I was just cleaning out my backpack. I still have all these Australian things in my wallet:
A) A business card from our hotel
B) An Aqua Club membership card (for the aquarium)
C) a 5 dollar note
D) a receipt for the Taronga Zoo
E) a receipt for the used bookstore in Manly
I have cleaned out my backpack a few times since getting back from Australia last January. But I never remove these things. I guess I feel better carrying them with me.
The thing about the receipts is they're both very faded. I can hardly read what they say anymore. I have to do some major squinting. I started thinking how none of my American receipts are faded like that. I find them years later and they're still readable. Then I also remembered that when we were in Australia, we bought a membership to Wildlife World and the aquarium. They couldn't give us a card right away, so both places gave us a receipt. We would show them the receipt every time we went there. Well, by the end of our visit, one of the receipts was extremely faded. You could hardly read any of the information anywhere. I just figured that maybe it got worn out in my wallet or something. But now I think maybe there's something more to it.
Does Australia use some kind of special printing on their receipts--something that would MAKE it fade after a period of time? I'm thinking maybe it's some kind of security measure??? Maybe it's a way to protect against identity theft?
This government website mentions receipts fading but doesn't mention it as happening on purpose.
Also, maybe I'm just not noticing my American receipts fading. I did have several Disney World receipts in my backpack. They weren't faded.
Okay....I'm now looking at a Chuck E. Cheese receipt from August 20th. Most of it is dark, but there are a few faded words. So American receipts DO fade. Also, one of the memberships receipts in Australia didn't fade. It could be a matter of the type of paper it's printed on and where it's lying in my wallet or backpack.
Who knows?
What I do know is this is probably the dumbest post I have ever written in my blog.
A) A business card from our hotel
B) An Aqua Club membership card (for the aquarium)
C) a 5 dollar note
D) a receipt for the Taronga Zoo
E) a receipt for the used bookstore in Manly
I have cleaned out my backpack a few times since getting back from Australia last January. But I never remove these things. I guess I feel better carrying them with me.
The thing about the receipts is they're both very faded. I can hardly read what they say anymore. I have to do some major squinting. I started thinking how none of my American receipts are faded like that. I find them years later and they're still readable. Then I also remembered that when we were in Australia, we bought a membership to Wildlife World and the aquarium. They couldn't give us a card right away, so both places gave us a receipt. We would show them the receipt every time we went there. Well, by the end of our visit, one of the receipts was extremely faded. You could hardly read any of the information anywhere. I just figured that maybe it got worn out in my wallet or something. But now I think maybe there's something more to it.
Does Australia use some kind of special printing on their receipts--something that would MAKE it fade after a period of time? I'm thinking maybe it's some kind of security measure??? Maybe it's a way to protect against identity theft?
This government website mentions receipts fading but doesn't mention it as happening on purpose.
Also, maybe I'm just not noticing my American receipts fading. I did have several Disney World receipts in my backpack. They weren't faded.
Okay....I'm now looking at a Chuck E. Cheese receipt from August 20th. Most of it is dark, but there are a few faded words. So American receipts DO fade. Also, one of the memberships receipts in Australia didn't fade. It could be a matter of the type of paper it's printed on and where it's lying in my wallet or backpack.
Who knows?
What I do know is this is probably the dumbest post I have ever written in my blog.
It's not dumb!
ReplyDeleteI don't think anything special is put in Australian ink to make it fade - it's just cheap, regular ink printed on cheap paper because they're not meant to last. I'm more inclined to wonder what Americans are putting in their ink to make it last so long!!
Another thought is the paper - as I recall, Aussie receipts are often on slightly shiny paper, which might encourage ink to rub off quicker. ? Perhaps?
In most cases it'd be the type of paper and printing method. Old fashioned ink on ordinary paper lasts, heat sensitive paper where the printing is done by making the paper react rather than adding ink fades. Especially if it gets hot.
ReplyDeleteLOL. I don't remember much about my American receipts anymore, but everything here fades. Almost everything. Everything that's printed on that waxy-type special printer paper will fade. I think it's definitely the paper and/or ink. I don't think it's on purpose, though. It just is.
ReplyDeleteA lot of receipts are printed on thermal paper just like some old faxes so they will fade over time.
ReplyDeleteIf you leave some of them out in the sun they'll even go black as the paper reacts to the heat.
If you buy anything these days and get a receipt on thermal paper it's best to photocopy it in case you need it later.
the incognitrix: I'm thinking from the other comments, that it may be the paper.????
ReplyDeleteThanks for not thinking it's dumb!
mim: Paper reacting instead of ink....Wow. I have no idea about this stuff. You mean you can print without ink these days???
Tors: I think we should do a scientific experiment with this. See how many days the receipts will last...
rodneyolson: What do you think the purpose of the thermal paper is? Is it cheaper? More eco-friendly? Prints faster?
the incognitrix: I'm thinking from the other comments, that it may be the paper.????
ReplyDeleteThanks for not thinking it's dumb!
mim: Paper reacting instead of ink....Wow. I have no idea about this stuff. You mean you can print without ink these days???
Tors: I think we should do a scientific experiment with this. See how many days the receipts will last...
rodneyolson: What do you think the purpose of the thermal paper is? Is it cheaper? More eco-friendly? Prints faster?
I've noticed that too...it's very irksome! I wish they would just stick to the old fashioned paper.
ReplyDeleteThe thermal paper is cheaper - no paying for ink - and it is also faster to print.
ReplyDeleteDepends on the paper and the ink as to has fast/whether or not it will fade.
ReplyDeleteI know the post office tells you to photocopy any reciepts from them you might need cos they know theirs fade.
My receipts fade all the time, I leave the ones I get after putting gas in my car in my car and when I clean them out they are faded, that is most likely from the heat though.
ReplyDeleteUsing thermal (or heat sensitive) paper lets you print without every having to replace an the ink supply. it's just easier I think, one less thing to run out of.
ReplyDeleteDefinately not dumb, my favourite blog posts are the thinking out loud type, random ones. They remind me there are real humans behind the blog, not businesses! I love them.
ReplyDeleteThen someone always can explain what you're wondering about and we all get educated... I had no idea about thermal paper.
Maybe it would be better if people stopped automatically passing out receipts. What's the point of having them if they're going to fade?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it would be better if they used the old fashioned paper for receipts--the kind that doesn't fade. But then only gave them to people who need it (for gift purchases, tax purposes, etc)
I get so many receipts that I DON'T need. It's really a waste of paper and energy.
I DO like my library receipts because it tells me when the books are due. That's printed on regular paper and not thermal. I wonder if they will change that because of the budget issues.