How to Print on Ribbon: Logos, Text & Full-Colour Designs

Wondering how to print on ribbon? The best printing method depends on the ribbon material, width, artwork, number of colours and the finished effect you want to achieve.

We’ve been printing personalised ribbon in-house since 2007. From simple names and wording to company logos and full-colour artwork, different designs need different approaches to produce a clear, professional result.

Here’s a practical look at how we print logos and designs onto ribbon and what you should consider before Your Ribbon goes to print.

How Do You Print on Ribbon?

There are several ways of printing onto ribbon, but at Personalised Printed Ribbons our main personalised ribbon ranges use two different approaches:

• Single-colour printing for logos, text and designs printed in one colour onto our stock ribbon colours.
• Full-colour sublimation printing for multi-coloured logos, detailed artwork, photographs and colour-matched ribbon.

The right method depends largely on your artwork and the ribbon you want to use.

Printing a Logo on Ribbon

A company logo can be printed repeatedly along a length of ribbon, turning the ribbon itself into part of your branded packaging or presentation.

Before printing, we consider the shape of the logo, level of detail, ribbon width and repeat spacing. A wide horizontal logo, for example, needs to be treated differently from a compact square design.

Our artwork team will prepare the layout to work with the ribbon width you’ve selected and provide a visual proof before printing.

Single-Colour Logo Printing

If your logo can be reproduced effectively in one colour, single-colour printing is often the simplest and most economical option.

We hold around 50 satin ribbon colours and offer a wide selection of standard and metallic print colours, giving you plenty of combinations without needing full-colour printing.

A navy ribbon printed in white, for example, can reproduce branding very effectively even if the original company logo contains several colours.

Good contrast between the ribbon and print colour is important. If we think your chosen combination won’t give a clear result, your dedicated contact will advise you before we print.

How Do You Print a Full-Colour Logo on Ribbon?

When a logo contains several colours, gradients, detailed artwork or a photograph, we can use full-colour sublimation printing.

Sublimation uses specialist inks and heat to transfer the design into the ribbon material rather than simply placing a layer of print on its surface.

This allows us to reproduce much more detailed artwork and multiple colours and can also be used to create ribbon in a particular brand colour.

Can You Print Pantone Colours on Ribbon?

We can work from Pantone, CMYK, HEX and RGB colour references when producing our full-colour ribbon.

Colour behaves differently on textile materials compared with a computer monitor, printed paper or Pantone colour card, so we describe this as the closest achievable colour match rather than guaranteeing an exact match.

Read our guide to colour-matched ribbon.

Can You Print Text on Ribbon?

Yes. In fact, text is one of the most popular things we print.

Personalised ribbon can include names, dates, messages, company names, website addresses and other wording, either on its own or alongside a logo.

The amount of wording and the font selected need to work with the width of the ribbon. Very fine or elaborate lettering may not reproduce clearly on particularly narrow ribbon, so we’ll check the design before production.

Can You Print on Grosgrain Ribbon?

Selected grosgrain ribbons can be custom printed, but the result is different from printing onto smooth satin.

Grosgrain has a distinctive ribbed texture. That texture remains visible beneath the print and needs to be taken into consideration when choosing artwork.

For very fine logos or detailed wording, a smooth satin surface may give a cleaner result.

Which Ribbon Width Is Best for Printing?

There isn’t one correct width. It depends on the design and what you’ll use the finished ribbon for.

• 7mm and 10mm – ideal for small wording, favours, baubles and delicate packaging.
• 15mm – our most versatile personalised ribbon width and suitable for many logos and messages.
• 25mm – gives logos more space and is particularly useful for branded packaging.
• 38mm and 48mm – useful for larger logos, hampers and presentation packaging.
• 100mm and wider – designed for statement applications, large displays, grand openings and specialist projects.

If your logo contains fine detail, choosing a slightly wider ribbon can sometimes produce a much better result.

How Is the Logo Repeated Along the Ribbon?

Your logo or wording is normally repeated along the length of the ribbon.

The size of each print and the space between repeats can be important, particularly if you’re cutting the ribbon into individual lengths or tying it around boxes.

If you tell us how Your Ribbon will be used, we can take that into consideration when preparing the artwork.

Do I See the Design Before You Print?

Yes. We provide a free visual proof before printing.

This allows you to check the logo, wording, spelling, layout and repeat before production begins. If something doesn’t look right or we think your artwork needs adjusting for the ribbon width, we’ll discuss it with you first.

What Artwork Do I Need for Logo Printing?

You can upload JPG or PNG artwork when ordering. If you have professional vector artwork such as AI or EPS files, these can be emailed to us.

Don’t worry if you aren’t sure whether your file is suitable. We’ll check your artwork and let you know if we need anything different.

Ready to Print Your Logo or Text on Ribbon?

Choose your ribbon width, ribbon colour and print option, then add your logo, wording or artwork.

Whether you need a few metres of personalised ribbon or a larger branded packaging order, we’ll prepare your artwork and send your visual proof before Your Ribbon goes to print.

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