Anyone know of a place or company that makes decent, cool, or interesting personal checks?

May 10, 2004 1:52 PM

Anyone know of a place or company that makes decent, cool, or interesting personal checks? I hate the bank's default blue ones, and all of the customized checks I can find are banal Puppies or Americana or Nature Scenes or worse (The Rock or Rob Zombie?) . Why can't I find any checks that look good (or even off-the-wall in a good way)?
posted by kokogiak to Shopping (14 answers total)

Checks Unlimited has some cool stuff among the NASCAR and angelic cherubs, if you do some digging (I get some fun retro Pop art ones from them, but couldn't find the image on the site). Also, you can get some cool designs by Shag and a few other contemporary graphic artists at Art Checks.
posted by scody at 2:02 PM on May 10, 2004

Message Products carries checks promoting a variety of nonprofit causes (specializing in animal, environmental, and social organizations).
posted by Harvey Birdman at 2:22 PM on May 10, 2004

Checks In The Mail (have used in the past - good company, very easy to deal with, lots of designs, great prices)

Cool Checks (small selection but very eclectic - I currently pay the bills with their Fine Art Nudes checks)
posted by anastasiav at 2:36 PM on May 10, 2004

Poppin' Fresh Checks

Maybe funny. Maybe annoying. Maybe both.
posted by Stoatfarm at 2:42 PM on May 10, 2004

Between debit cards and paying bills on line, my check writing has dwindled significantly. But when I do have occasion to pull out the checkbook, I'm always glad to see these happy checks smilin' back at me.
posted by boomchicka at 3:03 PM on May 10, 2004

Hey, boomchicka, those are the ones I use too! (Funny, I couldn't find 'em when I first looked... I was worried they might have been discontinued!)
posted by scody at 3:21 PM on May 10, 2004

boomchicka/scody: I love those, I've had them for a couple years now and they make me smile whenever I have to write a check. Now I'm wondering how many other Mefites use them?

Of course I'm waiting until my four boxes of checks run out before I take the next leap, but the next checks will be these, from ArtChecks.com.
posted by answergrape at 3:25 PM on May 10, 2004

Scody - I didn't find them either at first; I had to search for them. I love 'em too, but what I'd really like is a company that would let the user design their own checks. Now *that* would be cool.
posted by boomchicka at 5:26 PM on May 10, 2004

I've been a fan of Checks in the Mail for a while now - currently using the Poker Dogs.
posted by ferociouskitty at 6:01 PM on May 10, 2004

Checks in the Mail may have good designs, but they drove me crazy because they just did not tear right. Maybe it was just me, but I've never had that problem with other check companies. Just a warning.
posted by GaelFC at 9:38 PM on May 10, 2004

Response by poster: Thanks everyone - I think I'll probably go with something from coolchecks or artchecks or maybe Checks in the Mail. The two that caught my eye so far: Crayon (for no reason, but that it's unexpected), and Insects, for the eclectic factor.

I'm with Boomchicka - there really ought to be a place that allows you to design your own checks - I'll send an email to CafePress, let 'em know. I wonder if there's a reason they don't do this already?
posted by kokogiak at 8:09 AM on May 11, 2004

Before there were so many places to get colorful checks, I knew someone who used rubber stamps to customize his own. I use these for one account and these for another. It helps me remember not to confuse the 2 accounts. The company is easy to deal with, and delivery is prompt. Much less expensive than the bank.
posted by theora55 at 9:28 AM on May 11, 2004

Nobody does design your own yet? That seems like a gapping market niche.

Then again, I work at a place where we let people art direct their own design and sometimes it is definitely not pretty.
posted by weston at 1:59 PM on May 11, 2004

I print my own with VersaCheck...
posted by stew560 at 8:24 PM on May 11, 2004