A ribbon supply includes a supply spool and a ribbon material wound onto the supply spool. A tack down bond prevents unwinding of the ribbon material from the supply spool. A leader film extends from the tack down bond, with the leader film having a length that is sufficient to allow installation of the ribbon supply and connection of the leader film to a take-up spool without detaching the tack down bond.

An example media processing device includes a base; a lid hingedly attached to the base movable relative to the base between a closed position and an open position, wherein a cavity is defined between the base and the lid; a printhead assembly attached to the lid; and a ribbon positioning assembly disposed within the cavity that is pivotably attached to at least one of the lid or the base wherein the ribbon positioning assembly is configured to move between a printing position when the lid is in the closed position, and an accessible position when the lid is in the open position, wherein the ribbon positioning assembly comprises: at least one cartridge channel configured to receive therein a ribbon cartridge; and at least one printhead assembly channel configured to guide the printhead assembly along the printhead assembly channel in response to the lid being moved between the open position to the closed position.

An example media processing device includes a base; a lid hingedly attached to the base movable relative to the base between a closed position and an open position, wherein a cavity is defined between the base and the lid; a printhead assembly attached to the lid; and a ribbon positioning assembly disposed within the cavity that is pivotably attached to at least one of the lid or the base wherein the ribbon positioning assembly is configured to move between a printing position when the lid is in the closed position, and an accessible position when the lid is in the open position, wherein the ribbon positioning assembly comprises: at least one cartridge channel configured to receive therein a ribbon cartridge; and at least one printhead assembly channel configured to guide the printhead assembly along the printhead assembly channel in response to the lid being moved between the open position to the closed position.

An example media processing device includes a base; a lid hingedly attached to the base movable relative to the base between a closed position and an open position, wherein a cavity is defined between the base and the lid; a printhead assembly attached to the lid; and a ribbon positioning assembly disposed within the cavity that is pivotably attached to at least one of the lid or the base wherein the ribbon positioning assembly is configured to move between a printing position when the lid is in the closed position, and an accessible position when the lid is in the open position, wherein the ribbon positioning assembly comprises: at least one cartridge channel configured to receive therein a ribbon cartridge; and at least one printhead assembly channel configured to guide the printhead assembly along the printhead assembly channel in response to the lid being moved between the open position to the closed position.

A device for processing media may include a system and method for loading and unloading consumable supplies of a media processing device, and more particularly, a system and method for providing a compact form factor media processing device which provides convenient access to the replaceable components of the media processing device. A media processing device may include a base and a lid hingedly attached to the base, moveable between a closed position in which the lid is secured to the base, and an open position. A cavity may be defined between the lid and the base, where the cavity is inaccessible when the lid is in the closed position and the cavity is accessible when the lid is in the open position. The media processing device may include a ribbon positioning assembly disposed within the cavity.