Whether or not you can print blue bomber tickets depends on a few key factors. First, it is important to understand what blue bomber tickets are. Blue bomber tickets refer to tickets for University of Michigan football games, where the Wolverines play home games at Michigan Stadium. The stadium got the nickname “The Big House” and Michigan fans often wear blue to show their school spirit, hence the name blue bomber tickets.
Now, as for printing the tickets – most tickets today are digital and require online accounts for access. However, some tickets may be printable if purchased directly from the source and they provide a print-at-home option. The University of Michigan Athletic Department would be the ones to determine if any particular game has physical, printable tickets available or if they are all mobile digital.
Some key questions to consider:
Where are you purchasing the tickets from?
If you are buying tickets from a secondary ticket provider like StubHub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, etc., then most likely these tickets would need to be accessed digitally from your account. These third party sellers often do not have the capability to generate print-at-home tickets.
However, if you are buying directly from the source – the University of Michigan Athletic Department website – you may have the option to print tickets depending on the game. Bigger games may be mobile only, while less popular games may allow printing.
What type of delivery or access is offered?
When purchasing the tickets, look for delivery options. Many times there will be choices like mobile access, instant download to print, will call pickup, and sometimes even physical mail delivery.
If “instant download” is an option, this means printable tickets are available. You would be able to easily print from your computer. Other options like mobile access only or will call mean you wouldn’t be able to print the tickets at home.
Does the event allow print-at-home tickets?
Certain sporting events, concerts, theaters, etc. may choose to only offer mobile ticket options for security purposes and ease of transfers between buyers. They may not allow printable tickets that could potentially be duplicated or resold against policy.
Big games like Michigan vs Ohio State would most likely want to go mobile only to control distribution and limit fraud/scalping risks. But early season games against lesser opponents may still offer printables as an option.
What do the tickets look like?
If you can view a preview of the tickets before purchasing, check to see if they have a typical physical ticket look with seat info, barcode, conference branding, etc. This type of classic ticket layout indicates it is meant to be printed out.
An example printable ticket would show:
Event name, date, time
Seat numbers, section, row
Unique barcode
Venue and conference logos
If the tickets instead show just a simple mobile pass with a QR or bar code, that likely means they are digital-only access. There would be no detailed ticket layout.
Factors That Allow Home Printing
Assuming the event you’re looking to buy tickets for actually offers printable options, here are some factors that allow home printing:
Purchasing Directly from the Source
Often the best way to access printable tickets is to buy them directly from the venue or team box office. Cutting out the middleman third party sellers provides you the best chance at print-at-home ticket availability.
When tickets are sold through the official source, they can generate and provide the detailed PDF tickets with all the necessary artwork, branding, and barcodes. Since they are the creators of the tickets, digital file generation and sharing is simple.
Smaller Events with Lower Demand
Major high-demand events like Michigan vs Ohio State football aim to control ticket distribution and want to minimize counterfeiting risks. But lesser games against unknown opponents don’t have the same level of demand.
For these lower-profile games, home printing allows an easier buying experience for fans. Venues are less concerned about tight ticket controls and are happy to provide the printable PDF tickets for convenience.
Tiered Pricing Choices
Some ticket sellers provide options like “Premium Mobile Access” or “Basic Print-at-Home” priced differently. The premium mobile ticket option would charge more but restrict you to digital tickets only.
The basic print-at-home option is cheaper and more flexible if you don’t mind printing yourself. This caters nicely to budget buyers who want savings and don’t mind self-printing at home.
Season Ticket Packages
Season ticket holders often get access to printable tickets as part of their package perks. Having the same seats for the whole season allows the box office to easily generate and distribute print-at-home tickets to these buyers in advance. They can print a whole season’s worth at once.
Single game buyers are less predictable and have higher fraud risks. So they are more likely to be restricted to mobile tickets that can’t be duplicated or resold. Season tickets holders are trusted buyers who get printing benefits.
Reasons Home Printing Would Not Be Available
On the other hand, here are some reasons why you may not be able to print tickets at home for a particular event:
Mobile Ticket Transfers are Enabled
Many ticketing platforms now allow electronic ticket transfers to other buyers. This allows easy sale, gifting, or swapping of tickets while preventing duplication.
If a venue is utilizing a mobile ticketing system with transfer technology, they are very unlikely to also allow print-at-home paper tickets. The focus will be on digital-only access and tracking.
High Demand for Hot Ticket Events
When tickets are in extremely high demand with limited quantities, such as a big Michigan football game, the venue wants tight control over distribution channels. Allowing home printing opens up more potential for counterfeiting and scalping.
Mobile ticket access limits opportunities for fraud and unauthorized resale. So competitive high-demand events will avoid printable tickets in favor of digital scannable formats.
Venue Policies Prohibit Printing
The venue’s own internal policies may prohibit print-at-home options across all events. Some stadiums or theaters establish a no-print policy to avoid security risks and uncontrolled ticket circulation.
All their tickets would be distributed exclusively via digital mobile access linked to buyer accounts and ID checks. Print-at-home convenience is sacrificed in favor of strict event entry control.
Third Party Reseller Platforms
If buying tickets from StubHub, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek or any secondary reseller site, you are very unlikely to get a printable ticket option. Their inventory comes from individual sellers offloading extra tickets.
These platforms do not have direct access to detailed ticket PDF artwork and barcodes like a primary box office does. They can only offer mobile pass access which is controlled digitally in their app.
Ways to Print Sports Tickets at Home
If you’ve confirmed your event does allow print-at-home tickets, here are some ways to actually go about printing your tickets:
Buy Directly from Team Website
The team or venue’s direct website will give you the clearest path to printing. You can often select print-at-home on the checkout page, then access your ticket PDF link in account history. Just open the PDF and print directly or save to your computer first.
Use eTicket Sites with Print Options
Some eTicket sites like eTickets.ca allow buyers to choose paperless or print-at-home delivery. If print delivery is chosen, you get a link to access and print tickets right from your order confirmation email.
Print from a Computer
The classic way is to access your ticket link or PDF file on a desktop computer and print directly to a connected printer. Just click print and you’ll have your physical tickets. Make sure you have enough color ink!
Print from a Smartphone
Many modern printers have wireless connectivity or printing apps that allow you to print directly from your iPhone or Android phone. Just open up the ticket file on your phone and send it over the printer connection.
Print at a FedEx Office or Staples
If you don’t have your own printer, you can take your ticket PDF and print at a FedEx Office, Staples, or other printing center. As long as the PDF file is accessible on your phone, you can email it to the printing location or upload it to their website for pickup.
Troubleshooting Problems Printing Tickets
Despite best intentions, sometimes there are hiccups trying to print your tickets. Here are some troubleshooting tips:
Confirm Printer is Connected and Powered On
Sounds simple, but don’t forget to check that your printer is actually on and connected! Try a test print page to confirm the connection is working properly through the device and computer.
Disable Any Ad Blockers Temporarily
Some ad blockers can interfere with ticket printing by blocking background elements. Whitelist the ticket seller’s domain or temporarily disable ad blockers to allow all elements needed for printing.
Allow Pop Ups from the Ticket Website
Your browser’s pop up blocker may prevent the full print function or PDF generation. Make sure you allow pop ups from the specific ticket site in your browser permissions to enable all printing features.
Try an Alternate PDF Viewer like Adobe Acrobat
The default PDF viewer in Chrome or other browsers may glitch occasionaly. Try opening your ticket PDF in Adobe Acrobat instead – the printing may function better in a dedicated PDF program.
Clear Browser Cache and Refresh Page
A corrupt browser cache can affect printing capability. Try clearing your cache and cookies, reloading the ticket page, and attempting print again. This resets any cached site data that may be causing conflicts.
Try Printing on a Different Device or Browser
If one computer/browser has issues, attempt printing your tickets in another browser or device instead. Sometimes the PDF rendering engine causes problems that are device-specific. Changing devices fixes this.
Contact Support for Direct PDF Assistance
Don’t keep fighting it alone! Reach out to the ticket seller’s customer support for troubleshooting. They can provide direct PDF assistance or resend a clean version of your ticket file if needed.
Conclusion
Print-at-home tickets provide convenience but aren’t always available due to security risks. Smaller events are more likely to allow printing than major high-demand games where fraud is a larger concern. If print-at-home delivery is offered, buy directly from the source venue for best access. Make sure to allow enough time and test printer connectivity before your event. With some effort, you can successfully print your tickets from home in many cases. Have fun at the big game!