Boarding Pass Stock for Airports: A Procurement and Print-Test Checklist

A boarding pass is a small document with an operationally large job. It must feed through the issuer’s printer, carry readable variable data, withstand handling between check-in and the gate, and scan without slowing a queue. A visually attractive artwork proof cannot establish any of those outcomes. For procurement teams buying custom printed direct thermal airline boarding passes, the useful unit of approval is a tested combination of stock, print layout, printer, scanner and storage conditions.

XHANCO’s three-proof direct thermal boarding pass is listed as 190 gsm card stock, 203.2 × 82.55 mm, with a detachable perforated stub and optional black mark. Those are a starting specification, not a guarantee that every airport’s hardware accepts the same format. This guide explains the checks to complete before a production order.

Start with the issuing environment, not the artwork

Map every place the pass will be printed: staffed counters, self-service kiosks, gate reprint stations and disruption desks. Record each printer model, firmware, feed path, sensor type, print width and media-loading orientation. Then record the scanners used at gates and transfer points. A roll or fanfold format that works in one printer may not fit a different feed path or sensor configuration.

Direct thermal printing activates a heat-sensitive coating; it does not use a thermal-transfer ribbon. That makes consumable management simpler, but the printed image can be sensitive to heat, light and abrasion. Zebra’s printing-method guidance distinguishes direct thermal from thermal transfer. Treat the expected journey time and exposure as test conditions, not as assumptions about “three-proof” marketing language.

Specify 190 gsm thermal boarding pass stock for airports precisely

Basis weight alone cannot predict feeding. Request the agreed card thickness or caliper, stiffness, curl tolerance, coating side, surface finish and dimensional tolerances. The catalogued 190 gsm stock may be suitable for a particular equipment set, but buyer and supplier should validate it on the actual devices. State whether the stock arrives as individual cards, continuous media or another presentation, plus the winding or stacking direction and the number of pieces per box.

The XHANCO product page lists a 203.2 × 82.55 mm format. Treat that as the offered product size, not as a universal IATA physical-size requirement. IATA’s common-use and Bar Coded Boarding Pass resources concern data exchange and barcode implementation; a buyer still needs to confirm the physical media dimensions required by its own printers and procedures. Agree the final die line, trim tolerance and safe zones against an engineering drawing.

If a gate procedure uses a tear-off stub, define the perforation position, number of ties, tear direction and acceptable tear force. Test both clean separation and card integrity after repeated handling. If the printer uses a black-mark sensor, specify mark size, contrast, location, repeat pitch and whether the mark is on the thermal or reverse side. Never add one simply because it appears on an older sample: it must match the installed sensor.

Make barcode readability a release criterion

Variable text and the machine-readable symbol must remain legible after pre-printing, overprint varnish and thermal imaging. Supply the actual boarding-pass data layout and printer output to the supplier. Reserve a quiet zone around the code; do not place decorative graphics, folds, perforations or dark ink where the scanner expects contrast. IATA’s BCBP implementation guidance describes boarding-pass barcode data formats, but the operational test is whether the printed pass scans on the buyer’s readers.

Run a small, documented trial across all printer models and at least the busiest scanner type. Capture first-pass scan rate, misfeeds, jams, skew, cut or tear defects, print density and legibility. Re-run the trial after realistic handling: pockets, trays, damp hands and the time interval expected between issue and boarding. For any pass that fails, retain the sample and record the device, settings, media lot and failure mode. “Scannable” should become a measurable acceptance rule, not a subjective inspection note.

Test the three-proof claim against your own conditions

Buyers considering three-proof boarding pass paper for check-in kiosks should ask what “proof” refers to in the offered coating and which test method supports each claim. A sensible trial compares unexposed and exposed cards after light, water droplets, skin oils or friction relevant to the route. Measure barcode readability and text contrast after exposure, not only surface appearance. Do not assume every coating has equal resistance to every solvent, hand sanitizer or prolonged sunlight.

Store unopened stock in its original packaging and follow the media maker’s temperature, humidity and light recommendations. Avoid placing cartons beside windows, heat sources or cleaning chemicals. Zebra’s media-storage guidance recommends cool, dry, dark storage. Add a practical first-in, first-out rule and record lot numbers so any later scan problem can be traced.

Approve an OEM sample that purchasing can repeat

For custom printing, provide the brand artwork, colour references, variable-data safe area, backside content, substrate specification, perforation drawing, sensor-mark drawing and packing configuration in one controlled file set. Ask for a physical sample printed on production-representative stock, not a digital mock-up. Confirm whether the pre-printed inks or coatings interfere with thermal imaging or barcode contrast.

The purchase order should identify the approved sample revision and a release checklist: dimensions and caliper, thermal response, artwork and colour, mark registration, perforation, barcode scan result, packing and quantity. Set the sampling frequency and escalation route for a failed lot before production begins. XHANCO’s published product page lists 500 pieces per box, 10 boxes per carton and a 30-carton MOQ; confirm current commercial terms in the quotation because programme-specific packing and quantities can differ.

The strongest specification is one the airport can test and the supplier can repeat. Send your printer and scanner models, required format, monthly volume and artwork constraints through XHANCO’s contact page to request a sample and a documented quote. A short pilot before bulk conversion costs less than discovering a scan failure at the boarding gate.

Illustrative photograph: check-in counters at Sam Ratulangi International Airport, by Hakuna Zar / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. The photograph does not depict XHANCO products or a customer relationship.