Abstract: A printer ribbon cartridge having a base and a removable hinged lid is disclosed, wherein ribbon is driven through the cartridge by a drive gear coupled with first and second idler gears. A foam reinking roller supplies ink to an ink transfer roller which transfers ink to the ribbon as it passes thereby. The reinking roller includes sandwiched foam layers with an ink impervious layer therebetween, in order to control ink seepage and ensure an adequate reinking across the width of the ribbon. A ribbon chamber surrounds the reinking roller in a semicircular formation to store the ribbon in folds corresponding to the width of the ribbon chamber, thus maximizing ribbon storage space in the cartridge.