Patent ID: 7255433

Claim:
An ink-jet printing method for generating MICR-readable indicia comprising: a. preparing MICR ink-jet ink containing a magnetic particulate material in an amount sufficient to generate a minimally readable MICR signal level of lower than the nominal signal value of 100 according to the standard signal level specification defined by ANSI when printed in single pass mode; b. charging the MICR ink-jet ink containing the magnetic particulate material to a multiple-chamber ink-jet ink cartridge such that each charged chamber of the cartridge contains the same MICR ink-jet ink composition; c. installing the multiple chamber ink-jet ink cartridge in a full color process printer; d. operating the printer in a multiple pass manner to print indicia having multiple layers of MICR ink-jet ink; wherein the multiple layers of MICR ink-jet ink produce an additive effect with regard to the magnetic signal generated by the printed indicia such that the signal strength is increased in a manner corresponding to the number of layers of the MICR ink-jet ink which have been printed, as compared to the signal strength generated by indicia printed with a single pass of the same ink.