EVERYTHING ABOUT INK RIBBON
When you are new to the typewriter world everything might be a little bit overwhelming. You have a lot of questions about how it works and and one of your questions is probably about the ink ribbon. No worries, we will help you out.
WHAT INK RIBBON SHOULD I BUY?
Ink ribbon comes in different colors and sizes. But what ribbon should I buy for my typewriter? First, make sure you get the right spool size that fits your typewriter. If you are purchasing your ink ribbon through our website, just tell us which typewriter you use and we will make sure you get the right spools!
Welp! Should I buy black ink ribbon or half black half red? And are there other colors available? That depends on your typewriter. Some typewriters have an option to switch from black (to white) to red. You can often find this lever next to the keyboard, but it can also be at other places sometimes. If you find this switch, you can get a one color ink ribbon but also a half black, half red ink ribbon. Once you put the lever on 'black' you will type black, and once you put the lever on 'red' you will type red. "And what is the 'white' option for?" I hear you thinking. That one is meant to use for when you want to use correction tape if you made a mistake while typing. Then the ink ribbon will not come up while typing.
If can not find this switch on your typewriter, you can put in a one-color ink ribbon.
In our shop we sell black, half black / half red and even purple ink ribbon!
HOW TO CHANGE INKRIBBON (For mechanical typewriters)
No worries, changing ink ribbon is not that complicated as it sounds. If there is already an old ink ribbon in your typewriter, you can simply memorize it and put the new one in on the same way. Tip: take a picture before changing.
- take off the typewriter cover to reveal the ink ribbon spools. Some typewriters don't have a cover and you can acces the ink ribbon spools immediately.
- take out the old ink ribbon by simply pulling it up.
- put the new ink ribbon spools in the right place the same way you took out the old ones. Do you use a multicolor ink ribbon (red and black)? Black is ALWAYS up!
- Pull the new ribbon through the wire that holds it in front of the roller. Make sure that there are no twists in the ribbon!
- Then also pull the new ribbon through the lid.
- Have fun!
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE THE INK RIBBON
How often you should refresh the ink ribbon, all depends on how much you use it. For reference, with one ink ribbon you can usually writer 100 full a4 pages before it will start to fade. Usually it will take a few years before the ink ribbon starts to dry out without using it, but it also depends on the weather circumstances.
Do you still have a question? Don't hesitate to contact us!