Using bands
Wristband colour systems for clubs and events
Updated 2 min read Paper Bands by Adalwin
Give each night, day or access tier its own colour, and never use last night’s colour again the next night. Keep the rota where guests cannot see it, keep one colour for staff that is never sold, print your venue or event name on every band, and number the bands if you reconcile entries at closing.
Clubs and bars: a colour a night
A band from last Saturday is still on somebody’s wrist this Saturday. Change the colour every night you open and the old band gets nobody in.
| Night | Entry | VIP or tables |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | Orange | Violet |
| Thursday | Blue | Yellow |
| Friday | Green | Pink |
| Saturday | Red | White |
An example, not a rule. Move the rota round every few weeks so regulars cannot predict it.
Pick colours that stay different under club lights
Coloured lighting makes orange and red, or blue and violet, hard to tell apart at the door. Put strongly contrasting colours on consecutive nights, and check the pair under your own lights before you commit.
Events: tiers times days
At a multi-day event, each band is valid for one tier on one day. Three tiers over two days is six colours.
| Tier | Day 1 | Day 2 |
|---|---|---|
| General | Orange | Green |
| Fan pit | Blue | Yellow |
| VIP | Violet | Pink |
| Crew and artists | White, printed CREW | White, printed CREW |
For nine Garba nights, either use nine colours or one season band printed with the night number. The printed number is easier to brief and harder to fake.
Six mistakes that let the wrong people in
- The rota on the wall. If guests can see it, they can plan for it.
- Loose stock at the door. Unused bands are free entry. Count them out and count them back.
- Plain bands from any shop. Print your name on them, and a band from the bar next door is useless here.
- Staff in a colour that is also sold. Keep one colour, or one printed word, for staff only.
- Guests fastening their own band. A loose band slides off and is passed on. Staff put it on.
- No count. Sequential numbers tell you how many bands each door issued, to check against the till or the tickets.
Brief the team on one card
Print one card per door with tonight’s colours, what each one allows, and who to call when a band looks wrong. Collect the cards at closing.
Hospitals use colours differently; see hospital wristband colour codes. Avoid red, yellow and purple for anything medical at your event unless it means what a hospital would expect.
Questions
How many colours does a club need?
One per night you open, plus one for VIP if you band it separately, plus one for staff. A four-night club needs five to nine colours.
Can we mix colours in one printed order?
Yes, at no extra charge, with at least 1,000 bands per colour. Most printed orders are several colours, one for each night, tier or day.