Many Lights Tools

Now serving display — a free take-a-number screen for a tablet or PC

Open it on the device at your reception desk (a tablet, a PC or a connected monitor) and press “Start display” to get a big “Now serving” number screen. Each time the person at the desk presses “Next” (on a keyboard: the right arrow or Space) the number moves on, and “Back” (left arrow) takes one step back. Choose 1 to 4 windows, a prefix such as A-, zero-padding such as 001, a beep, and a light or dark screen. The numbers called and the times are kept while the page is open and can be saved as a CSV. There is no server, so the number shows only on this device’s screen, not on the phones of the people waiting.

Made for reception desks at shops, counters, classes and events that call numbered tickets in order.

Two things to decide first

With 4 windows the numbers get smaller. If people will read it from a distance, 1 or 2 windows is better.

More settings (prefix, digits, words, screen colour, beep)
How numbers are written
How the screen looks

Please do not put information that identifies a person, such as a name, in the display words.

Screen colour

It works only inside one device. It does not show on the phones of the people waiting. The log is lost when the page is closed.

How to use

  1. Choose the display words, the start number, a prefix, the number of digits, the number of windows and the screen colour. You can also press “Start display” as it is.
  2. Press “Start display” for a full-screen number screen (on a device that cannot go full screen, it fills the page instead). Press “Next” under the screen (or the right arrow or Space) to move on, and “Back” (left arrow) to step back. With several windows, the next number overall appears on the window whose button you press.
  3. Save the numbers called and their times with “Save the log as CSV”. Press “Back to settings” when you are done.

Frequently asked questions

Is what I enter sent anywhere?
No. Handing out numbers and showing them are done entirely in your browser. The display words, prefix, number and settings you enter are kept in the part of the page’s URL after the “#” (they are used on the screen, and the prefix and the numbers called also go into the CSV file). That part is not sent to this site’s server, but it can stay in your browser history, and if you use browser history sync (across devices signed in to the same account) it can reach your other devices. If you bookmark that URL or send it to someone, it goes along with it. Please do not put information that identifies a person, such as a name, in the display words. The page only sends anonymous counts: that the page was opened and that an action such as “Start display” or “Next” happened. See the Privacy Policy.
Does it show on the phones of the people waiting?
No. This tool uses no server and works only inside one device. Use it on the device at the reception desk or on a monitor connected to it. There is no version for the phones of people waiting at the moment.
If I close the page by accident or reload it, does the number come back?
The number and settings are kept in the part of the page’s URL after the “#”, so when you reload the page in the same tab, or come back with the browser’s Back or Forward button, the display screen returns with the number kept (you have to press the full screen button again). When you newly open a bookmarked URL or one someone sent you, the settings screen is shown instead of the display, so you can check what it holds and press “Continue display”. “Back” goes back up to the last 50 calls. The log of numbers called (the part that becomes the CSV) is lost when the page is closed.
How are numbers given out with several windows?
Numbers go up by one overall, whichever window you press. Pressing “Window 2: Next” gives the next number to window 2 and leaves the other windows as they are. The window that was called last is marked “Latest”. “Back” cancels the last call.
Does it make a sound?
It can play a short beep when you press “Next” (off at first). No audio file is used. Because of browser rules, it cannot play until you have pressed on the page once, for example “Start display”. After reopening the page, press the screen once.
Will the screen stay on?
It uses the feature that keeps the screen from turning off (Screen Wake Lock). In a browser that does not have it, a line is shown on the screen. The display can stop because of the device’s clock, sleep or the browser’s behaviour. For important occasions, please also call the numbers out loud.
How big can the numbers be, and how long can the words be?
The start number is 0 to 999,999 (numbers go up to that), zero-padding is 0 to 6 digits, the prefix is up to 8 characters (it cannot start with = + - or @), the display words are up to 30 characters, and there are 1 to 4 windows. Full-width digits are read as numbers too.
What do the log and the CSV look like?
The numbers called, the window and the time (from this device’s clock) are kept for up to 5,000 rows; past that, the oldest rows are dropped. The CSV is UTF-8 with a BOM so that Excel can open it, with the columns running no., window, number and time. Calls you cancelled with “Back” are removed from the log. The log is lost when the page is closed, so save it first if you need it.
Does it cost anything?
It is free, and there is no sign-up.

Before you use it