This report presents guidelines for the design and production of a check and describes the proper location of the data elements on the check, along with the rationale for those requirements. Certain elements of check design are specified in American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards or are mandated by the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and the Federal Reserve Board's Regulation CC. This report provides a summary of these requirements and other optional elements, with references, where appropriate, to standards and legal documents. Method of check production depends on a user's specific needs, with benefits coming at the cost of added responsibility. The guidelines contained in this report are intended to promote greater uniformity in the design and production of checks, which will improve processing and handling throughout the check processing system.