopying and
microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
International Organization for Standardization
Case Postale 56 l CH-1211 Geneve 20 l Switzerland
Printed in Switzerland
ii
0 IS0 1995(E)
23 Examples of rows and columns . . . . .
..... 15
24 Restriction Areas for Extraneous Ink. .
....... 17
25 Waveform as it appears on face of oscilloscope:.
26 Signal peaks for calibrating all characters .
27 Ideal waveform peaks .
28 Secondary signal level document. .
29 Conductor arrangement for the wire card
calibration method. .
30 Test device suitable for generating magnetic flux
for the wire card calibration method. .
31 Distance of the right hand character from the right
hand reference edge .
Annexes
............................ 22
A Debossment and Linear amplifier.
B Equivalent metric-inch dimensions used in font E 13 B .
Figure
..................... 22
A.1 Circuit diagram of a typical linear amplifier.
Section 2 - Font CMC 7
Scope.2 4
15 Character configuration .
16 Means of automatic sensing. .
Reference edges of documents .
PrintLocation.2 5
Clearband.2 5
Character spacing and alignment. . 25
........................... 25
21 Character definition and tolerances
Extraneous ink (spots). .
Voids .
..2 6
Segment end zones .
Uniformity of ink. . 27
Debossment.2 7
Signal Level.2 7
Paper .
MICR inkpermanence.2 8
................................. 29
Symbols and abbreviations.
Figures
............................. 30
32 Format of documents.
................. 31
33 Magnified view of part of a character
Introduction to the drawings of the printed characters of
fontCMC7.3 2
Figures
Digits: Font height 3,20 mm (Hrl) .
Symbols: Font height 3,20 mm (I-frl) . 34
............. 35
36 Letters A to H: Font height 3,20 mm (Hn).
. . .
III
IS0 1004:1995(E) 0 IS0
37 Letters I to Q: Font height 3,20 mm (&) . 36
38 Letters R to Z: Font height 3,20 mm (I-In). . 37
39 Digits: Font height 3,00 mm (&) . 38
40 Symbols: Font height 3,00 mm (Hf2) . 39
............. 40
41 Letters A to H: Font height 3,00 mm (Hf2)
42 Letters I to Q: Font height 3,00 mm (Hf2). . 41
43 Letters R to Z: Font height 3,00 mm (&) . 42
44 Digits: Font height 2,85 mm (Hfs) . 43
45 Symbols: Font height 2,85 mm (Hf3). . 44
46 Letters A to H: Font height 2,85 mm (Hf3) . 45
47 Letters I to Q: Font height 2,85 mm (Hf3) .
48 Letters R to Z: Font height 2,85 mm (Hf3) . 47
49 Digits: Font height 2,70 mm (Hf4) .
50 Symbols: Font height 2,70 mm (Hf4). . 49
51 Letters A to H: Font height 2,70 mm (Hf4) . 50
52 . 51
Letters I to Q: Font height 2,70 mm (Hf4)
53 Letters R to Z: Font height 2,70 mm (Hf4) . 52
54 The complete set of font CMC 7 characters. . 53
Annexes
C Equivalent metric-inch dimensions used in font CMC 7. . . 54
D Use of symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

0 IS0
IS0 1004:1995(E)
Foreword
IS0 (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide
federation of national standards bodies (IS0 member bodies). The work
of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through IS0
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. IS0
collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission
(IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are
circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an International
Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting
a vote.
International Standard IS0 1004 was prepared by Technical Committee
ISOnC 68, Banking and related financial services, Subcommittee SC 2,
Operations and procedures.
This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition
(IS0 1004:1977), of which it constitutes a technical revision.
Annexes A to D of this International Standard are for information only.

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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD 0 IS0 Is,0 1004:1995 (E)
Information processing - Magnetic ink character
recognition - Print specifications
Section 1 - Font E 13 B
2.2 Dimensions
1 Scope
Detailed dimensions and the reference centre lines of
Section 1 of this International Standard specifies the
the printed characters for Strokes 0 to 13 are shown in
shapes, dimensions and tolerances for the ten digits
figures 1 to 14 inclusive. Figure 15 illustrates the charac-
and four special symbols to be printed in magnetic ink’
ter design matrix. Dimensions of the printed characters
and used for the purposes of character recognition. It
are as follows:
describes the various types of printing defects and
other printing considerations, together with the toler-
1) Character height
2,972 mm (0.117 in)
ances permitted, and also contains specifications for sig-
nal level measurement and references to Optical
2) character widths 1,321 mm (0.052 in)
Character Recognition (OCR), a technology now often
1,651 mm (0.065 in)
used in conjunction with E 13 B MICR reading.
1,981 mm (0.078 in)
The characters specified in section 1 of this Interna- 2,311 mm (0.091 in)
tional Standard were developed initially for use in banks
3) width of horizontal 0,330 mm (0.013 in)
to permit automatic document handling for bank data
and vertical bars
processing, but they have application to other automatic
processing systems as well.
4) minimum width of 0,279 mm (0.011 in)
horizontal bars (this
specification does
2 Character configuration
not apply to vertical
bars, see 5.5)
2.1 Designation
The series of standard magnetic ink characters consists 5) corner radii (except 0,165 mm (0.0065 in)
Stroke 0, see figure 1)
of ten digits and four special symbols. They are identi-
fied as follows:
6) tolerance (average + 0,038 mm (+ 0.0015 in)
Name Designation
edge)
Zero Stoke 0
One Stoke 1
3 Character spacing and alignment
Two Stoke 2
Three Stoke 3
3.1 Spacing of characters
Four Stoke 4
Five Stoke 5
3.1.1 Common fields (fixed format)
Six Stoke 6
Seven Stoke 7
3.1 .I.1 The distance between the right average edge
Eight Stoke 8
of adjacent characters shall be 3,175 mm + 0,254 mm
Nine Stoke 9
(0.125 in + 0.010 in) (see figure 16).
Symbol 1 Stoke 10
Symbol 2 Stoke 11
(Average edge is defined and discussed in clause 5.)
Stoke 12
Symbol 3
Symbol 4 Stoke 13
3.1 .I.2 The accumulation of spacing tolerances in any
common (fixed format) field is limited to the extent that
the accumulation does not infringe upon the boundaries
defining this field.
1) As used in this International Standard, the term “magnetic ink” means ink capable of being magnetized and sensed.

IS0 1004:1995 (E) 0 IS0
3.1.2 Minimum space - any field side (see figure 19). (The typical edge of a printed char-
acter is not a straight line.)
The minimum space between the right average edge of
Average edge tolerance
adjacent characters, whether they are in the same field 5.3
or adjoining fields, can never be less than 2,921 mm
The average edge tolerance for all stroke edges shall
(0.115 in). This also applies to variable format fields.
be + 0,038 mm (+ 0.0015 in) applied to the dimensions
Maximum or other spacing requirements in variable
(measured from Q and @) that locate the edges. A typi-
fields shall be specified by the individual machine manu-
facturer involved.
cal illustration of this tolerance is shown in figure 20.
3.2 Alignment of characters
The average edge of the radii shall be tangential to the
average edge of the stroke and shall fall within the +
3.2.1 Definition
0,038 mm (+ 0.0015 in) tolerance specified for stroke
edges (See 2.2)
alignment: The relative vertical location of a character
with respect to adjacent characters within a given field.
5.4 Edge irregularity tolerance
The horizontal centre line of each character is indicated
on drawings of the printed character by the symbol El+
5.4.1 Peaks and valleys about the average edge are
These centre lines serve to establish vertical alignment permitted to extend to + 0,089 mm (+ 0.0035 in) from
the dimension locating the edge. An example is shown
of all characters, since all characters are designed
about the same horizontal centre line. in figure 21. However, when these occur the sum of the
edge present in the 0,038 mm to 0,089 mm (0.0015 in
3.2.2 Tolerances to 0.0035 in) zone shall not exceed 25% of the total
edge.
Vertical alignment tolerance is that which is consistent
with good printing practice and subject to the following 5.4.2 An occasional void can be present at the edge
and cause a valley that exceeds the limits mentioned
interpretations:
above. The maximum allowable size of such voids is
a) alignment of a line of characters printed in any specified in clause 6.
field should be such that the bottom edges of ad-
jacent characters within each field do not vary 5.4.3 An occasional excursion (such as feathering or
vertically by more than 0,381 mm (0.015 in) stringing out) can be present at the edge and extend be-
(see figure 17);
yond the 0,038 mm to 0,089 mm (0.0015 in to 0.0035
in) zone. Such occasional excursions are not consid-
b) on characters that do not come down to the ered to be edge irregularities, and are defined as extra-
“base” line (see figures 13, 14, and 16), the toler-
neous ink that is “attached” to the character. The
ance specified in a) applies to the horizontal cen- maximum allowable size and quantity of such excur-
tre line. sions is given in clause 8.
In measuring the size of such excursions, only the por-
4 Character skew
tion that extends beyond the 0,089 (0.0035 in) limit men-
tioned in 5.4.1 should be considered since the portion
The maximum allowable character skew is + 130
of the excursion in the 0,038 mm to 0,089 mm (0.0015
measured with respect to the bottom edge of the docu- in to 0.0035 in) zone is controlled by character edge ir-
ment. (See figure 18.)
regularity limits given in 5.4.1.
5.5 Minimum width of horizontal bars
5 Character tolerances
The distance between the average edges of any hori-
5.1 Dimensions zontal bar shall be at least 0,279 mm (0.011 in). (This
specification is an adjunct to the dimension specification
See figures 1 to 14 for dimensions of printed characters. locating each edge. This specification does not apply to
vertical bars since vertical bars are controlled entirely
5.2 Definition of “average edge” by the dimensions locating each edge.
average edge: An imaginary line that divides the irregu-
larities along the edge of a printed character so that the
summation of the white areas on one side of the line is
equal to the summation of the black areas on the other
IS0 1004:1995 (E)
0 IS0
8 Extraneous ink
6 Voids
8.1 Definition
6.1 Definition
8.1 .I Extraneous ink, magnetic
specified outline
voids: The absence of ink within the
of the printed character
...