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- ID Card Makers
- ID Card Making Machines
- ID Printing Machines
- ID Card Printing Overview
- ID Card Machines
- ID Machines
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- ID Makers
- Photo ID Machines
- Picture ID Machines
- Magicard
- Food Service ID Machines
- Fargo
- Basic Picture ID Machines
- Zebra Eltron
- PVC Card Printers
- ID Machine
- Library Card Printer
- Dye Sublimation Printing
- Inkjet Card Printers
- Persona
- Resin Thermal Transfer Printing
- Direct to Card Printers
- High Security ID Machines
- Types of PVC Card Printers
- Hospital ID Badges with Zebra Eltron Photo ID Printers
- Card Printer Applications for Schools
- Identification Card Printers
- ID Card Printer Resolution
- ID Card Printer Security Features
- Why a Photo ID Printer?
- Standard Picture ID Machines
- Plastic Card Printer
- ID Badge Printer
- Advanced Picture ID Machines
- Photo ID Printers for Identification
- Magicard ID Card Maker
- Fargo DTC
- Badge Maker
- Retail ID Card Machines
- Photo ID Printers
- Card Printers in Schools
- Zebra P310 and Zebra P420
- YMCKO and UvKO Too!
- Resin Thermal Transfer Printers
- High Definition Card Printers
- Zebra Reliability
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- ID Card Maker
- YMCKO and UvKO Too!
Each initial that follows the name of a ribbon made for an ID card machine stands for a substance that an ID card manufacturer has deposited onto one of ribbon’s panels.
"Y”, “M”, and “C” stand for yellow, magenta, and cyan: the three colors from which all other colors appearing on ID cards are made. On dye sublimation ID card printer ribbons, each of these colors takes the form of a dye on its own panel.
"K” stands for black. The black bar codes and text that ID cards carry are produced when an ID badge printer melts special resin-based black ink carried on this “K” panel.
"O” stands for “overcoat”. This panel deposits a protective, clear layer on top of the colors that the ribbon’s other panels have already left behind.
The ID printer ribbon designated “YMCKOK” is designed for those making employee ID badges and security ID badges who want color on the front of ID badges, but only black on their back. Rather than requiring a duplex ID badge printer to cycle through – and waste - another three color panels, to once again get to black, these ribbons tack the extra black panel on to the end of the sequence.
Other initials ID card printer ribbon initials stand for rarer substances. “Uv” means “ultraviolet”; images printed onto ID badges using this panel appear only when the ID card is passed under special ultraviolet lights. “F” refers to a panel that transfers fluorescent dye onto ID cards. At AlphaCard, we offer a wide variety of color and monochrome ribbons for several of the leading manufacturers. If you would like to learn more about the different types of ribbons available for ID printers, head over to our Learning Center to read the article!
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