Want to jump straight to the answer? A dark pen is the formal pen used to sign checks
A cheque is a formal document that helps the bank to pay a certain amount of money from the drawers account that is usually written on a unique printed form.
This article will answer the question what color pen should one use when writing cheques and give you a reason why.
When it comes to being formal there is nothing that demands respect and rank like a dark color.
Dark is the color that defines a high rank in an official world even when it comes to physical appearance.
You can easily spot the CEO of a company from the employees just by looking at the dress code.
The one dressed in dark suit probably black or dark blue with a dark blue shit incase of a black suit or black or white shirt incase of dark blue suit is most likely the one in command.
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The same case applies when it comes to pens used in signing checks.
A dark pen is the formal pen used to sign checks. In a world where dark colored pen is dominated by few dark colors, only black and blue command the kind of status that is demanded by the authority of a check. Well, there are a few exceptions that we shall discuss later.
A black pen is the most commonly used color pen while writing cheques.
When it comes to money one wants to stamp some authority and what a better way to do it than in black.
This is the most official color and its highly recommended as it stands out as top and serious commanding power.
A famous fashion designer Christian Dior once stated “You can wear black at any time.
You can wear it at any age. You may wear it for almost any occasion; a ‘little black frock’ is essential to a woman’s wardrobe.”
In some cases, blue pens are also used. Dark blue would command more power but sadly in the world of pens there’s only one shade of blue; that is unless you get one those fancy pens mainly used by high school or arts students.
Blue comes in close and second to black when it comes to high rank status thus it’s also acceptable when it comes to writing and signing checks.
In the case where other colors have been used when filling the cheque, it leads to it being null and void.
However, some banks routinely accept cheques endorsed in different hues of ink, they may give the cheque a second look and inspect it more thoroughly.
BancFirst Executive vice president Barrie Higginbotham stated, “We absolutely prefer black ink for cheque endorsements.” “It has a superior scan quality.
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The scanners don't pick up light hues like pink and yellow, therefore everything is scanned.” Black has its benefits.
It produces the greatest impact on white paper, which is why publications are printed in black ink.
However, some organizations advise that blue ink be used wherever possible.
To avoid challenges to authenticity, several credit card firms require the use of blue ink on their applications.
This aids in the prevention of any fraudulent transactions.
Is Red color allowed?
Signing a cheque in red ink or endorsing the reverse of a cheque in red ink might cause problems by prolonging payment.
It may potentially negate the cheque's validity in extreme cases of preventing fraud.
“Since the Cold War era, red ink has been regarded as a warning color,” Angleton explains.
“To this day, the idea that red is a caution hue persists.” When bank proofers believed a check was fake, they used a red marker to circle the signature.
As a result, in the financial world, the hue remains vilified. Red didn't photocopy well in the days before color copying.
Red pens were deemed forbidden for signing or endorsing cheque since they would appear faint or non-existent on a photocopy, according to Wong.
Wong continues, “Today, scanners that read papers employ a red laser light.” “When a document is scanned with a red laser light, the entire document turns red.
As a result, a signature in red ink appears to fade away.” Some fraud-prevention technology will nullify cheques that have been signed in red ink.
Back in the days, in writing, schools and colleges prohibit the use of red as a primary pen color.
That was because teachers use red pens to correct papers in order to divert students' attention away from their writing and toward the teacher's correction.
This is not to say that students cannot use red pens, but it is a general procedure to be followed.
Can one write a cheque in two different colors?
Huh, interesting one might ask. This all boils down to presentability.
You might be looking at it in terms of black and blue as these are the two colors that we have agreed to be acceptable when it comes to writing checks.
Well, the simple answer here is no. This is because color differences can cause issues with text scanning. So, the answer is emphatically NO.
This can be problematic for the Payee since the Drawee may refuse the payment.
The bank only permits you to write the entire check in one color.
Banks would almost certainly reject the cheque, which will be regarded as spam and dishonest.
Furthermore, this is very informal.
Is a gel pen or throw pens appropriate in a cheque?
This is a valid question because the use and throw pen is best for writing cheques since it does not spread over the cheque like the gel pen does.
Gel pens are generally avoided for delicate and areas where overwriting is forbidden, and if there is any confusion or mistake corrected over the cheque, it gets immediately cancelled.
As a result, gel ink can spread throughout the cheque, turning the back of the cheque with deep ink.
The last thing you want is a dirty tainted check.
Can you write a cheque in a pencil?
I’m sure this sounds like a joke and in a world full of jokers it might not come as a surprise that there is a person who has pulled this kind of a stunt.
This however is extremely risky. Unless you are pulling a joke where you sign a one-dollar check, this is a perfect chance for a thief to steal from you comfortably and if you were dealing with a huge check, it might not be a laughable joke.
Cheques and other legal tender documents should NEVER be filled out in pencil.
You run the risk of being taken advantage of if you write your cheque in pencil.
The pencil can be wiped away and replaced with something different than what you wrote.
You risk having more money withdrawn from your account than you intended, or having it made out to someone else.
This will be a very difficult case to forward to court because one can hardly prove. This will be a very great loss.
As a result, only blue and black inked pens are accepted by institutions.
When you use ink, it keeps the writing legitimate.
When using a pencil, the check may appear to be tampered with, resulting in lengthy validations that may or may not successfully prove it was your fault.
When writing a cheque, one should be very careful and cautious.
Simply do not be ignorant of every detail to avoid incurring losses.
Conclusion: What color pen should you use when writing cheques?
Finally, I hope you now understand why black and blue pens are used when writing a cheque.
So next time you visit your bank, put on that signature black or blue suit and make sure you have a black pen with you. You will need to leave a signature mark. Remember “Elegance is not standing out, but being remembered.” —Giorgio Armani.