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ID Card Printer Ribbons

ID card printer ribbons and films are the consumables a card printer uses to print plastic ID cards. This page holds YMCKO and YMCKOK colour ribbons, monochrome black ribbons, retransfer films, patch laminates and printer cleaning kits for Magicard, Evolis, Fargo, Zebra, Nisca and other card printers, from makers including Magicard, IDP and HID Global.

Choosing ID Card Printer Ribbons

Choose a ribbon by the printer it fits first, then by its panels and the number of prints per roll.

YMCKO colour ribbons

YMCKO stands for yellow, magenta, cyan, black and overlay, the five panels of the R-EV-R5F008EAA, an Evolis Primacy colour ribbon for 300 full-colour single-sided prints. The R-EV-YMCKO is an Evolis Pebble R3011 ribbon for 200 prints, and the R-Z-800033-840 is a Zebra ribbon for 200 prints, compatible with the Zebra ZXP Series 3 printer. The R-NIS-PR5350R gives 250 prints and is compatible with the Nisca PR5350, PR5360LE and PR53LE card printers. On the R-MG-MB300YMCKO, which produces up to 300 prints per roll, the transparent overlay panel protects cards from scratching, fading and everyday abrasions.

YMCKOK and YMCKK ribbons

YMCKOK ribbons here include the R-MG-MB250YMCKOK, which adds a second black panel after the overlay, gives 250 prints and is compatible with the Magicard 600 card printer, and the R-FG-45010, a YMCKOK ribbon for Fargo DTC1000/DTC1250e printers. The R-FG-84912 is a YMCKK colour ribbon for up to 600 prints, and the IDP R-IA-653378 is also a YMCKK colour ribbon.

Monochrome black ribbons

The R-MG-EN3 is a Magicard MA1000K black resin ribbon for 1000 prints. The PR20314305 is a black monochrome ribbon with 2000 prints per roll, compatible with the Matica MC310 Series.

Retransfer films and laminate

The 084900 is a retransfer film for the HID FARGO HDP6600, designed for high definition printing at 1500 images per roll. The R-MG-PRIMA4 is a Magicard Prima 431 set of a 432 YMCK dye film and a 436 retransfer film, with 1000 prints each. The R-EV-LPS032NAA is an Evolis Primacy 2 clear patch laminate that increases card durability against scratching, fading and everyday wear and tear.

Small batches

The R-MG-ENYMCKO (MA100YMCKO) yields up to 100 single-sided prints for organisations printing small batches of plastic cards, and the R-MG-MD100YMCKO gives 100 full-colour card prints per ribbon for the Pronto 100.

ModelPanels or typePrintsPrinter
R-MG-LC1YMCKO350 per roll
R-FG-45000YMCKO, built-in cleaning roller250 per rollFargo DTC1000, DTC1250e
R-MG-MB250YMCKOKYMCKOK250Magicard 600
R-MG-EN3Monochrome black resin1000
084900Retransfer film1500 images per rollHID FARGO HDP6600

Related categories

See ID card printers, cards in MIFARE smart cards and proximity cards and key fobs, and ID card holders and badge holders.

Brands we stock in ID Card Printer Ribbons

HID Global, IDP, Magicard and Matica.

Frequently asked questions

What does YMCKO mean on a card printer ribbon?

YMCKO stands for yellow, magenta, cyan, black and overlay, the five panels of a YMCKO full-colour ribbon. On the R-FG-45000 the four colour panels give a full spectrum of colours while the transparent overlay protects the card from everyday wear and tear, and the Magicard R-MG-LC1 YMCKO ribbon gives 350 full-colour prints per roll.

Which printers take a YMCKOK ribbon?

A YMCKOK ribbon adds a second black panel to the YMCKO set, which dual-sided card printers can use for text and barcodes. The Magicard R-MG-MC250YMCKOK is for dual-sided printing on the Magicard 300, the R-MG-MB250YMCKOK fits the Magicard 600 with 250 prints, and the R-FG-45010 fits Fargo DTC1000/DTC1250e printers for up to 200 cards.

Which printers use a retransfer film?

Retransfer card printers use a retransfer film, and a film is matched to specific printer models. The HID Global 084900 HDP retransfer film is for the HID FARGO HDP6600 and prints 1500 images per roll, the Magicard R-MG-PRIMA4 pairs a Prima 436 retransfer film with a 432 YMCK dye film at 1000 prints each, and the IDP R-IA-653547 is a retransfer film from the Smart 81 range.

What is a black resin ribbon used for?

A black resin ribbon prints monochrome black text and barcodes on plastic cards where no colour is needed. The Magicard R-MG-EN3 is an MA1000K monochrome black resin ribbon for 1000 prints, and the Matica PR20314305 is a black monochrome ribbon with 2000 prints per roll for the MC310 Series.

Which Fargo ribbon should I choose?

Choose a Fargo ribbon by printer model and by the panels the job needs, such as YMCKO for colour with an overlay or YMCKOK for a second black panel. The R-FG-45000 is a five-panel YMCKO ribbon with a built-in cleaning roller for the Fargo DTC1000 and DTC1250e, giving 250 full-colour prints per roll, the R-FG-45010 is a YMCKOK ribbon for the same printers, and the R-FG-45200 is a YMCKO ribbon for Fargo DTC4500/DTC4500e printers.

  • Established 1975
  • Birmingham trade counter
  • UK-only supply

Written by the West Midlands Electrics technical team

Updated

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