Over the years, we’ve worked with clients in a variety of industries and solved some unique problems. Today, we want to share the story of how we helped one repeat client beat a fraud problem in a fast and cost-effective way.
The client is a company which plans and produces events nationwide. They have a reputation for putting on fairly exclusive events and tickets to these events are very desirable. We can’t mention the client by name for various reasons, but the story of the problem they experienced and the solution we developed is applicable to a variety of ticketed events.
The Problem
Earlier this year, our client began to notice a fraud problem. Dishonest individuals were using photocopiers to duplicate tickets and gain access to events. When the magnitude of the problem became too great, the client came to us and tasked us with finding a creative print-based solution.
We worked through a few design iterations before arriving at an optimal solution. We initially considered using ultraviolet ink to prevent copies from being produced, but this solution would have required the use of UV flashlights by all ticketing staff. This would have added to the cost and logistics of the ticket-taking process, so we dismissed this idea.
The Best Solution
For our next attempt, we decided to try creating tickets with a foil look. Foil would be impossible to reproduce with standard photocopying equipment and would be in keeping with the high-end feel of our client’s events. However, we don’t have the equipment for working with foil in-house. To produce tickets on foil, we would have needed to partner with a third-party company to create a die and stamp all of the tickets. This process would have required a week’s worth of work and most likely would have driven the cost to an unacceptably high level.
Instead of using foil, we reached into our printing toolbox and used something we’ve worked with a couple times in the past: silver stock. We can work with silver stock just as we do with other papers, which gave us the ability to print tickets on our in-house equipment. To add a more sophisticated feel to the tickets, we chose to print the background of the ticket using white ink. Not many printers have the expertise to effectively use white ink, but we have built up our skills with it over the years and at this point, we’ve confident that we’re one of the best printers in the Southwest when it comes to white ink.
To complete the ticket design, we chose to print the client’s logo in red ink. The red ink was printed directly onto the silver stock, instead of layered on top of the white ink, which gave the logo a very classy, foil-like appearance without the expense and time required by foil. To ensure tickets were unique, we called upon our knowledge of variable data printing and included a serial number on each ticket.
The End Result
The end result was a ticket which had a very polished, high-end appearance, was impossible to duplicate on commonly available equipment and was instantly recognizable as authentic by event staff. Our approach kept costs well within our client’s budget and all tickets could be produced within two days, instead of the week which would have been required by foil tickets.
Does your company have a difficult printing challenge? Come talk to us and let us find a creative solution. Silver stock, white ink and variable data printing are just a few of the techniques we’ve mastered in over 20 years of printing experience. We’re confident we have the tools and the expertise needed to make your challenge a thing of the past.
Posted by R and R Images 
