You would be surprised, ribbons are used daily. From adding machines, to bank printers, to cash registers & receipt printers, to forms printers, to parking garages, timeclocks, check printers, and yes typewriters too. We carry supplies for machines from yesterday and today. And it's not just ribbons; its ink rollers, spools, tapes, rolls and cartridges.

Who are we?

A small family business in Maryland that started back in 1990. It's very important to us to help you, our customer , quickly and efficiently.
We are not a 3rd party source just selling ribbons. Our desks are literally in the center of our entire inventory, which allows us to go to a shelf and quickly get the item, look at it and hold it in our hands! We stock hundreds of different ribbons!

Who are our customers?

Our customer is your entire family, office, school, church, bank, writers, restaurant, gas station, local, state government agencies, hospitals and funeral homes. It's anybody and we would love for you to be our customer!

I only need a ribbon or 2, would you sell to me?

Absolutely, many customers purchase 1 ribbon at a time.

What is the difference between nylon, cotton and silk ribbons?
Nylon is a good durable material and most ribbons are made using nylon. It holds the ink well and gives a good impression and has a long life. Cotton is heavier and produces a dark, heavy print that appears slightly fuzzy and silk will give you a clean, crisp print.

Here is a comparison I typed on my Olympia SM4 typewriter.



How far do you ship?

We have shipped as far as Australia and to many countries around the world.

Can you ship the ribbon to my mom even though I live in a different state?

Yes we can and we do it all the time. We package and label the ribbon along with information about us so you know, we are here for you when it's time to reorder.

Who is your oldest customer?

She is 98 and types regularly without eyeglasses! Her handwriting is poor and it's difficult for her to write. In fact, we have many customers that are in their 90s typing daily.

Who are your longest customer relationship?

One is a hotel by the airport, who we have been helping since 1992 and the other is a Honda dealership that began with us in 1994. We provide all of their toner, ribbons, and even ink for their postage machine.

Strangest item we sold?

A ribbon for a 1920's train ticket printer. A train enthusiast was looking for a 1 1/4" cotton ribbon to get a vintage train ticket printer going.
We also had a customer call us for blue cover up tabs, apparently the blue shows up on game pieces that you customize yourself.

Special Project?

A project manager at 3M needed a 18" wide 2ply carbonless paper roll with a 3" diameter with a 7/16" core.. With the specs given we had the paper rolls made for them. If your company has a special request for a specific size of paper, type of paper, color and core size, call us at 1-800-250-7426.

Supplies for movie props

We carry the ribbons for vintage printers and typewriters that are used as working props in a movie or play.

What if I only want to buy just the ribbon for my spools?

Absolutely, if you go to our "Just the Ribbon" section under "Supply I am looking for", you can purchase just the ribbon for you to attach to your existing spools. We measure the ribbon and attach to a generic spool with eyelets on each end. We carry 5/16", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", 1 1/4" and 1 3/8" ribbon in various color choices. In addition we offer 1/2" ribbon, in your choice of nylon, cotton or silk!

Do you make a 1/2" ribbon in colors other than black or black/red?

Yes we do! In addition to the traditional colors, we also offer red, orange, green, blue, purple and brown. Upon request, we can have any 2 colors made together. For example, a customer asked for blue/red and purple/orange.

Can I send in my old spools with a used ribbon and have Ribbons Unlimited put a new ribbon on for me?

Yes, $ 8.00 we will put a new 1/2" black fabric or any color ribbon on your spools, shrink wrap and box for you, or $ 10.00 for cotton and $ 12.50 for silk. We ask customers to keep their old spools.

Do you wholesale?

Yes, to many local and national office and supply stores. Many places don't carry ribbons anymore, or don't have information about ribbons.
We have an extensive cross reference system, so we can determine the correct ribbon by the machine model, part number, description, or picture of the ribbon cartridge or spool.

How to contact us?

Call 1.800.250.7426, email me personally at [email protected], or complete the product request form on our website.

Many thanks for visiting our company and happy typing . . .

Lanie Hurwitz

My email is [email protected]

You can also text me any pictures of your typewriter or spools to help figure out what you need, my cell is 443-857-3615

Mailing address:

Ribbons Unlimited

6 Park Center Court, Suite 100

Owings Mills, MD 21117