One-Colour vs Two-Colour Ribbon Printing
Be clear on the limits first. PrintOnline's ribbon is printed on one side only and offers 1 colour or 2 colours, plus a non-printed sample. It is not full-colour printing: photos, gradients and many-colour logos cannot be reproduced. Choose on the print colour selector of the ribbon page.
The visual difference
One colour gives a single-tone design on the ribbon colour, clean and bold. Two colours let you separate parts of a logo, such as a symbol in one colour and the name in another. The second colour adds emphasis, and it also adds a great deal of cost, as the next section shows.
Suitable artwork
Good for one colour: a solid logo, a name in plain lettering, a simple pattern. Good for two colours: a logo that already uses two flat colours, or a name plus a short slogan where contrast helps. Not suitable for either: photos, shaded gradients, tiny detail.
When one colour is sufficient
Most brand ribbons. If your logo already works as a single-colour mark on a letterhead or a rubber stamp, it will work on ribbon. Weddings with a name and a date also suit one colour.
When two colours matter
When brand identity depends on two colours, or when the symbol and the text must be visually distinct. Also when the ribbon colour is close to your single print colour and a second colour would add contrast.
How width affects legibility
The narrower the ribbon, the less room a second colour has to read as separate. A two-colour logo on 1 cm can blur into one mass; on 1 inch it has space to breathe. If you want two colours, budget for the wider ribbon too. See choosing the right ribbon width.
Contrast with the ribbon colour
The ribbon colour is chosen by code from a catalogue, so pick print colours that contrast strongly with it. On accuracy, the page is explicit: the material shade and the printed colour may vary from screen previews, and if an exact Pantone match matters you should get written confirmation that it is feasible before ordering. Ask on WhatsApp (+971 52 383 1019) if colour accuracy is critical, and order the AED 20 non-printed sample to see the actual ribbon shade first.
File formats to submit
Submit a vector PDF, AI or EPS file where possible, and mark clearly which parts of the artwork are colour 1 and which are colour 2. Full checklist: preparing artwork.
Price: the second colour roughly doubles it
The two print options have separate price ladders, and the gap is large:
| Rolls | 1 colour | 2 colours | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | AED 250 | AED 420 | +68% |
| 10 | AED 350 | AED 640 | +83% |
| 50 | AED 1,500 | AED 2,930 | +95% |
| 100 | AED 3,210 | AED 5,610 | +75% |
At fifty rolls the second colour costs AED 1,430 more, which is nearly the price of the whole one-colour order. That is the real decision here, and it is worth asking your designer whether a single-colour version of the mark would do the job before you commit. Full tiers in the buying guide.
Choose 1 or 2 print colours on PrintOnline's ribbon.
Related: ribbon width and artwork preparation.