We live in a digital age, but the physical carbonless receipt book still earns its place in business. These NCR (no-carbon-required) receipt and invoice books are very much a product of an earlier generation, so most people aren't quite sure how they work — and we get a steady stream of questions about how to print and design them. This guide walks you through it.

What 2-ply and 3-ply receipt books are for

In case you're not sure what a carbonless receipt book is, here's the short version. It's a pad with a built-in copying function: a 2-ply book has one carbon copy behind the top sheet, a 3-ply book has two, and so on. The big advantage is that it saves you writing the same thing out more than once — fill in the top sheet and the details transfer straight through to the second and third copies, so you never have to write each one out by hand. Electronic systems have taken over a lot of this work, but for small merchants a handwritten receipt book is still an open-the-doors essential.

Receipt book sizes

There aren't many hard rules on size — as long as it's no larger than A4 (210 × 297 mm), we can print it to order. If choosing a custom size feels like a headache, start from the sizes most people use: A6 (105 × 148 mm), A5 (210 × 148 mm) and A4 (210 × 297 mm). You can check pricing for the different sizes on the Printing Banana site, and if you need something custom, just ask our customer service team.

Shop: invoice books, receipt books & NCR books

There's a huge range of receipt books out there — so how do you design one that actually suits your business? Below we walk through the things to watch when you print and design a receipt book.

What to watch when you design one

  • Print colour. Receipt books are almost always printed single-sided in black. If you don't like black, you can print in another single colour instead. Does it have to be one colour? Not necessarily — the top ply can be printed in full colour, but it costs noticeably more, and unless you have a specific reason most businesses don't need it. If you do want colour, tell your printer up front, because the default is almost always black and white.
  • Red serial numbers. The running number on a receipt book is a 7-digit figure printed in red. You can set the starting number however you like — 2022001 or 0000111 are both fine — but the numbers in between can't skip, and they have to be digits only, with no letters mixed in. So if you want your receipt numbers to run on in sequence, take the last number from your previous book as the starting point. The serial number is usually red; if you need another colour, just ask.
  • Perforation. The tear line is easy to overlook, but on a receipt book it's a real convenience. So you can tear a receipt out cleanly instead of ripping it, every receipt book we produce includes a perforation. Not every printer adds one by default — it's an extra finishing step unless you ask for it. We've used receipt books without perforation ourselves, and they're a nuisance: it's hard to get a page out in one piece. The perforation sits 8 mm from the bound edge, so keep your text at least 10 mm from that edge in your design — any closer and it crowds the tear line and looks untidy.
  • Writing space. Before you print, check and re-check that there's enough blank space to actually write in. Some clients get so focused on fitting every field onto the receipt that they forget this, and the printed book ends up with too little room to write — which makes it a pain both to fill in and to read.
  • Print file format. Whatever software you design in, export the file as a PDF for the printer. Before you send it, make sure the PDF's dimensions match your print size and that it meets all the points above — otherwise it can throw off the layout and size of the finished book.

Receipt templates: Word / PDF

  • General invoice
    We've put together a few simple invoice templates you're welcome to download and use. If anything comes up, just ask us.
    Download link
  • Make one online
    If you're worried a Word or PDF design won't look good, or that you'll accidentally break the formatting, the online self-service tool below is a simple, instant alternative. We found a decent site that even accepts Chinese characters, which makes it all the more useful here.
    invoice-generator: https://invoice-generator.com/#/1

Why paper receipts still matter

We may have moved into a digital age, but plenty of traditional businesses still rely on physical paperwork. Whether it's for financial records or for something a customer can keep, a physical receipt simply feels more reassuring — and more secure — than an electronic one.

Ready to order your own receipt or invoice book? Browse our invoice, receipt and NCR books, with delivery across Hong Kong and Macau. Need a custom size or a hand from our design team? WhatsApp us at +852 3001 5678 — English is fine.