Create numbered event tickets as a PDF
Creating numbered event tickets means generating a run of identical ticket designs where only the sequential number — and optionally a per-ticket QR code — changes from ticket to ticket. This page generates up to 500 such tickets in your browser, 4 per A4 sheet: each has a bordered body with the event name and a venue/date line, a zero-padded number with your prefix (such as GALA-001), a dashed tear-off stub repeating that number, and optionally a QR code built from a URL template where {n} becomes the ticket number.
How it works
The generator stacks four full-width ticket bands per A4 page. Each band contains a bordered body — event name in a large weight, venue and date line beneath it — and, separated by a vertical dashed line, a narrow tear-off stub. The ticket number is formatted by zero-padding the sequence position to a fixed width and prepending your prefix, so a 250-ticket run with prefix GALA yields GALA-001 through GALA-250; the identical string is drawn in both the body and the stub, which is what makes stub-matching work after the halves are torn apart. Numbers, borders, and dashed cut lines are all vector paths, so a 500-ticket, 125-page run stays small and prints sharp.
The QR option turns a static ticket run into a checkable one. You provide a URL template containing the placeholder {n} — for example https://example.com/door?t={n} — and for each ticket the tool substitutes the ticket number, encodes the resulting string as a QR symbol (error-correction level M, tolerating about 15% symbol damage), and draws its modules as filled vector squares on the ticket body. Because every ticket encodes a distinct URL, door checking becomes trivial infrastructure-free logistics: the scanner's phone opens your URL, and your endpoint — which can be nothing more than a shared spreadsheet keyed by ticket number — records the number as used. If the same number is scanned twice, someone has a photocopy.
Be clear-eyed about what this does and does not provide. The tickets are sequentially numbered, not cryptographically signed: nothing prevents someone from printing a convincing lookalike with a plausible number. The protection model is entirely check-off-at-the-door — each number admits exactly once — which is appropriate for school plays, club fundraisers, and raffles, but not for events where forged admission carries real financial stakes. Print the finished PDF at 100% scale so the four bands and their dashed stub lines land exactly where a guillotine cut expects them; fit-to-page shifts every cut line by a few millimeters.
Illustrative example: 250 fundraiser tickets with QR check-in
Illustrative scenario, not a recorded benchmark. File sizes, timings and results depend on the input and device. Try the reproducible samples.
A school fundraiser needs 250 tickets: event name "Spring Gala 2027", line "Riverside Hall · March 20, 7 pm", prefix GALA, QR template https://tally.example.org/g?t={n}. The generator emits GALA-001 through GALA-250 across 63 A4 pages (62 full sheets of 4 plus one sheet with 2 tickets), roughly 310 KB with the 250 QR codes included. The organizers pre-fill a spreadsheet with the numbers 001–250; at the door, a volunteer scans each ticket, the phone opens the tally page for that number, and the row is marked used. Ticket GALA-117 scanned a second time flags immediately as a duplicate. After cutting, the torn stubs — each repeating its number — double as raffle entries.
Frequently asked questions
How are the ticket numbers formatted?
Each ticket gets a zero-padded sequential number with your chosen prefix, for example GALA-001 through GALA-250. The same number is printed on the ticket body and repeated on the tear-off stub so both halves stay matched.
How does the per-ticket QR code work?
You supply a URL template containing {n}, such as example.com/check?t={n}, and the tool replaces {n} with each ticket's number before encoding the QR code. Every ticket therefore scans to a distinct URL that identifies it.
Can I use the QR codes to check tickets at the door?
Yes, point the template at a page or spreadsheet you control and mark each number as used when it is scanned. A duplicate scan of an already-marked number reveals a copied ticket, which is sufficient control for small events.
Are these tickets forgery-proof?
No. The tickets carry no cryptographic signature, so anyone could print a lookalike; security comes only from checking numbers off against your own list at the door. For high-value events use a ticketing service with signed or server-verified codes.
How many tickets can I generate at once?
Up to 500 tickets in one PDF, laid out 4 per A4 sheet, which is 125 pages at maximum. Generation happens locally in your browser, so even the largest run takes only a few seconds.
Do I need to print the tickets at a specific scale?
Print at 100% or Actual size so all four tickets keep their intended size and the dashed stub lines fall where a guillotine cut expects them. Fit-to-page scaling shrinks the sheet and shifts every cut line.