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CLICK TO CALLHave Questions about Fargo Color Ribbons? We Have Answers!
What is the Difference Between YMCKO and YMCKOK Ribbons?
Fargo ID card printers use YMCKO and YMCKOK color ribbons that are sectioned into a number of panels. The panel types vary and can be a little confusing if you’re not familiar with them.
Y = Yellow dye sublimation panel
M = Magenta dye sublimation panel
C = Cyan dye sublimation panel
K = Black resin panel for printing crisp text and barcodes
O = Overlay panel to protect the cards and delay fading
Fargo YMCKO ribbons print in full color (YMC) and resin black (K) on the front of the card with an overlay (O) to protect the card. If you are using a dual-sided printer, you may print in YMCKO on both sides of the card.
Fargo YMCKOK ribbons, on the other hand, are specifically designed for dual-sided printers. They print in full color and resin black on the front of the card with an overlay, plus have an extra K panel for printing in black monochrome on the back of cards.
What is a Half Panel Ribbon?
Depending on your card printing application, you may be able to get more accomplished with half. In other words, sometimes using a half panel ribbon with your Fargo printer can save you money!
Fargo half panel color ribbons include half-size color panels, for printing full-color images on up to half the card surface. Specifically, Fargo half panel ribbons consists of yellow (Y), magenta (M) and cyan (C) panels that are half the size of the standard YMC ribbon panels, while the black resin (K) and overlay (O) panels are full-size panels.
Fargo half panel ribbons offer a higher card yield per ribbon and a lower cost per printed card. Fargo half panel color ribbons are ideal for cards that feature a full-color picture and some black resin text or a barcode, such as student ID cards or employee ID cards. See the DTC1000 color ribbon example and sample cards below (based on retail price):
| Standard YMCKO Ribbon |
Half Panel YMCKO Ribbon |
|
| Part Number | 45000 | 45014 |
| Retail Price | $85.00 | $75.00 |
| Prints Per Ribbon | 250 | 350 |
| Cost (at MSRP) | 34¢ per card | 21¢ per card |
Standard YMCKT Ribbon vs. Half-Panel YMCKT Ribbon
The color panels in half panel ribbons are shorter than standard ribbon panels, resulting in a higher card yield per ribbon and a lower cost per card.
