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Glite Dictionary
magnetic ink

magnetic ink

4.7
Ink that contains tiny metal particles so machines can read numbers on paper
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : tinta magnética
  • Consider, for contrast, the magnetic ink encoding and subsequent handling of batches of bank documents.

Examples

  • Magnetic ink, it's, uh, raised against my fingers instead of flat.

    Catch Me If You Can (2002)

  • Was the magnetic ink encoding correct on every check in the batch?

    Academic text (1998)

  • Checks, for example, have dollar amounts printed along their edges in magnetic ink characters and are generally posted in batches.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Bank checks use magnetic ink for the encoded dollar amounts to be recognized by machines.

  • The security features of the new ID cards include magnetic ink that can be read by scanners.

  • The printer is designed to work with magnetic ink, which is crucial for producing secure documents.

Surface Forms

magnetic ink singular
magnetic inks plural

Morphology

magnetic + ink

The meaning 'ink containing particles of a magnetic substance' is directly derivable from combining 'magnetic' (having magnetism) with 'ink' (a pigmented liquid); a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to ink with magnetic properties used for detection. This adjective+noun compositional pattern is standard and cross-linguistically common, so the expression is predictable from its parts.

Etymology

Magnetic ink is ink mixed with tiny metal bits that are magnetic, so machines can 'feel' where the ink sits on a page. That's why banks use magnetic ink to let machines 'read' account numbers and check that documents are real.