Application Guide

Passion – Results – Integrity
 “If the cost of operation is better than the P5000, why do the P7000 Spool ribbons have a higher price?”
Operating cost is based on cost per volume of printing. Since the P7000 Spool ribbons yield more than any
comparable P5000 ribbons, the price will be higher on a per spool basis. However, if you divide the spool price by its
yield, you will see that you are saving money with the P7000 Spool.
 “Can I buy the ribbons for the P7000 Spool from my current Printronix supplier?”
Yes. All existing suppliers of Genuine Printronix ribbons have access to the new P7000 Spool suite of ribbons.
 “I do not use Genuine Printronix Supplies today. Can I continue to buy from my existing supplier?”
Yes. Many of these suppliers have access to Genuine Printronix Supplies.
 “Why should I use Genuine Printronix ribbons for my P7000 Spool?”
The number one reason is reliability. Most manufacturers of third party ribbons use excessive, inconsistent, or low
quality ink. Even if the resulting print quality is found to be acceptable, the impact on the mechanism is not. These
poor formulations shed their ink into the hammer bank and eventually stop it from printing. The only cure is an
expensive tear down and clean up of your printer by a trained service personnel. Since this is a common problem in
the field and is not a printer malfunction, these service calls are typically not covered by your service contract.
 “Are there other brands of ribbons that will fit my P7000 Spool?”
The P7000 Spool ribbon is a brand new product and at the time of its introduction, we are only aware of Printronix
and IBM branded ribbons that will function properly. Typically, the compatible manufacturers will wait until they see
sufficient demand in the market before proceeding with making their own products.
 “I have found a third party ribbon for my P7000 Spool which the printer identifies as “Unauthorized OEM”, what does
this mean?”
This product will work on your P7000 Spool, but the design is not suitable to prevent ink contamination and does not
correctly report its characteristics to the Integrated Print Management system. Since the correct data is not provided,
the ribbon life indication will not work and has been disabled. Furthermore, your service provider will be able to tell
that your printer has been running Unauthorized supplies and may charge for any ink contamination related service
calls. We recommend using Genuine Printronix Supplies or other Authorized OEM products.
P7000 SPOOL RIBBONS
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
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