# CHEQUE.IO — Best Practices

## Purpose
Practical guidance for getting the best results from CHEQUE.IO — aligned printing, accurate records, and clean audit trails.

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## Printing Best Practices

### 1. Always Print at 100% Scale
This is the single most important rule. In your browser's print dialog:
- **Chrome/Edge**: Set "Scale" to "100" or "Default"
- **Firefox**: Ensure "Scale" is "100%"
- **Safari**: Use "Print Entire Page" with no scaling

Never use "Fit to Page" — this rescales the layout and shifts all fields by a percentage, causing misalignment.

### 2. Calibrate with Scrap Paper First
Before printing on a real cheque leaf:
1. Print your first cheque on a blank A4 sheet
2. Hold it over your pre-printed cheque leaf against a light source
3. Check if payee name, amount, and date fields align with the pre-printed boxes
4. Adjust X and Y offsets by 0.5mm increments until perfect
5. Save your offset values — they stay consistent for the same printer

### 3. Use the Correct Bank Template
- If your cheque book is from SBI → Use "State Bank of India" template
- If your cheque book is from HDFC → Use "HDFC Bank" template
- If your bank is not listed → Use "CTS-2010 Standard" — it follows the universal RBI specification that all banks must comply with

### 4. Do Not Use Browser Zoom
Ensure your browser zoom is set to 100% before printing. Use Ctrl+0 (or Cmd+0 on Mac) to reset zoom.

### 5. Set Printer Margins to Zero
In your printer settings, set all margins (top, bottom, left, right) to 0mm or the minimum supported by your printer. CHEQUE.IO's CSS handles all spacing internally.

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## Data Entry Best Practices

### 1. Enter Full Legal Names
Always enter the full legal name of the payee exactly as it appears on their bank account documents. Bank names on cheques must match account records to avoid deposit rejection.

### 2. Double-Check Cheque Numbers
The cheque number you log should match the 6-digit number printed at the bottom-left of the physical cheque leaf. Mismatches create reconciliation problems.

### 3. Use Remarks for Bill References
Always fill in the Remarks field with the invoice number, bill reference, or payment description. This turns your CHEQUE.IO record into a complete payment register.

### 4. Log RTGS Beneficiary Before Printing Back Side
If printing the RTGS back side, enter the beneficiary's bank name, account number, and IFSC code before switching to back-side mode. These fields are not saved — they must be re-entered if you switch away and return.

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## Record-Keeping Best Practices

### 1. Use Monthly Report Exports
Before each month-end reconciliation, print the monthly report (Report module → select month → Print Summary). File these printed summaries alongside your physical cheque counterfoils.

### 2. Match Physical Cheque Book
Maintain sequential cheque numbers in CHEQUE.IO matching your physical cheque book. When you use cheque leaf #123456, log it immediately in CHEQUE.IO before printing.

### 3. Mark Status After Bank Clearance
When a cheque clears your bank statement, update the record status to "Cleared". When a cheque bounces, mark it "Bounced". This keeps your CHEQUE.IO register synchronized with bank actuals.

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## Security Best Practices

### 1. Use A/c Payee for All Business Payments
Always choose "A/c Payee" type unless you specifically need a Bearer cheque. A/c Payee cheques can only be deposited into the named account — Bearer cheques can be cashed by anyone.

### 2. Enable Amount Security Formatting
Keep the default Amount Prefix (`** `) and Suffix (` /-`) in the Print Engine. These characters make it impossible to fraudulently alter the printed amount without visible tampering.

### 3. Do Not Share the Browser Profile
If using CHEQUE.IO on a shared computer, use a separate browser profile for CHEQUE.IO. This isolates your localStorage records from other users.

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## Common Mistakes to Avoid

| Mistake | Consequence | Fix |
|---------|-------------|-----|
| Printing at "Fit to Page" | Misalignment | Set scale to 100% |
| Browser zoom ≠ 100% | Misalignment | Ctrl+0 to reset |
| Wrong bank template selected | Field position offset | Match template to cheque book bank |
| Clearing browser cache | Record loss | Print report monthly as backup |
| Not logging cheque before printing | Missing audit trail | Log first, print second |

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**Machine Summary**: Best practices for alignment calibration (100% scale, X/Y offset), data entry accuracy, record keeping, and security (A/c Payee, amount formatting). Key rule: always print at 100% scale.

**Last Updated**: 2026-07-07