Event Ticket Design Essentials

Event ticket design can be both fun and challenging. Your goal is to graphically capture the essence of your event in a small area and still relay necessary information such as ticket number, event location, etc., in an easy-to-read format. The following event ticket design essentials will put you on the right track to designing stunning event tickets that not only get people in the door, but also end up framed on walls as an aesthetic sense of pride.

Go easy on the eyes

At its core, your event ticket must detail information such as ticket number, event location, event time and date and any special instructions for attendees. All of this information should be laid out so that it is easy to read for both event attendees and event staff. For this reason, you should plan your event ticket design around this information, rather than filling it in after your design is complete. That being said, there's no reason you can't be creative with fonts and graphic presentation to complement your background design. If you're having your event tickets individually numbered, take care to ensure that the translucent numbers will show up well against your background.

Capture the essence of the event

Whether you're designing an event ticket for a sporting event, stage performance or business expo, make sure the heart and soul of the event is depicted in your design. Logos and images of people in motion, or other thematic concepts, work well on event tickets. Don't be afraid to get creative - the biggest compliment you can receive as an event ticket designer is for attendees to ultimately frame your ticket and proudly display it on their walls. It's true that the event itself is the motivating factor behind event ticket framing, but it's also true that stellar design helps justify the aesthetic principles.

Don't forget the back

The back of your event tickets provide ample space for adding useful information, statistics, an upcoming event calendar and even coupons. Many event tickets include a discount coupon for food from one of the event sponsors on the back, but there are also other value-added concepts you can implement here. Think outside of the box, and try to identify how you can present a special offer or event calendar in a way that motivates attendees to take advantage of the offer or attend the next event.

Use a template

Utilizing a template is especially important for event tickets that are numbered and/or perforated. You need to ensure that the number position will align with the press and that the perforations will align with the perforating machine. Many perforated tickets have duplicate information on the stub, set at a 90-degree angle adjacent to the main portion of the ticket, so it's important that everything aligns properly for a smooth printing process. If you follow the guidelines set in the event ticket templates, capture the essence of your event, take advantage of the back of the ticket and ensure that the most pertinent information is readable, your event ticket design will be a hit.