Tickets

The word ticket has several meanings. It can be a receipt for a product or service, or a document that enables the use of a specific means of transport or access to an event or show.

The tickets used as receipts are generally generated at cash registers or POS terminals in shops.

The type of ticket that concerns us here is the printing of tickets for means of transport and tickets for access to events or shows.

Format

Contrary to what occurs with other products, there is no standard size for ticket printing. Although they are usually printed in smaller sizes for practical reasons. The following measurements can be taken as a reference: 210x98 mm, 210x74 mm, 180x60 mm...
In general, the format to be used should allow the ticket to be stored easily and be easy to be checked when it is used on the means of transport or at the event.

Although, the design obviously does not need to be fixed nor does it have to adapt to any specific standard. And the design must of course be logical.

Printing

Tickets can be printed on one or both sides in one of the following ways:

  • colour (four-colour)
  • in black
  • in two colours
  • in Pantone colours
  • a combination of all of them

The ticket design can be in horizontal or vertical format without limitations.
In addition, it is quite common to use barcodes or QR codes to provide quick reading of ticket data. This reading is carried out using code reading devices.
Generally these bar codes contain the necessary information of the service, product or event to which they refer.

Within the ticket we can encode all the necessary information elements on the ticket: Seat, tier, type, date, category, etc.

Medium

There are multiple media suitable for printing tickets, although the most commonly used are coated, laid and offset paper and card.

The use of special paper is also another option, with the aim of making forgeries or copies even more difficult.

A wide range of weights can be used for the tickets, between 90 and 350 grams, depending on the sturdiness you want to give the ticket.

Security

Special or security inks are often used to mark the tickets and avoid possible falsifications. There are various types:

  • Thermochromatic ink: Reacts to temperature changes.
  • Photochromic ink: Reacts to the light (shines in the dark)
  • Invisible Ink: becomes visible with black or ultraviolet light
  • Fluorescent ink: Available in various colours (green, yellow...)
  • High impact varnishes and inks: Multicolour, silver, gold...

In addition, there are other security techniques that are commonly used to increase security and prevent counterfeiting, such as:

  • Security dies: A custom special die to "mark" the document with a shape or sign easily distinguishable by sight and even by touch.
  • Holograms: A visible sticker printed using different techniques that is very difficult to reproduce with conventional printing systems.