Typewriter Ribbons
It is in itself an artistic medium, the means by which an operator presses ink to a page, one letter at a time. A vital, and near forgotten carrier of information for nearly two centuries. All Ribbons are brand new and rolled by hand.
Photo Credit: Ellis Noel
Each shipment is made to order, so please allow a few days for processing.
Below are instructional videos on replacing ribbons should you find yourself lost
I work hard to keep my prices low!
Please select the product you want below - you can add whatever you want and it will be saved to cart. If it isn’t available for purchase, it isn’t in stock. All ribbons are universal half inch stock unless otherwise noted.
RIBBON TINS ARE BACK - Keeping your ribbons fresh, safe, and secure until you are ready to use them. A throwback to the old days. You can use the tins for a variety of other things once their ribbon purpose has been served. All artwork is custom designed and hand drawn (but then digitally turned into stickers of course).
PLEASE READ THE PRICING SHEET IF YOU HAVE PRICING QUESTIONS special spools are listed separately for machines like Olivetti. If it is not listed, I don’t have it. Otherwise, standard universal spools for metal and plastic are your go-to. You’ll be prompted to tell me what machine they’re for, and I’ll make sure the metal spools or plastic spools will work for your model. As of Summer 2023, due to stock price increases, ribbon prices have been adjusted. Some options are a few dollars more, some are a few dollars less (surprisingly). Base prices for nylon on plastic spools is $14 for a Tin, and $12.72 for a Twin. New stock listed for colored nylon ribbons, no price difference.
-
WHAT IS SINGLE VS. TWIN: Ribbons travel spool to spool, the twin spool option ships your ribbon on two spools. The tin option ships your ribbon on a single spool.
RIBBON TINS: are an old way of packaging ribbons. The user would take the used ribbon and wind it onto one spool within the machine, and then discard that spool while retaining the empty one to be used with the new ribbon. Shipping single spools reduces waste, and leaves you with a robust metal tin to be used for many other things. Storage, parts trays (for repair people), candle holders, soap dishes, tiny plant pots, etc… Please don’t discard your metal spools.
COTTON VS. NYLON: a question I am very frequently asked. You can find a sample sheet comparing the two stocks up at the top. Cotton Ribbon yields a thicker, bolder, and darker text. Nylon prints crisp and clean, very similar in nature to silk. Cotton ribbons will actually degrade overtime and clog your type slugs, so be sure to clean them monthly while using cotton ribbons. Cotton stock is good for those who are typing on darker colored backgrounds, it stands out more. Nylon is great for professional work and neat-freaks (like me).
PLASTIC SPOOLS will not work on the pre 1930 Royal Portables with open top exposed ribbon spools. They have a spring catch that gets hung up on the injection mould seam for the spools, which prevents the machine from advancing the ribbon.
DO I NEED EYELETS? No, you don’t. I knot the ends of the ribbons in order to trip the auto reverse on a typewriter. That accomplishes the same exact purpose, but with one key difference: it allows me to maintain low cost which in turn saves my customers money!
HOW DO I BUY A T-SHIRT? Go to www.typewriterchicago.com/shop
-
I accept all major credit cards!! Please use the form field at the very bottom to report any payment issues!
Please see the above pricing sheet for more detailed information on prices.
-
Ribbons are consumable and all sales are final, but I work to ensure total customer satisfaction. Please notify me via email or letter if there is an issue with your order. I will either partially or fully refund, or replace missing or defective product. Everything is checked before it goes out. Have your order number handy!
