Cool check design?

April 21, 2005 3:57 PM

I have sifted through everything and can't find any way to decide which cheesy design to pick. Anyone know any cool check design sites? There must be something out there.

I have to buy some new checks but every design I can find is pretty lame. It would be so great if I could use Computer Modern fonts. Otherwise I'm going to have to choose between hummingbirds and this mystic maiden design. That's how I've narrowed it down so far. So obviously I need some help. Please, help me.

posted by scazza to work & money (17 comments total)

I have the coolest checks ever. (And I always mail the cockroach ones to the trash collecting service.)
posted by xo at 4:15 PM on April 21, 2005

http://secure.checksinthemail.com/line.aspx?lineid=9 <<< Supposed to be "hip and cool!" I kinda like some of them. Usually, for every check site, there will be one design out of 100 I like, so just take the time to hunt!
posted by abbyladybug at 4:33 PM on April 21, 2005

You know what, I ordered new checks recently. I thought about getting cool ones- in fact, I spent quite a while looking- and then I thought to myself, "Nobody's ever going to see these checks except me and the electric company- what do I care what they look like?" ...and I just went for the cheapest. Walmart, btw. Who knew?
posted by elisabeth r at 4:37 PM on April 21, 2005

ArtChecks.com

These are my favorites.
posted by FlamingBore at 4:44 PM on April 21, 2005

Warning: for geeks only.
posted by cali at 5:11 PM on April 21, 2005

People still use checks? Checks still exist? Wow. I think the last time I saw one was in the 1980s. Of course, I live in Europe, where these things have been digital for years.
posted by gentle at 6:58 PM on April 21, 2005

sure gentle, how else do you write a bad check to the phone co 4 days before you get paid?
posted by ShawnString at 7:12 PM on April 21, 2005

Have you looked at Checkworks.com? They have some designs that didn't make me want to spew. Like Mosaic, Signs, or Confetti. And their prices are pretty good for non-utilitarian checks.
posted by lobakgo at 7:13 PM on April 21, 2005

Really the only thing I use them for is the rent, everything else is digital, yes. I hate them, but is there any other way to pay the rent other than cash?
posted by scazza at 7:18 PM on April 21, 2005

I like checks-in-the-mail. These and these are my favorites. They're much cheaper than checks from the bank.
posted by theora55 at 8:39 PM on April 21, 2005

These are what Mrs. Plinth and I use. In terms of people noticing, I've gotten in the habit of handing over the check and saying somthing like, "Hey! You got Big Bird!" which usually draws a smile from the cashier.
posted by plinth at 5:53 AM on April 22, 2005

I get my checks from MessageProducts.

From that page: "Message!Products carries a variety of personal checks and check products that convey messages and feature images that reflect the issues nonprofit organizations are fighting for."

They have a lot of environmental orgs, but also other types. I found them through the American Museum of Natural History, which used to offer some really interesting checks through MessageProducts. For some reason, though, their design has become more generic and less aesthetically appealing - more like "lets slap some animal photos on here".

A lot of the check designs look like that - get some photos having to do with the orgs issue, fade them in Photoshop, then put the check fields on top. No attempt to design _around_ the check fields, or to design _with_ the fields. I don't know why that is.

Anyway, I recently went back to that site and wound up getting Jane Evershed checks. I'm not sure what I'm supporting, but they're pretty.

At one point I had some pretty cool Van Gogh checks; I just did a google search for them, though, and couldn't find them.

You can choose what organization you want to support, the checks subtly spread the message (sort of, if they are viewed by a human), and I think that the designs are slightly less lame than otherwise.

It's true that often checks aren't seen by anyone else; but *you* see them. And when you buy anything, you're supporting it in a way. I'd rather support something that at least tries for better than usual.
posted by amtho at 6:27 AM on April 22, 2005

I just ordered these checks, they're kind of plain, but very high security. They were designed by Frank Abagnale (the main charachter in Catch Me If You Can) and they're pretty interesting for that reason alone.
posted by clgregor at 6:30 AM on April 22, 2005

I made the mistake of trying to be "cute funny" to the hot bank woman who was signing me up, and picked a plain check with the "Keep On Truckin'!" logo (semi-truck, boots, thumbs up) in the top left hand corner. Funny at the time, I suppose, but had to hand over these rediculous checks for two years.
posted by nitsuj at 7:12 AM on April 22, 2005

The ultimate nerd checks.
posted by frykitty at 8:40 AM on April 22, 2005

look no further
posted by modofo at 12:32 PM on April 22, 2005

I just wanted to thank everyone for all these responses. My questions are usually pretty obscure I guess, but this thread has been very successful. Thank you so much!!
posted by scazza at 3:54 PM on April 22, 2005