For the first time, computer technology was used in the production of Olympic tickets.
The most groundbreaking feature of the ticket printing system was the ability to print customized tickets. After receipt of the unprinted ticket stock, the computerized printing machinery would read information off of a print tape which allowed it to imprint the raw stock with the appropriate sport pictogram, session, day, date and time, price, event, location and seat assignment. For tickets ordered by post, the tape also identified the purchaser's name.
However, a significant problem was caused by regular delays in receipt of print tapes from the computer centre, as these could not always be created before the completion of the tickets based upon the prior tapes. This resulted in a start/ stop operation, whilst more tapes were produced.
Security features included a watermark imbedded in the ticket stock and a recently developed ink which disappeared when heat was applied. The colour would disappear and then return to its normal state when the heat was removed. The latter anti-counterfeiting feature was significant, since the ink was new on the market and had not been used commercially prior to the 1984 Games.
Advance Reserved Seat Ticket
Below is a Day Pass ticket, identical in format to the standard, single session, ticket.