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on all orders over £150

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HID FARGO Printers

HID FARGO ID card printers let you print staff, student and visitor ID cards in-house, single or dual-sided. Most FARGO models work with standard CR80 cards, the credit card size at 85.6 x 54mm, in PVC, with the smaller CR79 format supported where you need an adhesive-backed card. Direct-to-card FARGO models print straight onto the card surface. Retransfer printers build the image onto a film first and fuse it to the card, which gives a crisp edge-to-edge finish.

Among the direct-to-card printers, the DTC1250e is the entry point and the DTC1500 sits just above it. The DTC4250e is single-sided with USB and Ethernet built in. The DTC4500e is the step up for busier sites. On the retransfer side, the HDP6600 prints at 600 dpi and the HDP5000 MK2 does it on both sides of the card.

Ribbons for these printers are listed under FARGO printer ribbons.

The DTC4500e sits well with busier reception desks and mid-sized organisations. Retransfer machines earn their place where card quality and durability really matter, such as access control or membership schemes. Several models can be specified with encoding modules for contactless credentials, the cards most people call access or key cards. We will confirm compatibility with your specific reader technology before you order. Tell the Plastic ID team your card volumes and whether you need single or dual-sided printing and we will point you to the right FARGO printer.

Compare the FARGO DTC printers

All four print in full colour at 300 dpi, edge to edge, onto CR80 cards. Each prints a colour card in about 16 seconds (225 an hour) or a black card in 6 seconds. All four take magnetic stripe, contact chip and contactless encoders (MIFARE, DESFire, iCLASS, Seos and Prox). The differences are in running costs, dual-sided and lamination options, security features and how much they hold.

DTC1250eDTC1500DTC4250eDTC4500e
Price (ex VAT)£754.00£889.95£894.00£1,339.00
Full colour card, one side34p27p29p33p
Colour front, black back44p44p38p40p
Black only card12pAsk us12p11p
Designed forSmall businesses, schools and local government on a budgetSchools, colleges, healthcare and small to medium businessesMedium-sized businesses, schools and local governmentMedium to large organisations printing high volumes
Dual-sided printingFactory option (cannot be added later)Built in, switched on with an RFID tagOption, can be added laterOption, can be added later
LaminationNoOptionalNoOption: one or both sides at once
Ethernet with print serverFactory optionStandardYesYes
DisplayStatus buttonsStatus buttonsSmartScreen displaySmartScreen display
Ribbon typeEZ all-in-one cartridgeHigh-capacity refill ribbonsEZ all-in-one cartridgeHigh-capacity ECO refill ribbons
Input hopper100 cards100 cards100 cards (200 with dual hopper)200 cards (dual hopper as standard)
Locking hoppersNoNoNoOption
UV (fluorescent) printingNoNoYesYes
Printer passwordNoYesYesYes
Custom watermarkNoYesNoNo
Warranty3 years printer and printhead3 years printer and printhead (when registered online)3 years printer and printhead (when registered online)3 years printer and printhead (when registered online)
Weight3.4 kg5 kg4.1 kg4.1 kg

Cost per card is the ribbon price divided by its HID print yield, plus a plain white 760 micron card at 10.5p. Current HID ribbons used: DTC1250e 045030, 045031, 045033 and 045102; DTC1500 045630 and 045631; DTC4250e 045100, 045110, 045114 and 045102; DTC4500e 045230, 045231, 045233 and 045202. Prices ex VAT as at 16 October 2026. The DTC1500 has the lowest colour cost per card of the four. It costs more to buy than the DTC1250e but is the cheaper printer to own from roughly 2,000 colour cards.

Compare the FARGO HDP retransfer printers

Retransfer printers print onto a clear film, then fuse it to the card. The finish runs over the edge of the card and copes with the uneven surface of chip and contactless cards. Both printers take PVC, composite, PET and polycarbonate cards with optional contact chip and contactless encoders. Magnetic stripe encoding is available on the HDP6600. The HDP6600 is the faster, 600 dpi model. The HDP5000e takes thicker cards and offers a holographic film.

HDP5000eHDP6600
Price, dual-sided (ex VAT)£2,149.00£2,549.00
Full colour card, one side33p37p
Colour front, black backAsk us47p
Resolution300 dpi600 dpi
Colour card, one side speed27 seconds (133 an hour)16 seconds (230 an hour)
Colour front, black back speed33 seconds (109 an hour)29 seconds (126 an hour)
Ready to print from coldNot listedUnder 60 seconds (iON)
Card thickness0.76 - 1.27 mm0.76 - 1.01 mm
Input hopper100 cards (200 with option)100 cards (200 with option)
Card flattenerNoOption
LaminationOption: one or both sides at onceOption: wasteless LMX lamination
Printer passwordNot listedYes
Holographic filmYes (084501)No (holographic overlaminate instead)
Warranty4 years printer, lifetime printhead4 years printer, lifetime printhead
Weight (single-sided)8.5 kg9.5 kg

Cost per card is the ribbon price divided by its HID print yield, plus the clear transfer film (two panels for a dual-sided card) and a plain white 760 micron card at 10.5p. Ribbons used: HDP5000e 084511 with 084500 film; HDP6600 084921 and 084922 with 084900 film. Prices ex VAT, October 2026. "Not listed" means HID does not list the feature for that printer. The HDP5600 and HDP8500 are discontinued; HID's replacement for both is the HDP6600.

Not sure which suits you? Tell the Plastic ID team how many cards you print and whether you need dual-sided printing or encoding.

Product Compare 0
FARGO DTC1250e ID Card Printer FARGO DTC1250e ID Card Printer
Brand: Fargo Model: 31-2042
FARGO DTC1250e ID Card Printer
FARGO DTC1250e Overview With a printing time of just 16 seconds per card, the HID FARGO DTC1250e is one of the fastest plastic card printers in its class and ideal for schools, small businesses or local government that need high-quality ID cards quickly without a dedicated printing team or complex infrastructure. It arrives ready to produce employee badges, student cards, membership credentials and visitor passes straight out of the box when you order a ribbon with it. The printer ships as single-sided and can be field-upgraded to dual-sided printing and smart card encoding as your programme grows, so you are not locked into a configuration on day one. Specifications Specification Detail Print methodDye sublimation / resin thermal transfer Resolution300 × 300 dpi (standard); 300 × 600 dpi (optimised) Colour depthUp to 16.7 million colours / 256 shades per pixel Print speed (YMCKO)16 seconds per card / 225 cards per hour Print speed (YMCKOK, dual-sided)24 seconds per card Print speed (monochrome K)6 seconds per card Print speed (KO)8 seconds per card Print areaEdge-to-edge Accepted card sizesCR-80 (85.6 × 54 mm); CR-79 adhesive back Accepted card thickness9 to 40 mil (0.23 to 1.02 mm) Accepted card typesPVC; polyester with polished PVC finish; optical memory cards with PVC finish; rewritable Input hopper100 cards Output hopper30 cards as standard; up to 100 cards (optional) Memory32 MB RAM ConnectivityUSB 2.0 standard; Ethernet with internal print server (optional) OS compatibilityWindows 7, 8, 10; Linux Data protectionAES-256-GCM encryption; Resin Scramble option Included softwareSwift ID embedded badging application; FARGO Workbench diagnostic utility with Color Assist spot-colour matching Dimensions (single-sided)224 mm H × 348 mm W × 201 mm D Dimensions (dual-sided)249 mm H × 475 mm W × 234 mm D Weight3.4 kg (single-sided); 4.54 kg (dual-sided) Power supply100 to 240 V AC, 50 to 60 Hz, 1.6 A max EnvironmentalGreenCircle Certified; ENERGY STAR qualified (base models without encoders) Warranty3 years (printer and printhead); unlimited printhead pass with UltraCard What's Included: Power supply and mains cord USB cable Input and output card hoppers Driver installation disc and guide Swift ID embedded badging software FARGO Workbench diagnostic utility with Color Assist Print speed and card output for working programmes The DTC1250e prints a full-colour single-sided card in 16 seconds, making it one of the fastest card printers in its class. That works out to 225 full-colour cards an hour. If you print monochrome only, the speed rises to 6 seconds a card, giving you up to 600 cards an hour for plain text or barcode passes. The 30-card output hopper suits a typical on-demand or registration-desk printing environment rather than bulk overnight runs..
£754.00
Inc Tax:£904.80
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FARGO DTC4250e Single-Sided ID Card Printer with USB and Ethernet FARGO DTC4250e Single-Sided ID Card Printer with USB and Ethernet
Brand: Fargo Model: 31-2046
FARGO DTC4250e Single-Sided ID Card Printer with USB and Ethernet
FARGO DTC4250e ID Card Printer Overview The FARGO® DTC4250e is a direct-to-card ID card printer built for medium-volume card programmes in businesses, schools and local government where a single desktop unit needs to handle both full-colour photo ID and optional technology card encoding. It suits operations that issue employee badges, student cards, membership credentials and access control cards regularly enough to need a dependable workhorse, but not in the kind of volume that demands industrial equipment. What sets the DTC4250e apart within the HID FARGO range is its modular design: encoding capability, dual-sided printing and an expanded input hopper can all be added in the field as your programme grows, so you’re not locked into a fixed specification from day one. Specifications Specification Detail Part number (Plastic-ID)31-2046 Manufacturer part number052000 Print technologyDye-sublimation / resin thermal transfer Resolution300 dpi (11.8 dots/mm), continuous tone Colour depthUp to 16.7 million colours / 256 shades per pixel Print speed, YMCKO (full colour)16 seconds per card Print speed, YMCKOK (dual-sided)24 seconds per card Print speed, K (monochrome)6 seconds per card Card sizesCR-80 (85.6 × 54 mm), CR-79 adhesive back Card thickness9 to 40 mil (0.23 to 1.02 mm) Input hopper capacity100 cards (standard); 200 cards with optional dual-input hopper Output hopper capacity100 cards ConnectivityUSB 2.0 and Ethernet with internal print server Software includedSwift ID embedded badging app, FARGO Workbench diagnostic utility with Color Assist spot-colour matching Compatible card personalisation softwareAsure ID Data securityAES-256 encryption, password protection Security optionsFluorescent panel printing (optional); UV overlay (optional) Power supply100 to 240 VAC, 50 to 60 Hz, 1.6 A Dimensions (single-sided)249 mm H × 460 mm W × 234 mm D Weight (single-sided)4.1 kg Warranty3 years (printer and printhead) What’s Included: DTC4250e single-sided printer USB 2.0 cable US/EU power cords Software installation CD with printer driver and user guide Warranty documentation Print quality and speed for a working card programme The DTC4250e prints a full-colour YMCKO card in 16 seconds. For operations that produce employee badges or student cards in batches, that translates to roughly 225 cards per hour. Monochrome runs are considerably faster at 6 seconds per card, which suits visitor passes, membership cards and any job where a single-colour design gets the work done. Print resolution sits at 300 dpi with continuous tone output, so photos, logos and barcode graphics all come out cleanly at card size. The Color Assist tool inside FARGO Workbench handles spot-colour matching, which is useful when a company logo needs to print accurately against a specific brand colour...
£894.00
Inc Tax:£1,072.80
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FARGO HDP6600 Retransfer Card Printer FARGO HDP6600 Retransfer Card Printer
Brand: Fargo Model: HDP6600
FARGO HDP6600 Retransfer Card Printer
FARGO HDP6600 Retransfer ID Card Printer The HID FARGO HDP6600 is a high-definition retransfer printer built for organisations that need sharp, durable cards in volume, such as government departments, hospitals, universities and large employers. It prints at 600 dpi, so fine text and detailed photos stay crisp.Compatible ribbons: FARGO HDP6600 printer ribbons, part of our full range of FARGO printer ribbons. Why retransfer? Instead of printing straight onto the card, the HDP6600 prints onto a clear film and then fuses that film to the card surface. The result is true edge-to-edge printing with no white border, richer colour and a tougher finish. It also prints cleanly over the uneven surface of smart cards and proximity cards. Key features 600 dpi high-definition retransfer printing Single-sided as standard, with a double-sided option Up to 230 single-sided cards per hour 100-card input hopper and 200-card output hopper iON™ technology for a fast warm-up USB and Ethernet connectivity, Windows compatible Choose single or double-sided above. If you need encoding options or help planning a card scheme, contact our team...
£2,549.00
Inc Tax:£3,058.80
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FARGO DTC1500 ID Card Printer - 89640 FARGO DTC1500 ID Card Printer - 89640
Brand: Fargo Model: 51400
FARGO DTC1500 ID Card Printer - 89640
FARGO DTC1500 ID Card Printer The DTC1500 is the latest ID card printer from the FARGO range. It boasts distinctive security features which are ideal for printing high-quality cards at a fraction of the cost. This machine is suited towards universities and colleges, schools and small-to-medium sized businesses that are looking for an on-demand print solution. Ribbons for the DTC1500 are listed under FARGO printer ribbons. Low-cost, high-capacity consumables Built in custom watermark security feature at no added cost Three-year manufacturer warranty..
£889.95
Inc Tax:£1,067.94
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HID FARGO DTC4500e ID Card Printer with USB and Ethernet HID FARGO DTC4500e ID Card Printer with USB and Ethernet
Brand: Fargo Model: 55000
HID FARGO DTC4500e ID Card Printer with USB and Ethernet
FARGO DTC4500e ID Card Printer You get professional quality, full-colour ID cards and security encoding - all in one pass. Operation and supply replacement are both intuitive, making extensive training unnecessary.Compatible ribbons: FARGO DTC4500 ribbons. With an unheard of combination of footprint flexibility, field upgradeability, ease of use and ease of integration with other HID products, you'll receive maximum value for your asset protection budget from the most trusted name in secure identity solutions. DTC4500 Specifications Sided Printing: Single or Dual Print Method: Dye-sublimation / Resin Thermal Transfer Resolution: 300 dpi Print Speed: 16 seconds per card / 150 cards per hour (YMCKO) Accepted Card Sizes: CR-80 CR-79 Adhesive Back ENERGY STAR Certified Product: Available on non-lamination configurations which provides organisations with a high-performance, energy-efficient photo ID printing solution that supports corporate green initiatives and helps reduce costs.  As part of its new ENERGY STAR rating, the default time for sleep mode has been lowered from two hours to five minutes and printer design enhancements reduce the power consumption when in standby or sleep mode. Additionally, the ENERGY STAR FARGO DTC4500 is turned on and off using the power button versus plugging in the power cable. Field-Upgradeable Printer Options: Single Wire Ethernet and USB 2.0 interface for in-line printing and encoding (note: single wire Ethernet encoding is only available for iCLASS and contact smart card encoding) Ethernet with Internal Print Server - Standard Feature Dual-Input Card Hopper (200 cards) - Standard Feature Same-Side Input/Output Card Hopper - Upgradable Card Lamination Module: single-sided or dual-sided (simultaneous) - Upgradable Smart Card Encoding (contact/contactless) - Upgradable..
£1,339.00
Inc Tax:£1,606.80
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FARGO HDP5000e Dual-Sided Retransfer ID Card Printer FARGO HDP5000e Dual-Sided Retransfer ID Card Printer
Brand: Fargo Model: 31-2052-96640
FARGO HDP5000e Dual-Sided Retransfer ID Card Printer
The HID FARGO HDP5000e is HID's current retransfer card printer, launched in September 2024 to replace the HDP5000. It prints onto a clear film first, then fuses the film to the card. The result is a crisp over-the-edge finish that copes with uneven surfaces, so it suits contactless access cards with embedded chips as well as standard PVC.This model prints both sides of the card in one pass.300 dpi retransfer printing, over the edge of a CR80 cardUp to 133 full colour cards an hour (YMCK), or 109 an hour with a black back (YMCKK)Takes cards from 0.76 to 1.27 mm: PVC, composite, PET, PETG and polycarbonate100-card input hopper (200 with the optional hopper) and 200-card outputUSB and Ethernet with internal print server, plus a SmartScreen displayAES-256 data encryption and resin scrambleOptional contactless encoder (iCLASS SE, Seos, MIFARE, DESFire) and contact chip encoderOptional lamination module for one or both sidesHolographic film available for tamper-evident cards4-year printer warranty and lifetime printhead warrantyConsumables: YMCKK colour ribbon 084512 (500 cards) or YMCK ribbon 084511 (500 cards), with clear retransfer film 084500 (about 1,500 panels). See how the FARGO printers compare...
£2,149.00
Inc Tax:£2,578.80
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