OTTO PRINTING

Kicking Counterfeit Butt, One Pass at a Time

by Jessi Wallace

It isn’t unknown that one of the biggest battles in the concert touring industry is the counterfeiting of concert passes and tickets. With little success, pass companies have been trying to come up with a strategy to bring this battle to an end. However, OTTO Printing has managed to take the problem by the reins and come up with products that are hands-down the most unique and problem-solving inventions in the world of passes. “We believe that printing is both art and science. Truly great creative work is priceless in today’s market. Security is of the utmost importance,” OTTO says. The industry’s counterfeit concerns got OTTO thinking and prompted changes in the way it prints credentials.It’s no surprise that the owner, Dave Otto, is respectably known as “The Grandfather” of the pass industry. He’s been in the printing biz since the 60s and has set the standard for today’s passes. When the concert industry started booming and printing became much more sophisticated, OTTO invented the backstage pass system. The first OTTO pass systems consisted of laminates, lanyards, satin stick-on passes, luggage tags, case labels, door signs and pass I.D. boards for security personnel. The concept of credentials began to catch on. The pass not only indicated you were allowed inside, but also allowed in certain areas that other people might not be authorized to enter.

Back in the day, as copy machines became more popular and counterfeit attempts escalated, hot-stamp foil was introduced byOTTO. Hot-stamped foil was added to tickets, satin stick-on passes and laminates to deter copying and the metallic special effect allowed logos, images and lettering to really stand out in the design. OTTO’s first hot-stamp foil ticket was printed for Bill Graham’s 1981 Rolling Stones Tour featuring the famous Stone’s tongue in red foil.

There is quite a list of “firsts” for OTTO… first to print full color on satin stick-on passes, first to custom-specify a satin cloth stock, first to die-cut shapes… the list goes on. One of the most impressive “firsts” for OTTO, and the pass industry in general, is the brand new patent-pending liquid laminate process: The Ultimate Laminate. The Ultimate Laminate is a pass with a holographic flake coating that is virtually impossible for counterfeiters to imitate. Copy machines cannot reproduce the three-dimensional holographic effect. The Ultimate Laminate is available in three patterns: radiant clear, speckle and krackle. The big kicker: adding the liquid laminate process to the passes only adds 17 cents per badge.

The Ultimate Laminate is budget friendly and saves tours from the headache of counterfeit passes. It has been said that on a sunny day, the holographic images can be seen from a block away. They are unlike anything this industry has ever seen. When Hank Williams, Jr. was working with OTTO on the passes for his tour, he took one look at the holographic and fell in love. He canned the entire first design of passes and decided to start over, using this incredible new process instead.

The liquid laminate isn’t the only new trick up OTTO’s sleeves. There is also a hot new embossed stick-on pass that looks like, feels like and wears like the traditional satin stick-on the industry is used to, but they are far less expensive. OTTO had already set the industry standard back in 1974 with the world’s first satin cloth backstage pass. Now OTTO has taken it to the next level using the same adhesive on the back, an embossed gradient pattern and a full color printing system.

Dave Otto has worked hard over the last 30 years to provide the best badges in the industry, but it isn’t only about the tour’s security… it’s also about those who keep the tour employed:the fan. “I have always preached that we want to give not only the best badge for security, but the best looking badge for that fan! It’s a keepsake… a memento… a collectable. We work closely with the customers to make sure the badge looks amazing,” Otto shared. OTTO printing is a company of integrity that strives to establish and maintain relationships that foster loyalty and trust. It continues to offer new products, provide custom services, utilize new marketing techniques and provide value to customers.

For additional information on how to provide the safest and more unique passes for an upcoming tour, visit ottoprint.com. From the STAFF at mobile Production monthly, HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY Dave Otto!