ID Card Printer Ribbons and Consumables
ID Card Printer Ribbons & Consumables — reliable consumables for your card printer. The right ribbon is the difference between sharp, professional ID cards and faded, streaky output. We stock genuine ribbons to keep your printer running at its best.
Available for delivery across Ireland. If you need help identifying the correct ribbon for your printer model, we're happy to help — just drop us a line. Browse our all ribbons and blank cards.
ID Card Printer Ribbons & Consumables — reliable consumables for your card printer. The right ribbon is the difference between sharp, professional ID cards and faded, streaky output. We stock genuine ribbons to keep your printer running at its best.
Available for delivery across Ireland. If you need help identifying the correct ribbon for your printer model, we're happy to help — just drop us a line. Browse our all ribbons and blank cards.
Choosing ID card printer ribbons and consumables
A card printer is only as good as the ribbon inside it. Every ID card printer in an Irish office, school or hospital works the same way: a heated printhead presses a thin film ribbon against a plastic card, panel by panel, and the colour transfers. There is no ink to refill. This collection gathers genuine ribbons for Magicard, Evolis, Fargo, Zebra, IDP Smart and Datacard printers in one place.
The decision that matters is colour or monochrome. A YMCKO colour ribbon prints photo ID at between 100 and 500 cards per roll depending on the model. A K monochrome ribbon prints black text and barcodes only, but runs to 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000 prints for a fraction of the price. Many organisations keep one of each.
What the letters on an ID card printer colour ribbon mean
- YMCKO: yellow, magenta, cyan, black and a clear overlay. The standard full-colour, single-sided ribbon.
- YMCKOK: the same with a second black panel, so a dual-sided printer prints colour on the front and black on the back in one pass.
- YMCKT: Datacard's naming for colour with a topcoat.
- K: black monochrome. White monochrome ribbons do the same job on dark cards.
- Retransfer film: on printers such as the Fargo HDP5000 the image goes onto a clear film first. You need film and ribbon both.
Ribbons start from €36 ex VAT for a 1,000-print monochrome. Divide price by print count to compare true cost per card.
Finding the ribbon for your printer
The part number on your current cartridge is the surest guide. Otherwise browse by brand: Magicard ribbons, Evolis ribbons, Fargo ribbons, Zebra ribbons and IDP Smart ribbons each narrow the list to the codes that fit. Everything here is in stock for fast dispatch from Dublin to anywhere in Ireland.
Further reading
- Printhead Problems: The #1 Cause and How to Prevent Them
- How Do Plastic Card Printers Actually Work?
- How to Fix a Broken ID Card Printer Ribbon
Frequently asked questions
Which id card printer ribbon do I need?
Match the printer model first, then choose colour or monochrome. Product titles name the printer family and print count. If in doubt, read the code off the old cartridge and ring us.
Which ribbon fits a Smart 51 card printer?
The Smart-51 and 31 share ribbons: the 659366 YMCKO gives 250 colour prints and the 659376 YMCKOK gives 200 with a rear black panel. Both include a cleaning roller.
Are generic ribbons a good idea?
We stock genuine ribbons only. Card printers read a tag on the cartridge, and third-party ribbons are the usual cause of error messages and ruined printheads we hear about.
Call 01 555 5555 with your printer model and we will confirm the ribbon before you order.
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