The Receipt Guide

Practical guides on writing receipts, receipt paper sizes, thermal printers, digital record keeping and using receipts as design assets.

• How to make a receipt, step by stepWhat to write on a receipt, in what order, and how to produce one in under a minute — with a free browser tool that prints and exports it.
• Receipt vs invoice: what is the actual difference?An invoice asks for money, a receipt confirms it arrived. What each document is for, when you need both, and which one your accountant wants.
• What every receipt must includeThe fields a receipt needs to be useful and defensible: seller, date, items, totals, tax and reference number — and the ones people forget.
• Receipt sizes: 58mm, 80mm and when to use A4Why receipts are 58mm or 80mm wide, how many characters fit on a line, and when to use a full A4 page instead.
• How thermal printers work, and why receipts fadeThe chemistry behind thermal paper, why old receipts turn blank, and how to keep a receipt readable for as long as you need it.
• Digital receipts and keeping records that hold upWhether a photo of a receipt counts, how long to keep records, and how to digitise receipts so they survive an audit.
• Receipt templates by business typeWhat belongs on a receipt for a café, a shop, a freelance invoice payment or a rent payment — four layouts and what changes between them.
• Receipts as design assets: props, mock-ups and contentHow receipts are used in film props, packaging mock-ups, editorial design and social posts — and the line you should not cross.