ID Card Printer Ribbons

We not only hold thousands of ribbons in stock, ready for when you need them, but all of our printer ribbons are also genuine branded products, 100% optimised for your printer. How's that for complete peace of mind?

ID card printer ribbons come in different variations depending on what you need for your design. Monochrome printer ribbons produce only one colour, and are ideal for printing text or single colour icons. For a full colour print, used for colourful logos or photos, you will need a ribbon that consists of more than one colour panel.

Specialist ribbons add extra elements to your card that aren't often found on standard ribbons, such as security holograms or scratch off panels.

Retransfer films are only for use with retransfer card printers, but are required to complete the printing process.

ID card printers typically use printer ribbons that are divided into a number of panels, each being the size of a standard (CR80) ID card. The ribbon panels vary in type and are usually just represented by letters, leading to confusion for those not familiar with them, or buying for the first time. Understanding the various panels that exist, and how they can be used in combination with one another, is the key to producing fantastic quality cards, that are both eye-catching and durable.

When mixed in the right proportions, these colour panels will create virtually any colour required for your print job. The dyes are transferred on to the surface of your ID card as they pass through a heated printhead.

Some ribbons include additional panels that act to protect and seal your ID card design. A UV panel allows you to add additional content to your design that is only visible under ultraviolet light. Some ribbon manufacturers may label ultraviolet panels as 'F' (Fluorescent).

All full-colour ribbons will have at least one black (resin) panel that is primarily used for printing any text, barcodes, and QR codes that you may be using in your design.

Primer panels help colour adhere to your chosen card surface. Inhibitor panels allow you to mask areas of your card, such as signature panels, so they remain design free.

Some YMCKO printer ribbons are available as half panel variants, which differ slightly from the standard full panel options. They are the perfect choice for anyone printing ID cards that limit the use of full colour to just one side of their card design. They are designed to save money and reduce waste. Half panel ribbons are typically made up of the same YMCKO panels as the standard ribbon, but with the colour panels (YMC) being half the normal size. The black resin (K) and overlay (O) panels remain full size.

The Yellow (Y), Magenta (M), and Cyan (C) panels cover half the width of a standard (CR80) ID card, reducing the amount of waste when printing 50/50 designs.

The Black Resin (K) and Overlay 9O) panels both remain full size, allowing for black text and detail to be added anywhere on the design and for the protective overlay to apply to the entire card.

Generally speaking, YMCKO printer ribbons will normally come as full panel variants, unless a half panel is specifically requested. They allow for ID cards to be printed in full colour anywhere within the card design. With full panel ribbons the colour panels (YMC) are the full width of a standard (CR80) ID card, along with the black resin (K) and any overlay (O) panels..

The Yellow (Y), Magenta (M), and Cyan (C) panels cover the full width of a standard (CR80) ID card, making them suitable for creating stunning full colour business or ID cards.

The Black Resin (K) and Overlay 9O) panels are full size, allowing for black text and detail to be added anywhere on the design and for the protective overlay to apply to the entire card.

Should you wish to print full colour to both sides of your ID card, then you can use a standard (full panel) YMCKO printer ribbon as this will allow you to use all five panels on the first full side, then the same on the reverse of the card.

Should you only need to print full colour to the front of your ID card and and just require black print to the reverse, then a YMCKOK ribbon is the perfect choice.. This type of ribbon will print the first five panels, Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Black, Overlay (YMCKO) on the front then just use the additional black panel (K) on the reverse.

If you need any additional security features on your ID cards, there are a range of speciality printer ribbons available. These help to prevent forgery and card cloning, so you can be sure that staff data remains safe and your organisation cannot be accessed by anyone without the authority.

To ensure your printer is producing consistently high quality prints, you should use a maintenance kit every time you change your ribbon.

Maintenance kits are specific to the brand and model of your printer, and are available in the form of cards, swabs, or wipes that pick up any dust and debris in the internal workings of your printer.

We stock a large range of printer ribbons from all major and popular ID card printer brands and manufacturers. Feel free to browse by printer ribbon brand. Each printer ribbons brand will then further allow you to view ribbons by printer model.