The John H. Harland Company was established in 1923 by John Herdman Harland (1885-1976). Harland immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1901, and moved to Atlanta in 1906, where he was employed as a bookkeeper for the Foote and Davies Company, Atlanta’s principal commercial printer. He worked there for 17 years there and eventually became treasurer of the company. In 1922, Harland married Wilhelmina "Billie" Bluet Drummond (1887-1973). In 1923, the Harlands purchased the General Printing Company and renamed it the John H. Harland Company. The company's business began with printing client brochures, stock certificates, life insurance policy forms, as well as printing and selling stationery and supplies.

In the 1930s, the City of Atlanta contracted the company to print bank scrips to be used in lieu of cash during the Great Depression. As a result, the John H. Harland Company established relationships with city banks and eventually shifted its focus to printing standardized and personalized checks. In 1972, John and Wilhelmina Harland also established the Harland Charitable Foundation, whose mission is "to support effective, well-led organizations that enhance opportunities for low-income children and youth, respond to critical community needs and foster a vibrant arts culture." In the 2000s, the John H. Harland Company expanded into database marketing software for banks and small companies.