Ribbon web guide and method for a ribbon printing system

A ribbon printing system comprising:

• an unwind spindle operably connected with a cassette plate, the unwind spindle including a length of print ribbon wound thereon;
• a windup spindle operably connected with the cassette plate and configured to be coupled with the print ribbon such that the windup spindle pulls the print ribbon from the unwind spindle;
• one or more rollers arranged to direct the print ribbon through a printing area as the print ribbon at least partially passes over the one or more rollers, wherein a thermal print head engages the print ribbon in the printing area to transfer ink from the print ribbon onto one or more target objects;
• and
• a ribbon guide operably connected with the cassette plate and configured to deflect the print ribbon away from the cassette plate when the print ribbon is pulled across the ribbon guide by the windup spindle.

A method comprising:

• pulling a length of print ribbon from an unwind spindle operably connected with a cassette plate of a ribbon printing system;
• pulling the print ribbon across one or more rollers to direct the print ribbon through a printing area;
• engaging the print ribbon with a thermal print head to transfer ink from the print ribbon onto one or more target objects as the ribbon passes through the printing area;
• deflecting the print ribbon away from the cassette plate when the print ribbon is pulled across a ribbon guide by the windup spindle;
• and
• collecting the print ribbon onto the windup spindle.