Printing Checks

Rentec Direct makes it easy to print checks directly from your account.  Whenever you post an expense, you can select the Print Check payment option. This works for property expenses, batch expenses to vendords, and work order expenses. Rentec Direct supports the most common check formats.

This article covers how to post an expense, review, and print checks, and adjust your printing preferences.

Tips Before You Get Started

• Printing checks requires a laser printer.
• You can print from a mobile device, but a tablet or desktop computer is much easier and recommended.
• You can also display the memo, category, or check number on Account Ledger reports. Learn more about advanced settings under Program Default Settings | Preferences.
• All check and reference fields support up to 45 characters

Create an Expense to Print as a Check

You can print checks for expenses posted throughout Rentec Direct. Common examples include paying a vendor for repairs to a property, printing one check for multiple services from the same vendor using Batch Expense, or paying for expenses through a work order, or paying an owner disbursement.

The following steps show how to select Print Check when you post an expense to a property

ledger.

In your Rentec Direct account: 

1. Click Properties
2. Right-click the property and select Post Expense 

3. Enter the payment details and choose Print Check as the Payment Type

   

   
   
4. Select the Payee to automatically fill in a Vendor or Owner from the list and their address will automatically populate from their profile.
5. Attach files as needed
6. Click Post Expense

System Tips:

• If a Payee is not listed, typing their name will add them to your vendor list
• Learn more about adding vendors and payees in Add Vendors and Payees

Preview and Print Checks

After posting an expense using the Print Check option, you can preview and print the check.

In your Rentec Direct account:

1. Click Banking 

2. Click the check icon next to the bank account  

   

   
   

3. Select the check (s) you want to print, or check the box at the top of the column to select all

   

   
   
4. Click Print Settings
   1. Enter the Check date
   2. Enter the First Check Number
5. Click on Bank Settings (This only needs to be done once per bank)
   1. Enter the number of days until the check is void
   2. Check the box, if you will be printing on blank stock

If using blank check stock:

1. Enable Print on blank stock
2. Enter your name and address (usually your company information)
3. Enter the bank name and full address

When your settings are ready:

1. Click Preview Checks
2. Click the printer icon to print and review your checks format
3. Select The printed checks look great! to finish, or select Not Perfect, go back a step to make adjustments.
4. Repeat as needed until the check layout is correct.

Check Printing Tips:

• Printers may collate pages differently, you may need to enable Reverse Pages in your printer settings
• Always print test checks on blank paper before using real check stock
• Checks are generated as PDFs to ensure accurate placement  If nothing appears, install Adobe Reader  
• In the print dialog, select Actual Size to prevent scaling issues

Configure or Adjust Check Printing Alignment

Rentec Direct includes default printer settings that work for most printers. If the text doesn't line up correctly on your checks, you can adjust the printer calibration settings to move the printed information into the correct position.

In your Rentec Direct account:

1. Click Settings 
2. Under Financial, click Accounting Defaults

3. Under Printing Preferences:

   * Select the check format

   * Choose whether to print the payee address

   * Use the Check Printer Alignment tool if needed

4. Save Changes

Adjust Printer Calibration

The calibration settings use X and Y coordinates to control the horizontal and vertical placement of printed text. Each value represents one-hundredth of an inch.

For example:

• Enter -25 for Y to move the printed text down one-quarter inch.
• Enter 25 for Y to move the printed text up one-quarter inch.
• Enter 25 for X to move the printed text right one-quarter inch.

Before printing live checks, test your printer alignment on blank paper and make any needed adjustments.

Tip: Hover over the ? icons for additional details.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are common uses for printing checks?

You can use Print Check for several types of payments, including:

• Print a one-time expense, such as returning a tenant security deposit.
• Printing a single check for multiple vendor transactions using Batch Expense transaction tool.
• Printing multiple checks at once.
• Creating recurring checks for fixed monthly expenses like utilities or landscaping.
• Printing a check for a vendor expense posted through a work order, including expenses billed to a tenant.

What is the difference between Check and Print Check?

• Check: Records a check written outside the software.
• Print Check: Allows you to create and print a check directly from Rentec Direct.

Who can print checks?

Account permission settings allow you to choose which users have access to printing checks through Rentec Direct. Review these settings to control which users can print checks from your account.

Learn more about Customizing Managers and Users Permissions