Armor-Iimak | Inkanto Ribbons
Supplyline ID & Armor-Iimak | The perfect combination for your print needs
Armor are the world’s largest manufacturers of thermal transfer ribbons (TTR), they have over 50% of the European market and supply most branded or original manufacturers’ ribbons behind the scenes.
Supplyline ID & Armor have been working very closely together for over 15 years growing our business and market share together year on year. We have unparalleled knowledge when it comes to picking the right ribbon for your application.
Armor stock an incredible range of over 10,000 ribbons for all makes, label printers & coding machines.
Armor produce over 1 Billion square metres of ribbons per year.
Discover printer ribbons for desktop label printers / thermal printers / industrial label printers / date & coding machines and print & apply printers.
A full range of Colour ribbons, stocked off the shelf also available (see below).
Armor was founded over 90 years ago and is currently a market leader in the Thermal Transfer consumables sector. ARMOR is active worldwide through its sales offices, as well as through its transformation plants in the USA, Brazil, Mexico, India, South Africa, China and Singapore.
Nearly 100% of semi-finished products are manufactured at the French site near Nantes, and subsequently transformed to order as close as possible to the market being served.
So any gain in market share benefits both the local business and the plant located in France. A unique model of its type, the opposite of delocalisation.
For any printer ribbon enquiries, quotes or samples please call us on 01403 865 111, email us: info@supplylineid.com or use the ribbon enquiry form.
Supplyline ID stock and sell a huge range of ARMOR ribbons & coding foils; nearly all available for 1-2 day delivery.
See the Full Armor product range and spec sheets below.
Inkanto by Armor “The brand name you can trust”. This is the brand that the ARMOR Group has chosen for its Thermal Transfer ribbon offering. It will definitely enhance your experience with our ribbons.
- In Latin it means spell, charm, enchantment, fascination, magic
- Stands for quality, reliability, innovation, customer service, commitment leadership, partnership and adaptability
Inkanto is not just a complete new visual identity of ARMOR unbranded ribbons: the Inkanto Thermal Transfer ribbon offering comes with an unparalleled line of new services.
Enjoy complete peace of mind using the brand of the world’s leading TTR manufacturer
- 35 years’ experience in developing Thermal Transfer ribbons
- Long-term investments to benefit the future of this technology
- Ribbons made to the highest quality and environmental standards
- Ribbon performances tested on all types of Thermal Transfer printers
- All ribbons are 100% designed and manufactured by ARMOR
- Supporting a responsible identification which cares about consumer health and safety
Risk free ribbons allow you to focus on your business fundamentals
- Inkanto® ribbons are guaranteed for life against any manufacturing defect
- The guarantee is included on the products and their documentations so that your operators are fully aware
- Storage conditions and handling instructions appear on the box
An Inkanto ribbon has nothing to hide – you get all quality data with it
- An online Certificate of Conformity for each ribbon accessible with the QR code on each box and ribbon label
- Read it, download it or print it, it is very easy
- Contains all product information (product description, certifications and printer compatibilities)
- A simple online form to report any technical issue or question
Each box on Inkanto® ribbons contains a print-head cleaning wipe
- Maximize the print performance of your print-head
- Reduce the risks of poor print results
- Cleaning the print-head is the first corrective action to take when the print result is unsatisfactory
- Easy to use by any personnel, the cleaning wipe is attached to a simple user guide
You can easily see and test Inkanto® ribbons performance
- Make your first opinion with the real printed labels visible on each Inkanto® product datasheet.
- You can use the Inkanto® ribbon sample offer to validate your choice
- Each Inkanto® ribbon is available in individual sample boxes: providing the opportunity to test in your own environment
- Ribbon samples are made with the same care and same identification details as standard Inkanto® ribbons: you won’t be disappointed!
- Each sample box shows the product data for easy ordering
An inkanto® ribbon is easy to use: All important information is clearly visible
Inkanto® ribbon families are identified by colour codes helping to reduce the possibility of errors.
Very legible labels on the box and ribbon to highlight the important information about the product:
- Dimensions
- Code 128 for the part number
- Traceability information
- Production date
RIBBON TYPES & APPLICATIONS COLOURS
Armor Colour Ribbons for Flat Head Printers
Our Flat Head colour ribbons have been developed on the basis of our current wax, wax/resin, and resin qualities to suit a number of automatic identification and graphic applications, with similar printing performance than their equivalent black ribbons.
Armor Colour Ribbons for Near-Edge Printers & Coding Machines
Our Near/Corner Edge colour ribbons have been developed on the basis of our current wax/resin and resin qualities to suit a number of automatic identification and graphic applications, with similar printing performance than their equivalent black ribbons.
All of our colour ribbons are made to the highest quality using the most advanced films you can get. All supplied with a complimentary printhead cleaning wipe to help maintain the life of your printhead.
Ribbon Type and Applications | Flat Head Ribbons
Flat-Head printers are the most popular on the market.
The print head is flat, meaning that the pressure must be applied to the medium for relatively long time without applying too much force. A cooling time is required before separating the ink ribbon from the printed label.
Main brands of Flat-head printers: ARGOX, CAB, CARL VALENTIN, CITIZEN, DATAMAX O’NEIL, HONEYWELL, INTERMEC, ITALORA, LOGOPAK, PRINTRONIX, SATO, TSC, TOSHIBA
The Armor Flat Head Ribbon Range:
ARMOR AWR®8 Enhanced Wax is the biggest selling Wax that Supplyline ID sells from the ARMOR wax range. It doesn’t make any compromise to quality and printing performance and therefore matches all criteria expected by a traditional wax application.
Description
- Receptor multi-compatibility
- Excellent blackness
- Competitivity
This product’s +
- An ink suitable for standard labelling applications.
- Compatible with most blank and pre-printed labels.
- The low energy required to transfer the ink helps to protect the print head.
ARMOR AWR®1 Standard Wax is the most competitive wax ribbon of the Inkanto range. The very high sensitivity of the ink allows printing with low levels of energy with less stress on the printhead. AWR®1 is therefore the ideal solution for applications particularly sensitive to the quality/price ratio.
Description
- Competitiveness
- Good printing quality
- Receptor multi-compatibility
This product’s +
- An ink suitable for standard labelling applications.
- Compatible with most blank and pre-printed labels.
- The low energy required to transfer the ink helps to protect the print head.
ARMOR AWR®470 Standard Wax SolFree® is the only ribbon in the world to be coated without using solvents, including for the backcoating. SolFree® represents a saving of 365g of CO2 compared to the same ribbon (with average dimensions) produced with a traditional process for the backcoating. AWR®470 SolFree® is well known for its high coverage ability which is essential for printing the rough materials widely used in logistics
Description
- Particularly adapted to all kinds of paper substrates
- Very good sensitivity
- Excellent blackness
This product’s +
- The only ribbon on the market produced without using any solvent.
- Enables users to reduce their carbon footprint.
- Very high covering power enabling printing even on the rough label materials
ARMOR AWX®FH Premium Wax is a resin enhanced wax ribbon. Intrinsically, it is the highest performance wax ribbon of the Inkanto range, enabling it to answer the requirements of all wax applications, including the most demanding ones, with very good resistance.
Description
- Very high smudge resistance
- Very good printing quality
- Excellent receptor multi-compatibility and sensitivity
This product’s +
- The perfect combination of print quality and durability.
- Easy to use, prints over a wide range of settings.
- Print fineness ideal for logos, small characters and barcodes.
ARMOR APR®6 Wax/Resin is Supplyline ID’s biggest selling wax/resin ribbon of the Inkanto range: very versatile. It has been conceived to print all kinds of self-adhesive labels at the lowest heat settings and also provides a higher level of mechanical resistance compared to the wax ribbons.
Description
- Very good printing quality
- High speed printing capability
- Excellent receptor multi-compatibility and sensitivity
This product’s +
- Good print quality with all types of label material.
- A versatile, multi-use ribbon.
- Offers high print quality for small characters and barcodes.
ARMOR APX®FH+ PREMIUM WAX/RESIN is a high-end wax/resin ribbon providing a printing quality and mechanical resistances exceeding the market standards. It ensures an excellent quality of transfer at low energy on all smooth materials, coated papers as well as synthetics.
Description
- Very high resistance to smudge and scratch
- Excellent sensitivity and receptor multi-compatibility
- Very good printing quality at high speed
This product’s +
- Meets the durability criteria for exterior usages.
- Quality printing on pre-printed media.
- Accurately prints barcodes, symbols and logos.
With our unique knowledge of these printers and coders, Supplyline ID can offer you the best advice for your print quality and management, and also offer you the full service selling the parts, printheads and on-site maintenance via our network of engineers. So we save you money on your ribbons and also the running of your machines.
The Armor Full/Resin Ribbon Range:
ARMOR AXR®7+ FULL/RESIN is Supplyline ID’s biggest selling resin ribbon of the Inkanto range. Its high versatility (it also prints on coated papers), its performance (sharpness, printing speed) and its ability to widen the usual application fields of resin ribbons have resulted in making AXR®7+ the worldwide reference on this family of products.
Description
- Excellent printing quality, sensitivity and receptor multi-compatibility
- Excellent resistance to smudge and scratch
- Good resistance to high temperature
This product’s +
- The most versatile resin product on the market.
- Concentrated performance in terms of writing quality and print durability.
- Good resistance levels irrespective of the label material.
ARMOR AXR®1 FULL/RESIN is a resin ribbon which combines competitiveness and performance. It is suited for the most demanding applications in terms of durability and cost.
Description
- Receptor multi-compatibility
- Excellent blackness
- Competitiveness
This product’s +
- The most competitive resin ribbon in the Inkanto range
- Good performance level in terms of printing quality and durability
ARMOR AXR®8 PERFORMANCE FULL/RESIN is a high performance resin ribbon designed for the most demanding applications regarding resistance to mechanical aggressions and/or temperature and/or solvents. It is fully compatible with the label materials dedicated to the same high performance applications.
Description
- Excellent resistance to solvents and to high temperature
- Excellent resistance to smudge and scratch
- Excellent printing quality
This product’s +
- In addition to its abrasion resistance, the AXR 8 offers durability in the presence of solvents.
- Ideal for information that must persist throughout the product life cycle.
- Particularly suitable for printing on synthetic labels (PE, PP, PET, Polyimides, etc.).
ARMOR AXR®9 FULL/RESIN is a resin ribbon designed for the textile label printing market. It can also represent a relevant solution for niche resin applications (involving for example sterilization or resistance to some solvents) which are not satisfied by other resin ribbons.
Description
- Excellent printing quality on textile materials
- Excellent resistance to washes and dry cleaning
- Very good resistance to ironing
This product’s +
- A product developed for textile printing.
- Offers resistance to all types of textile washing methods.
- Also offers resistance against certain everyday solvents.
ARMOR AXR®EL FULL/RESIN is the Thermal Transfer ribbon specially designed by ARMOR to guarantee the legibility and durability of information printed on labels for electronic products. The resistance levels to heat and cleaning products offered by the AXR®EL guarantees reliable traceability right up to the end of the product life cycle.
Description
- Ribbon developed exclusively for the electronics industry
- Resistant to circuit board soldering and cleaning processes
- Print sharpness for small barcodes
This product’s +
- Some of the soldering processes use temperature cycles up to 270°C (518 °F). (AXR®EL is resistant to 300°C (572°F) to guarantee a print that remains perfectly legible.)
- AXR®EL is resistant to both solvent and water-based cleaning products. Traceability data is retained throughout the production chain.
- AXR®EL is compatible with the various synthetic substrates used to label electronic products.
- Polyimide: A technical material suitable for the most extreme environments. Resistant to temperatures up to 250°C/482°F.
- Polyester (PET): A durable material resistant to solvents and heat (max 160°C/320°F).
- Acrylate: A material that will not become distorted when exposed to heat
- AXR®EL prints all types of barcode and alphanumeric characters (ANSI grade A) with great precision.
- Print sharpness: The AXR®EL prints very dense barcodes, including 2D, on small labels.
- Blackness: With a DOR (optical specular density) of 1.80, the AXR®EL prints data that is perfectly legible even on coloured substrates.
ARMOR AXR®TX FULL/RESIN TEXTILE Thermal Transfer ribbon has been specially designed by ARMOR to offer optimum print durability in line with the highly specific demands of textile product life cycles.
Description
- The Inkanto ribbon specially designed for printing textile product labels
- Guarantees legible and durable printing
- Resistant to industrial and domestic cleaning processes
This product’s +
- Printed information using the AXR®TX remains perfectly legible despite repeated aggressions from industrial and domestic cleaning processes.
In addition to internal testing carried out by ARMOR, the resistance levels of AXR®TX have also been assessed against the following standards:
- Colour fastness in water: ISO 105-E01
- Domestic washing and drying: ISO 6330/A1
- Dry cleaning: ISO 105-D01
- AXR®TX is resistant to aggressions linked to product utilisation, guaranteeing that information will always remain legible during cleaning or use.
- AXR®TX produces high quality prints for both logos and barcodes.
The print blackness and sharpness perfectly meet all requirements related to product identification and traceability.
- AXR®TX is a very versatile ribbon: a single product for printing on any type of label material used in the textile industry.
The ribbon is also compatible with RFID labels.
- AXR®TX is one of the safest ribbon in the world in terms of human-ecological requirements. Following Oeko-Tex® stringent inspection, AXR®TX can be used for baby articles based on STANDARD 100, Appendix 4, product class 1.
Near-Edge Printer & Coding Ribbons:
All of our near-edge or coding ribbons are made to the highest quality using the most advanced films you can get. All supplied with double plastic core and a complimentary printhead cleaning wipe to help maintain the life of your printhead.
Thermal Transfer printer technology where the print head is positioned obliquely, the contact between the film and the printed substrate is quick. Films for corner edge printers therefore require specific cooling properties. Similar to Corner Edge technology.
Near Edge printhead technology is used in a range of machines as below:
Printers: industrial printers from Toshiba-Tec and Avery & Novexx / Domino / ICE & Markem.
Coders models: Videojet, Markem Imaje, Domino, Clearmark ICE
Print & apply printers models: CAB hermes +2, CAB Hermes +4, CAB hermes +6, CAB PX4, CAB PX6, Markem Imaje 2200 Pallet, Markem Imaje 2200 flex SE, Markem Imaje CimPak. ICE, Allen Coding, Herma, Sato, Zebra, ALS, Altech, Webber Marking & Logopak.
The Armor Near Edge Printer & Coding Ribbon Range:
ARMOR APR®400 WAX/RESIN is the newest ARMOR wax/resin ribbon for Near Edge and Corner Edge printers. It is dedicated to print rough label materials like uncoated papers or tags, a challenge for TT ribbons.
APR®400 achieves a very good printing quality on these materials thanks to its superior coverage capacity. Its high sensitivity enables the highest printing speeds in labelling applications.
Description
- Ideal for rough materials
- Very good printing quality
- High resistance to smudge
This product’s +
- A near-edge ribbon offering a high print quality on all paper-based labels
- The ink guarantees a good level of blackness even on rough paper materials
- Compatible with all labelling near-edge printers
ARMOR APR®600 WAX/RESIN is the worldwide reference of premium ribbons for Corner Edge and Near Edge printers. It is the standard ribbon in Inkanto’s wax/resin range. Its performance (speed, sensitivity, versatility, blackness) provides a perfectly adapted answer a large majority of applications.
Description
- Excellent sensitivity and receptor multi-compatibility
- Very good printing quality at high speed and sharpness of 90° barcodes
- Very high resistance to smudge
This product’s +
- Equally able to print on both labels and flexible packaging.
- A benchmark product for print speed.
- Compatible with the high throughputs of many industries.
ARMOR APX®650 WAX/RESIN is a high performance wax/resin ribbon for Corner Edge and Near Edge printers, providing a printing quality and mechanical resistance exceeding the market standards. These high performances contribute to secure your applications.
Description
- Very high resistance to smudge and scratch
- Excellent sensitivity and receptor multi-compatibility
- Very good printing quality at high speed
This product’s +
- Equally able to print on both labels and flexible packaging.
- An ink offering good durability for demanding applications.
- Especially suitable for printing fine characters
ARMOR AXR®600 FULL/RESIN is the standard resin ribbon of the Inkanto range for Corner Edge and Near Edge printers. It has become a reference for its sharpness. It is also unequalled as regards to its high level of mechanical resistance and its ability to print at high speed.
Description
- Excellent resistance to smudge and scratch
- Excellent printing quality, sensitivity and receptor multi-compatibility
- Good resistance to high temperature
This product’s +
- Equally able to print on both labels and flexible packaging.
- Concentrated performance in terms of writing quality and print durability.
- Compatible with the high throughputs of many industries.
ARMOR AXR®800 FULL is a high performance resin ribbon for Corner Edge and Near Edge printers, designed for the most demanding applications regarding resistance to mechanical aggressions and/or temperature and/or solvents. It is fully compatible with the label materials dedicated to the same high performance applications.
Description
- Excellent resistance to smudge and scratch
- Excellent resistance to solvents and to high temperature
- Excellent printing quality
This product’s +
- In addition to its abrasion resistance, the AXR 800 offers durability in the presence of solvents for labels and flexible packaging.
- Maximum resistance for applications that cannot accept any print degradation.
- Ideal for information that must persist throughout the product life cycle.
ARMOR AXR®900 FULL/RESIN is a resin ribbon for Corner Edge and Near Edge printers designed for the textile label printing market. It can also represent a relevant solution for niche resin applications (involving for example sterilization or resistance to some solvents) which are not satisfied by other resin ribbons.
Description
- Excellent printing quality on textile materials
- Excellent resistance to washes and dry cleaning
- Very good resistance to ironing
This product’s +
- A product developed for textile printing.
- Offers resistance to all types of textile washing methods.
- Also offers resistance against certain everyday solvents.
Which type of printer ribbon do I need?
If you are unsure which on what type of printer ribbon you might need, then Armor have produced a rather smart video, to help you with that decision (just hit play below, and make sure you have the sound down). If you would prefer to speak with someone, our friendly sales team are just at the end of the phone on 01403 865 111.
Request a call back
| OUR RIBBONS CAN MEET THE FOLLOWING CERTIFICATIONS: | ||
| Food Contact Europe | RoHS | Halogens |
| Heavy Metals | Marine shipping (BS5609) | California Proposition 65 |
| REACH/SVHC | Food Contact USA | Print durability (UL) |
| Drug Master File | ||
| WE USE THESE LABEL TYPES & MATERIALS:- | ||
| 3M Polyester | Ink Jet Receptacle | Recyclable Labels |
| A4 Laser Labels | Jet Gloss 90 | Sheet Labels |
| Anodised Aluminium | Laser Labels | Sprocket Fed |
| Blockout/Blackout | Loop Tags | Tags |
| Clear laminates | Metallised Silver/Polyester | Tamper Evident |
| Clear PE | Oven Proof | Tactile |
| Clear PP | Paper Direct Thermal (Eco or Topcoat) | Tickets |
| Domed | Paper Thermal Transfer (Matt Vellum or Gloss) | Vinyl |
| Dot Matrix Labels | Polyester (PET) | Void |
| Fabric & Woven Labels | Polyethylene (PE) | Ultra Destruct |
| Fan Fold Labels | Polypropylene (PP) | Window Stickers |
| Fan Fold Tags & Tickets | PVC | |
| Garden Centre Tags | Peel & Reveal | |
| ADHESIVES THAT WE USE:- | ||
| Acrylic based | High Tack | Ultra High Tack |
| Blockout / Blackout | Peelable | Ultra Low Tack |
| Chilled | Permanent | Void |
| Fastyre | Rubber Based | Water Resistant |
| Freezer | Tamper Evident | |
| LABEL RESISTANCE THAT SUPPLYLINE ID CAN OFFER:- | ||
| Chemicals | Handling | Scuff Proof |
| Extreme High Temperature | Moisture | Sea & Salt Water (BS5609 Standard) |
| Extreme Low | Outdoor Exposure | Solvents |
| Grease | Scratch Proof | UV Exposure |
| PRINTER & CODING RIBBONS THAT SUPPLYLINE ID CAN OFFER:- | |
| Coding Ribbons Colours | Full/Resin Ribbons |
| Coding Ribbons Full/Resin | Hot Foil Ribbons |
| Coding Ribbons Wax/Resin | Near Edge Wax/Resins Ribbons |
| Cold Stamping Ribbons | Near Edge Full/Resins Ribbons |
| Colour Ribbons (Primary & Metallic) | Premium Wax Ribbons |
| Chemical Ribbons (chemical resistant) | Standard Wax Ribbons |
| Enhanced Wax Ribbons | Washable Ribbons (Textile / Clothing Printing |