The present disclosure relates to a system and method for facilitating the writing of checks. In some arrangements, the system and methods pertain to receiving data to be included in a check to be printed via a network, configuring the received data for printing on a check, and facilitating printing of the check.

Upon receiving the printing data and a password set up for the particular printing data, a printer functioning as an image forming device permits the received printing data to be printed and also saves this printing data into the hard disk. When the password entered into the printer after saving the printing data matches with the password received from the PC together with the printing data, the printing of the printing data saved in the hard disk is allowed.

A system and method for verifying a printed document. Generally, the system is implemented to automatically compare first and second images and provide an output with respect thereto. In an illustrative embodiment, the inventive system includes a computer for providing a first electronic image of a document. The image may be provided via a network such as the Internet. A printer is coupled to the computer and driven to print the document. The document is then scanned to provide a second electronic image of the document. The scanned image is then compared to the original image to provide verification of the printed output. For text based documents, the first and second images may be converted to text using conventional optical character recognition software to facilitate comparison. In a refinement of the present teachings, a mechanism is provided to detect a file characterization by which a restriction may be imposed on the number of the documents to be printed. If a document is restricted, successful printouts above the restriction are disabled. As a further refinement, a second mechanism is included to enable a fingerprint to be printed on the restricted document. When scanned, the fingerprint provides an indication of the operability of the printer and the scanner. In the event the fingerprint is not detected, the printer is disabled. This mechanism would be useful in a pay-to-print application to frustrate fraudulent efforts to disable the scanner and thereby cause the printer to output unauthorized printouts.

A printer capable of invalidating a document of value is described. The printer includes a printing mechanism, a cutter, a sensor suitable for sensing authentication characteristics of a document and outputting a sensor signal corresponding to the sensed characteristics, and a controller. The controller is operable to send authentication data representing the sensor signal to a server, cause the cutter to cut the document to invalidate the document, and send data representing completion of the invalidation of the document to the server.

A communication system that efficiently and accurately manages various devices on a network includes a local device, which performs a user authentication process by using user information (a user ID and a password) that is inputted by a user at an operation unit and information that was registered in advance. The local device transmits, to a remote device, the inputted user information together with an operating request that is issued to the remote device by the user. The remote device performs the user authentication process by using the user information received from the local device and the information that was registered in advance.