GUIDE TO RIBBON SELECTION

The Ribbon Factory takes the hassle out of selecting ribbons. Simply select your printer manufacturer, select your ribbon configuration, and complete your purchase online.

PRINTER MANUFACTURER

The Ribbon Factory supplies thermal ribbons for a vast array of printers. Simply select the manufacturer of your printer to see compatible ribbons available. If you don't see the manufacturer of your machine on our site then give our sales team a call on 0845 222 0354 or contact us via the website and we will do the rest.

ETIQUETTE RIBBON TYPES - RESIN ENHANCED WAX, WAX RESIN & RESIN

As a general rule of thumb there are two factors to consider when selecting the most appropriate ribbon type.

1. QUALITY

Wax Ribbon = Medium Quality

Wax Resin Ribbon = High Quality

Resin Ribbon = Highest Quality

2. LABEL TYPE

Wax Ribbon = General labels

Wax Resin Ribbon = Semi-gloss and varnished labels

Resin Ribbon = High gloss and varnished labels

INK COATING INSIDE OR OUTSIDE

Label printers and labelling machines either take "ink coating inside" or "ink coating outside" ribbons. To easily identify which ribbon your printer requires check the following:

Shiny side on outside of ribbon = Ink coating inside

Shiny side on inside of ribbon = Ink coating outside

RIBBON WIDTH / LENGTH

The width of the ribbon should be determined by the width of the label being printed in your printer. Width is usually measured in millimetres (mm).

The length of the ribbon is determined by the printer manufacturer. For example, a Sato CL408e printer takes a maximum ribbon length of 450 metres, therefore customers should opt for 450 metre length ribbons.

Generally, it is beneficial to select the longest ribbon length possible for a printer as this helps to reduce machine downtime and improves efficiency.