While many businesses have switched to online bill payments, some still prefer paper checks to pay their bills. Today, we are going to show you a step-by-step tutorial on how to print checks in QuickBooks Desktop.
The process for printing checks is essentially the same for QuickBooks Desktop Pro, QuickBooks Desktop Premier, QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, or QuickBooks Desktop Accountant. If you’re not sure which QuickBooks product is best for your business, read our comparison of QuickBooks Desktop products to help you decide.
Intuit offers special discounts on its QuickBooks Desktop products from time to time. As an example, QuickBooks Desktop Pro, one of our best small business accounting software, is available at a 33% discount for your first year.
Now, let’s go through the process of creating and printing checks in QuickBooks Desktop. We recommend that you follow in with your QuickBooks Desktop company as we walk you through each step.
Watch the tutorial video below and the step-by-step instructions that follow:
Why You Should Print Checks in QuickBooks Desktop
QuickBooks Desktop has many interesting features that simplify the process of creating checks. QuickBooks Desktop allows you to:
- Print checks one at a time or multiple checks in one batch
- Save a check to print later
- Print different types of checks
By printing checks directly from QuickBooks Desktop, the payee information is completed automatically from your vendor contact information. For bills that have already been entered, the amount is completed as well. You can pay multiple bills easily with the same check.
If you need to purchase checks, learn Where to Buy Quickbooks Checks.
Printer Setup
Before you proceed, make sure that you have your printer properly set up in QuickBooks Desktop. The steps below show how to align checks in QuickBooks Desktop.
- Click on Printer Setup, under the File menu
- Select Check/Paycheck from the Form Name drop-down list
- Select Voucher for the check style
- Choose Align, click on Print, and then compare it to your preprinted checks
- Adjust the horizontal and vertical settings using the alignment grid on your sample
- Click OK
- Click Align again and Print another sample. Adjust until you have the perfect alignment
There are two ways to manage your bills and print checks in QuickBooks Desktop: write checks when bills are received or enter a bill and print a check later.
How to Write Checks Without Entering a Bill in QuickBooks Desktop
You can print checks in QuickBooks Desktop without entering a bill with the following steps:
- Select Write Checks.
- Create the check.
- Print the check or save the check to print later.
1. Select Write Checks
Navigate to Write Checks in QuickBooks Desktop
Click on the Banking menu, and then select Write Checks from the drop-down list, or select Write Checks in the Banking section of your Home Page.
2. Create the Check
QuickBooks Desktop will display the Write Checks window:
Write Checks Window in QuickBooks Desktop
To create your check, you need to provide the following information in QuickBooks Desktop.
- Bank Account: Select the bank account from which the money will be deducted.
- Print Later: Check this box if you want to create the check now but print it later as part of a batch. Checking this box will replace the check number on the preview of the check with the message “TO PRINT.”
- Pay to the Order of: Enter the Payee Name and the address information will be completed automatically.
- No.: If you’re printing the check now, enter the number from the check you will place in the printer. If Print Later is checked, this will read “TO PRINT.”
- Date: Enter the date when you are issuing the check.
- Amount: Enter the amount.
- Address: This field is automatically populated based on the information entered during the payee setup.
- Memo: This field is optional, but you can use it to provide additional information, like the account number and the purpose of the payment.
- Expenses or Items tab: Assign the check to one or more QuickBooks Accounts or Items, similar to the way a bill is entered.
Click the Save icon at the top of the Write Checks screen, but don’t close the screen yet.
3. Print the Check
You can either print checks individually or print multiple checks at a time. To choose, click the drop-down menu from the Print icon at the top of the Write Checks window:
Selecting a Check or Batch of Checks to Print in QuickBooks Desktop
A. Print Checks Individually in QuickBooks Desktop
- Enter the check number in the First Check Number field that matches the blank check in your printer:
Enter the Check Number
- Select the appropriate style: Voucher, Standard, or Wallet
- Select the correct printer, and then click Print:
Select Printer and Check Style
B. Batch Print Checks in QuickBooks Desktop
After creating a check in Step 2, click Save & New and repeat the process to create all the required checks. Be sure all checks have the Print Later box marked at the top of the screen. From the final check, click the drop-down menu under the Print icon and select Batch. The Select Checks to Print screen will show all checks that have been created, but not yet printed:
Batch Print Checks in QuickBooks Desktop
- Select the bank account from which the checks will be written
- Mark the checks you need to print by clicking on the box next to the check
- Enter the check number from your first blank check inserted in the printer in the First Check Number field, and click OK
From there, it is the same as printing a single check. Select your printer and check style and then click Print.
How to Write Checks to Pay Bills Already Entered In QuickBooks Desktop
To write and print checks for existing bills in QuickBooks Desktop, follow the three steps below.
1. Select Pay Bills
2. Create the check
3. Print the check
1. Select Pay Bills
Click Pay Bills under the Vendors menu. A window showing the list of bills already entered in QuickBooks Desktop appears. From here, select the bill or bills you want to pay by clicking the checkbox on the left side:
Select Bills to be Paid in QuickBooks Desktop
2. Create the Check
Creating a check in QuickBooks Desktop
To create a check in QuickBooks Desktop, you need to enter the following:
- Payment Date: Enter the date when you are creating the check.
- Method: Choose Check from the drop-down list.
- Check Number: You can either assign a check number or click “To be Printed.” If you select “To be Printed,” then the check number is assigned automatically when your check is printed.
- Account: Select the checking account from which the checks will be paid.
Click Pay Selected Bills to create the checks:
Checks Created in QuickBooks Desktop
After clicking Pay Selected Bills, QuickBooks will show a payment summary. You have the option to:
A. Pay More Bills: Click here if you wish to create checks to pay additional bills
B: Print Checks: If you’re ready to print your checks, tap Print Checks
C. Done: If you want to print the checks later you can click Done; you can find the unprinted checks later by clicking Print Checks in the Banking section of your home page
Accessing Checks to be Printed
3. Print the Check
After you click Print Checks, a window showing the list of unprinted checks will show up. Select the checks you want to print and click OK. Make sure that the number in the First Check Number field matches the number of the first check queued up in your printer:
Select Checks to Print in QuickBooks Desktop
As in the earlier section, the final step is to select the check style, choose your printer, and then click Print.
Wrap Up
Congratulations on learning to print checks in QuickBooks Desktop. If you’re considering a change to Quickbooks Online, check out our lesson on how to convert QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.
