Who are APACS ? The Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) is a consortium common to all clearing banks who have been charged with setting and establishing the standard for Cheque Printing in the UK. Why have the standards changed? Automated cheque processing capabilities have been installed by Banks at enormous cost to streamline routines and speed up clearance of cheques through banks. These installations require a standardisation of cheque designs so that image readers can select information from predetermined positions on each cheque. This specifically affects 2" restraint area occupying the right hand edge of the cheque. Cheque counterfeiting and fraudulent alteration is widespread. These white collar crimes saw a 30% upturn during 1993 when colour copiers and use of solvents have made the life to easy for determined criminals. The new paper and inks to be used will foil such activity. Changes here relate to the fugitive background inks used on cheques and the opportunity for automated readers to detect fraudulent alterations. The standard effects the following: Voucher size, the clear band area at the foot of the cheque, printing within the 2" restraint area, positioning and type style of the sorting code, the contrast levels between background and printed matter, format of the payee and amount in words lines and most importantly the amount box and £ symbol. |