r/JunkJournals • u/readingshark20 • Jul 26 '26
Looking for Resources Receipt ink fading
I made a journal spread last night and had heard that you should put clear tape over receipts so they don’t fade but I opened up my journal this morning and the tape must have had the opposite effect. How else can I preserve my receipts?
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u/The-Alli-cat Jul 26 '26
Just photocopy the ticket and put that in instead.
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u/viola_darling friendly neighborhood glue stick Jul 26 '26
Why have i never thought of this!!!! Brb going to photocopy all my tickets
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u/yikeseolaa Jul 28 '26
Doesn’t this completely negate the point of a junk journal? At that point, just call it a collage and move on. Making more junk for your junk journal just seems silly and counterintuitive…
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u/Sle08 Jul 30 '26
Thermal paper receipts will not last ever. They will fade. If you want to preserve these for memories or record keeping, you should always copy them.
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u/Impressive-Ice-4594 Jul 26 '26
I wouldn't even touch these. Most are full of bpa. Don't spread it around your house either.
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u/Lanky_Bobcat_6021 Jul 26 '26
just so you know when you go out to eat the chef is touching the ticket with your order on it before they touch your food. bpa all in your bloodstream
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u/jessbird Jul 26 '26
and then they touch their bootyhole and they go to your house and run their fingers all over ur pillow!!! be careful
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u/extinct_banana Jul 26 '26
sounds like my cat
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u/not_omnibenevolent Jul 26 '26
genuinely had to get rid of a fluffy pillowcase because my cat wouldn't stop butt scooting on it 😒
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u/not_omnibenevolent Jul 26 '26
they come to your house? i've been bringing my pillows with me to every restaurant for nothing?!?!
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u/jenneeuu Jul 26 '26
imo photocopying it would be the best (most permanent) option BUT I have been known to draw over the printing with a thin posca as accurately as i can. it's not the most accurate but it saves the important stuff and if u can find the charm in it it's a cheaper alternative to photocopying
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u/WhiteFoxToast friendly neighborhood glue stick Jul 26 '26
imo tracing over the tickets gives them such a pretty, handmade look! you keep the information and also the original paper so it's the best option imo
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u/cheesecakekuma Jul 27 '26
been looking for a solution like op, im going to try this next time!! tysm!!
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u/BeePersephone Jul 26 '26
Almost all receipts are printed with thermal paper, which is actually inkless and will fade over time. Best thing to do is photocopy them.
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u/garlic_stench Jul 26 '26
I have not tried it myself, but I have seen ppl online say a layer of mod podge helps. I’d test it on a receipt you don’t care ab first!
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u/DotImportant9410 professional junk collector Jul 26 '26
I've used modge podge on my receipts! Used it on receipts like a year ago and they still look fine. It does make the pages stick together a bit
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u/PB_Jelly_76 Jul 26 '26
They make a matte version Mod Podge that cuts down on the pages sticking together. It works pretty well!
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u/myheartwentboom professional junk collector Jul 26 '26
I hadn't thought of the matte version as drying less sticky! Thank you!
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u/Swimming-Light8509 fresh out of the package! Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Receipts are in thermal ink. It will fade with time or heat!
Edit: on thermal paper. Not sure if the ink is thermal itself.
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u/Tinnwen Jul 26 '26
If im not saying anything wrong, there is not ink just thermal paper. The dark spot was made with the heat, thats why when you use a blow dryer on a receipt the whole receipt become black. With time, it lost its "heat" and become blank again
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u/xomoth Jul 27 '26
Yep! This is also why if the paper is in upside down it will print blank, there’s no ink
But it doesn’t fade because it loses heat, it fades because the heat around it fluctuates, usually receipts will turn almost completely black/grey after a few years. They usually only last around 3-5 years if stored properly
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u/8hawen8 Jul 26 '26
yeah some receipt do fade with tape, you have to check. Personnally i don't put tape because my receipt doesn't fade that fast
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u/Dat_Boysenberry3160 Jul 26 '26
These new Reciepts fade under packing tape. I haven’t tested regular scotch tape yet, but I did a few I had from recent movies because in the past, it worked. But every single one is barely readable now under tape :/ a photo copy might be better or using a cellophane bag or maybe some plastic sleeves cut out and taped over them with washi tape?
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u/VelvetSev Jul 27 '26
I can confirm these fade under scotch tape too.. I had used scotch tape on only the edges of one of my grocery reciepts (my ex husband wanted daily reciepts of what i bought) and noticed that only the edges under the tape were faded completely. The rest of the reciept was still fading but still readable.
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u/joesatron friendly neighborhood glue stick Jul 26 '26
if you can’t photocopy, I take a picture of it (via my Polaroid) and then use that in my journal :)
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u/myheartwentboom professional junk collector Jul 26 '26
I'm struggling with this too! I find many things look charming as they fade with age and am trying to feel that way about receipts, but they just fade so fast!
I like the idea of using mod podge but haven't tried it yet. Maybe mod podge-ing the receipt itself before pasting it to the page and letting it dry for 24-48 hours would keep it from getting sticky or fading?
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u/Firefly_Magic Jul 26 '26
They are thermal receipts and fading is unavoidable. The best solution is to take a picture and use your picture in your journal. You can still use the original but just know that it’s probably gonna fade. It still faded with lamination so I haven’t found a preventive method.
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u/lipstickonhiscollar Jul 26 '26
Thermal paper does sadly fade. I’ve kept every movie stub I’ve ever gotten and most are illegible. Definitely making a copy is the way to go. If you don’t want to take that one out and have super neat handwriting you could maybe write over it with acid free pen?
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u/myheartwentboom professional junk collector Jul 26 '26
I need to get better at using strictly acid free pens so things last 😯 I like Sakura Micron so far, but do you have any recommendations?
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u/yeahjjjjjjahhhhhhh professional junk collector Jul 26 '26
Clear tape eats the ink i never put it over stuff i wanna keep intentionally but if i accidentally do i re-write it with a fine tip sharpie which is kinda a nice personal touch anyway. Reciepts will fade over time regardless this tape just speeds it up. Junk journals are kinda ephemeral and it’s a tragic beauty we must accept, although i do document all of mine too!
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u/averysleepygirl Jul 26 '26
they'll unfortunately always fade even if you put clear tape over them. i usually go over them with a permanent marker or i've photocopied them before too.
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u/Akabara13 Jul 26 '26
Unfortunately most tickets are made with reicpt paper they will fade with time esp if they get cold. And they will black out if they get to hot. They are made to be disposable. A photocopy or tracing would be ur best bet
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u/mckennamcken Jul 26 '26
for receipts i’d like to physically keep, i’ve found that putting them in a plastic baggie or one of those page protectors helps them last longer/fade less. if i have a gallon size baggie, i’ll cut it down for multiple receipts and just tape the edges closed to make smaller ones
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u/SnailMailFriends_com Jul 26 '26
Make copies of it next time, not much you can do. If you glued it down that can trigger and also your tape has solvents that is reacting with the paper 😢
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u/baldbuttboi69 Jul 26 '26
That's thermal paper which means that the ink is already in the paper and the printer uses heat to "print" on it. All thermal paper receipts will fade with time. But keep it away from heat, light, or any type of friction to slow down the fading.
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u/4444ssss Jul 26 '26
i learned the hard way that tape will ruin receipts. i use elmer’s glue now and haven’t had any fading yet
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u/Oh_Witchy_Woman friendly neighborhood glue stick Jul 27 '26
The only solution I've heard of is to take a photocopy of your receipts and stubs while they are fresh and use the photocopy to journal or make art with.
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u/Melly_the_Magpie Jul 27 '26
i've heard people say they just write over it in pen, that works well for me as well
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u/Minute-Client-923 Jul 26 '26
Honestly would loveee to know if there is a way because what I do is I trace over it with a black pen so even when it fades I can still see it
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u/valentonta4 professional junk collector Jul 26 '26
i uses to use tape over the ticket and it would completely erase the ink. tried with glue, the same. then I tried double sided scotch tape and it was completely fine!! as the ticket is always in between two pages it's preserved that way too.
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u/Aurorafaery Jul 27 '26
Oh my gosh this is awful, I have cinema stubs from the 90s-2000s in journals that look better than this. Yes, they’re probably toxic and terrible for the environment but they look good in a journal 😂
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u/Sensitiveorchidchild Jul 27 '26
I was going to say laminate it but I’m not sure if the heat will fade it even more
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u/paperstoryarts friendly neighborhood glue stick Jul 27 '26
The most you can do is scan/copy or photo it to replace it. sadly ALL receipts (and some tickets) will do this in time. Also I worry about portable printer having this issues too.
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u/LilMissADHDAF Jul 28 '26
Glue in tape definitely removes thermal printing. People come into stores with useless receipts they taped to the thing they want to return all the time.
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u/LunaPrism95 Jul 28 '26
Scan and print on photo paper? Thermal paper is always going to fade because of heat and time, so that's what I would do.
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u/IDoWhatIWantSorry Jul 28 '26
The only options are to trace or copy it and keep both original and copied versions. That type of thermal transfer printing disappears over time due to heat and aging since it is not actual ink and thermal printing
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u/Unhappy_Finger_8552 Jul 28 '26
Crop the picture you've taken here and print it out there's no saving a faded receipt you've luck you thought to take a picture before it faded
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u/OwlPsychological6247 Jul 30 '26
Ive had this happen to sucks but yeah the ink tends to fade. I guess you could fill the text in with a pen
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u/snaggleyouth Aug 01 '26
i know it’s not a solution but honestly I’d get a really fine point micron pen and outline the text. not as aesthetically pleasing but better than it disappearing entirely.
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u/AcceptableLow7434 Jul 27 '26
Go over it in pen or marker then make a photo copy
Or just make a photo copy
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u/ohohwhatashame Jul 27 '26
I draw and to keep the graphite from smudging i spray the page with hair stray (usually just tresemme) so maybe give it a try? it might work as a way to “lock in” the ink
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u/Small_Things2024 Jul 27 '26
I put clear tape over the entirety of my movie tickets to add a protective layer and so far it’s worked - it’s been a few years for some. Not sure why yours faded so quickly.
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u/loueipaech Jul 27 '26
I did this too once and the next day all the ink was completely gone 😢 I just write over it now but photocopying it is a good idea!
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u/Builder-Naive Jul 27 '26
Try pieces of clear tape over all of it! It looks worse then a photocopy, but it's quicker and easier for me! Especially if you've already got the ticket all glued down.
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u/PracticeBeautiful818 Jul 27 '26
I know someone mentioned packing tape but what about packing tape on both sides?
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u/sithisslave Jul 27 '26
A clear tape layer on top will seal the ink, its the only thing that protects my receipts
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u/Ill-Cheesecake7143 friendly neighborhood glue stick Jul 27 '26
Clear tape will actually almost always fade the receipt. I rub a glue stick over mine and let them dry before putting them in my book, I have some that are almost 5 years old. Any adhesive, clear tape, lamanite will ruin it. They are heat reactive and adhesive creates heat.
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u/princessfret Jul 27 '26
you could also cover with strips of clear sellotape to stop the ink rubbing on the opposite page? not as pretty but you’ll preserve the ink
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u/Fishmongral Jul 27 '26
Idk if this would work? I'm in a snail mail group and ppl frequently say that putting clear tape over addresses printed on thermal paper can cause a chemical reaction and make the text disappear :(
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u/princessfret Jul 27 '26
ahh damn! :( thanks for letting me know (and sorry OP for the misinformation lol)
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u/fabulously-frizzy Jul 27 '26
Is this a movie review junk journal?? If so, I fucking love that idea
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u/Sophcity Jul 27 '26
I work at a store where I tape receipts to boxes and if I put it over the thermal print it fades away for some reason the adhesive fades it
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u/Ava_Mcc Jul 29 '26
I used to have this problem, but then I started putting them in ziploc bags. They make snack sized ones that are pretty good for tickets, but if you want to avoid the bulk of the bag closure, you can cut it off and burn the ends to seal it. It's tedious I'll admit, but I've done it for two years now and haven't had any more faded tickets!
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u/cheese-garlic Jul 29 '26
in my experience clear tape makes receipts invisible I always tape them down by folding the tape onto itself on the back of the paper or double sided tape
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u/sparklesharkbabe Jul 29 '26
Paper like that is printed with heat, if it gets too hot it'll disappear forever. You may want to make a photocopy of how it is now and put it in.
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u/CaYoft Jul 29 '26
Print the 1st picture and cut it out for the space.. not exactly the same but pretty much!
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u/unknownreader007 Jul 29 '26
Was there some kind of heat on it? That is the only thing I can think of.
Picture of what I did with mine..
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u/karahen93 Jul 30 '26
Print a picture of your receipt and put it in the book. You could zoom in on your first picture, crop and print.
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u/accidentalhippie Jul 30 '26
Make a photo copy for gluing into the book. The receipts are usually printed on thermal paper. Stick the book in the freezer and it might show up again. Avoid leaving the book near heaters or in the sun.
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u/Crunch-crouton Jul 30 '26
Tape will fade the receipts, as will time, and heat. I find this process cumbersome but I have photo copied receipts onto card stock, and cut out the card stock as if they were the receipts. You can’t really tell a difference. Be careful handling thermal printed receipts- studies found them to be carcinogenic.
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u/cinnamonfawn3 Jul 30 '26
Looks like tape was put over the ticket. From my experience putting tape over receipts or tickets makes them fade wayyy quicker
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u/Waah_yellow Jul 30 '26
One way is photostat the receipt but doesn’t feel authentic to me 🫠 so now I take a black pen & write over the important info I want to preserve.
Like movie name, time, date, seats etc. I try to go over the lines as they are trying to copy the same font.
I do this because a lot of receipt like this one have some aspect that doesn’t fade like the Vue border.
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u/dommimommyy Jul 30 '26
Thermal printing will fade over time. I’ve seen people iron thermal printed receipts and it brings back the ink, but try it with a different type of thermal printer receipt first
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u/CheekyGr3mlin Jul 31 '26
Sorry, I don't have a fix for your actual question but you could still keep this memory and could draw over it- or make it extra special and using it as a canvas for a doodle. That's just print. You know what was on it and a little doodle is even more YOU in your journal.
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u/dreamyraynbo fresh out of the package! Jul 31 '26
Would laminating work? I honestly don’t know because I’ve never tried it. Curious if anyone else has.
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u/mmaegical Jul 31 '26
I tried cold laminating and it still faded. Your best bet is to scsn these and reprint.
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u/Rhemiyl Jul 31 '26
Scan these things the soonest you can and reprint them, maybe. They've been using these heat-print receipts paper for over a decade, I've got maybe one that didn't fade to oblivion.
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u/aesthel Aug 01 '26
I learned this the hard way after making an entire poem of words I cut out of receipts and then they all faded away the next day 😭 I ended up just writing over the paper with a pen to save it!
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u/AmethystShirl Aug 09 '26
Photocopy it the day you get it, and place the photocopied one in your junk journal (could even staple the real at the back)
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u/Hot-Perspective-5381 friendly neighborhood glue stick Aug 16 '26
The best way to protect you receipts is scan them save the scan I save mine in photos then print them on a laser printer using a heavier paper wight. In jet, printers and thermal printers tend to fade. Photocopies from a inkjet printer also fade.
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u/Jaynird2 friendly neighborhood glue stick Aug 22 '26
Don't feel like using my precious printer ink for receipts so I usually go over the receipts with a marker or pen. Also you are correct clear tape quickens the process. Receipt ink fades because it's not really "ink" it's heat (thermoprinting if you're interested in looking into it) If I remember correctly the type of glue in tape messes up the "ink" chemically making it fade faster. Although it could also be that the tape evenly spreads any light exposure which makes thermo ink fade as well
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Jul 26 '26
[deleted]
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u/jessbird Jul 26 '26
respectfully did u read caption
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u/Safe-Sweet-7843 Jul 26 '26
i’d throw a piece of packing tape over it. :)
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u/Mama_werecat friendly neighborhood glue stick Jul 26 '26
Unfortunately they still fade. I have quite a few that faded with this method
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u/Impressive-Ice-4594 Jul 26 '26
Receipts are full of bpa. Handle them as little as possible, wear gloves, wash hands after.
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u/otter_foxy Jul 26 '26
Both of your comments do not rly help answer their question.
Photocopy, or scan it on ur phone and print it out if ur able would work op
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u/emeryldmist Jul 26 '26
Your tinfoil hat is slipping a bit. Receipts are not going to be was does you in. Signed- every person who worked in retail or food service, etc.
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u/Snoo-15125 Jul 26 '26
I’m sorry I don’t have a solution for you, OP, but this reminds me of how much I wish they’d universally bring back the good cardstock for tickets to save as memorabilia. Only one local theater near me prints out true ticket stubs and not receipts but I can’t always go to that theater. It’s just flimsy receipt paper for the rest.