Tickets are an important thing to print for a wide range of businesses. You might be in charge of events management and print tickets for attendees or are doing a raffle at the office and want some high-quality tickets to hand out.
Whatever your reasons, you need a ticket printer that is up to the task.
Types of Printable Tickets
Although many have a similar design, not all tickets are the same.
First of all is the size. Some tickets are large, up to A6 in design. This is so that plenty of information and images can be included with them. In the case of events, these are best used with lanyards, so they can be shown to staff for access or to other attendees, so they know if you’re a guest, speaker, staff, or VIP. You can also include QR codes that allow for access or finding out more information.
If you’re at the cinema or theatre, your printed ticket needs to contain the name of the film/show you’re seeing, information about it, your seat number, and the time it will begin. You want a large font for accessibility purposes, so it takes up a lot of space.
You also want to include some branding on your tickets. This can be as simple as your company name or logo in the corner or something bigger that makes it clear what event or venue guests attended.
This isn’t to say that smaller tickets don’t have their uses. If you only need them to keep a person’s place in line, or give them a seat number, a small paper ticket is plenty.
Different Materials for Tickets
Speaking of paper, this is one of the main materials you can make your tickets from. Standard printer paper works for many ticketing machines, and it’s enough for a single use. However, you might want to make your tickets plastic coated or print them on plastic from the start for added durability.
For repeated use, paper tickets can become crumbled and QR codes can no longer work properly. This frustration can reflect badly on an event organiser or their venue, so it’s important not to cut corners when creating your tickets. If your tickets are designed to be slotted into lanyards, paper tickets aren’t the way to go.
Many people like to keep their tickets as a memento. A durable coated ticket will still be looking great long after an event and will take years to fade if stored well.
Knowing what material you want to print onto is a vital factor when choosing a ticketing machine, as not all will work with the materials you need.
The Best Printers for Tickets
Normally in our blogs we talk about both thermal and inkjet printers, discussing their pros and cons for the topic. However, this time it’s not as black and white. Simply put, thermal printers are the best machines for printing tickets.
You can use an inkjet printer, but you risk smudges and would need to print out each batch ahead of time, losing some of the personal service and efficiency. Most also only work with paper, so your tickets would be poor quality. Inkjet printers have their uses, but ticketing is not their strong suit.
A thermal printer, on the other hand, can print onto any material. This is because it uses a heated pad instead of ink, so as long as it can make contact with the surface, you can print bold images and clear text. This is great if you want to add some colour to your tickets, something that makes them stand out.
By far the best feature of a thermal ticketing machine is that they can be portable. If you don’t have guest details ahead of time, you can print their tickets when they arrive using a small machine you can place on a podium or hold in your hand. Thermal printers can be made much smaller than an inkjet counterpart, so if space is at a premium or you want them to be portable, they’re the best choice.
These thermal printers aren’t just limited to tickets either. Many can also be used for receipts, which is just as useful in any event venue with concessions or where you can pay on the door.
If you have self-service ticketing machines, which are common at cinemas and other event venues these days, the ticket dispenser will be built in. These are more reliable than smaller machines and don’t need a member of staff to work them, freeing them to focus on customer service.
Ticket Printer Repair and Maintenance
If you’re using your ticketing machines a lot, parts will start to wear out. This in turn will affect the quality of your tickets, if you can print any at all. At Label Line we’re experts in all forms of printers and are ready and waiting to help if yours lets you down.
We have a warehouse full of replacement parts for all models of printer, meaning faster service as we rarely need to order them in.
You can also remove the need for repairs by using our regular printer servicing agreements. Scheduled ahead of time, we’ll come to you and take your printer apart, assessing it for wear and tear and giving it a thorough clean. If we notice any parts that will let you down in the near future, we’ll work with you to organise replacements ASAP.
If you have any questions about us or our services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.