ID cards have become crucial over the years with companies expanding, organizations guarding their data, and working on increasing general security around the workplace. With such high demand for custom ID cards, most businesses and organizations choose to print their own ID cards to save time and money. However, such investments only work out when you know what to buy, how to maintain it, and how to use it without machines breaking down on you every second day.
One such example is printer ribbons; if you struggle with printer ribbons and their many issues, here’s a comprehensive guide about how ID card printer ribbons work.
What is a Printer Ribbon?
A printer ribbon is an essential part of an ID card printer. It’s designed using a thin band of panels, and these panels carry the various colors that are used to print ID cards. Printer ribbons carry single, double, or multiple dyes to create the colors of the designs you need to print on the cards.
How Does Printer Ribbons Work?
Printer Ribbons are used to create high-resolution colored or otherwise images and designs on the cards. When you insert a monochrome or colored printer ribbon into the printer, the process begins. Heating beads from the printer strike the panels of the ribbon at multiple points at a pre-set temperature. The temperature is not only pre-set but also adjustable; the temperature liquefies the ink and presses onto the card material.
This is known as thermal transfer, and in this method, a heated ribbon panel is used to press a durable and long-lasting image on a card.
Color Printer Ribbons and The Various Types
Printer ribbons come with various names and abbreviations, and all these can be very confusing if you have never set up a printer before. Here are some of the common colour abbreviations and their meanings.
YMC
YMC is the abbreviation for the colors on the ribbon panel, they are Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan. Mixing these colors will give you a variety of combinations for your design or image.
YMCK
The additional K is the Black resin panel. The K is added to create black text for printing crisp barcodes. The composite black is unable to produce the crisp lines needed to create barcodes.
KO
KO ribbon panel is used for monochrome designs specifically, where K is the black resin and O is the protective layer.
YMCKO
Photo: Identity People
The YMCKO is your most common ribbon in all printers; it has colors, black resin, and an additional layer to keep the card’s design durable and protected.
YMCKOK
YMCKOK is a dual-sided ribbon with the last K to add black at the back of the card.
YMCKT
The added T in YMCKT is to add a top coat on the card to give it extra protection and durability. This adds more security to the card.
Half-Panel
Half-panel ribbons are perfect for ID cards; this gives you half a design, and it’s ideal for ID cards that have a picture on one side and text on the other.
Ultraviolet or Fluorescent
The printer ribbon with “YMCKF” is a newer version; the F in this stands for Fluorescent. This ribbon has a UV panel included. The UV adds high security and prevents the card from being forged and duplicated.
Apart from the varieties mentioned above, you also get,
- Holographic Laminate
- Signature Panel
- Inhibitor Panel
Choosing the right ribbon depends on your requirements as well as the type of printer you have. However, these ribbons are easy to install, use, and understand, all you need is a little research.
