Card Printers
Card Printers
 		Ribbons
Ribbons
 		Cards
Cards
 		Accessories
Accessories
 		Software
Software
 		Solutions
Solutions

Ribbons

Ribbons are an essential consumable in card production. A brief explanation of how the ribbons work is given below. For further information take a look at Zebra's white paper 'About Plastic Card printing'

Card printers use two different print methods, thermal transfer and dye sublimation. Both involve heating a thermal print head whilst in contact with the ribbon. Thermal transfer uses ink, which is melted onto the card surface, and is usually used to overlay monochrome text on to a card with a pre-printed background. With dye sublimation the print head vaporises the ribbon dye, which then permeates the plastic card. These ribbons consist of a sequence of colour panels (Yellow, Magenta, Cyan or YMC), which are heated consecutively to build up a full colour image. A popular ribbon type is YMCKO, where additional panels are provided for black (K) and a protective transparent overlay (O).

PLEASE NOTE - We only sell genuine branded ribbons supplied directly by the manufacturer. The use of non branded compatible ribbons can lead to serious performance issues and invalidate the manufacturer's warranty and service agreements.

Zebra certified Ribbons and Overlays

For full details of Zebra's range of TrueColours® ribbons visit the Zebra website. TrueColours® ribbons are also designed to help extend the life your Zebra card printer with a unique silicone-based coating that minimizes printhead debris. Ribbons without this coating allow particulate build up on the printhead, which may compromise the quality of print and decrease the life of this critical printer part.

Datacard certified Ribbons and Overlays

Trust Datacard® ribbons, topcoats and laminates to deliver exceptional quality as part of your ID card solution. Convenient all-in-one printer ribbon kits include everything you need: one ribbon, one adhesive cleaning sleeve and one isopropanol cleaning card. Datacard® Certified Supplies use Intelligent Supplies Technology™, patented RF technology to communicate with Datacard® card printers. This exclusive capability enables special supply features that optimize printer performance, maximize productivity, extend printer life and help lower total cost-per-card.