One year on...

The Fargo DTC1000, 4000 and 4500 have been in the field now for over a year and have proven themselves to be class leaders in desktop card printing. This range will cover everything from basic single-side card printing through to dual-side printing and overlaminating on to smartchip cards.


The entry-level DTC1000 is ideal for low volume basic card printing with optional magnetic stripe encoding and produces a full colour ID card in under 30 seconds.

The DTC4000 is the mid-range card printer, and can be initially ordered as a single-side printer then field upgraded to dual side as your needs change, making it very versatile.  A very useful feature is the option to have 'same-side' card input and output, for use when desk space is very limited and you need to squeeze your card printer in to your precious work area!  With other features such as mag encoding, contact/contactless chip encoding, HID iClass encoding and HID proximity card reading, the Fargo DTC4000 is the all round card printing tool.

The DTC4500 is the professional level ID card printer from Fargo and will do nearly everything that you can think of when it comes to card printing. It will print single and dual-side cards, encode contact and contactless chip cards, magnetic stripe cards, HID iClass cards and proximity cards.  On top of this, there is an optional laminator to allow you to put an overlaminate the card. The overlaminate can be either  clear Polyguard or with a Fargo designed hologram for card security.  For extra security that eliminates card copying, you can use your own custom designed hologram overlaminate with the DTC4500.  It also has a 200 card input hopper, meaning you can carry two types of card stock or simply load up 200 cards of your regular card stock.

Both the Fargo DTC4000 and DTC4500 have dual USB and Ethernet ports as standard, perfect for networking, and to make life even easier when networking, the printers have DHCP for quick network set up.

The Fargo printer ribbons are now on a simple to load cartridge that includes a built-in cleaning roller.

The Fargo Neo range seems to have proven that with HID Global, Fargo printers are better than ever.

Fargo DTC card printers: Going from strength to strength

The range of ID card printers available is still a vast one, from single-card feed printers to desktop printers with 200-plus input hoppers, plus with most manufacturers you can now have optional smartcard encoders and readers including both Mifare/DESfire (also known as contactless) and contact smart chip encoders. It doesn't end there of course, you can read and encode proximity cards, including the HID Global iClass cards.

The Fargo DTC1000 card printer is now one of the most widely used printers for those organisations that require an entry level printer for low volume card issuance.  The DTC1000 has a small footprint, making it ideal for small areas or for desktops where space is narrow. It sits unobtrusively and at the same size as a shoebox, its almost hard to believe this is a card printer of the latest technology.  It uses the simple to use pre-loaded ribbon cartridges that have a built-in cleaning roller and the comprehensive print driver will tell you when the ribbon is running low and which ribbon to use as a replacement, making the operators job quick and easy.

The Fargo DTC4000 card printer is aimed at those organisations that require a little more flexibility, and with an optional Ethernet port and the ability to field-upgrade to magnetic stripe and smartcard encoding, proximity and iClass reading.  It has the popular USB connection as standard and runs with Windows XP, Vista and 7 drivers for complete PC compatibility.  Another great feature is the option to have same side card entry and exit hoppers, so if your space is limited the Fargo DTC4000 will still be the perfect medium level card printer. Again, the pre-loaded ribbon cartridge has the built-in cleaning roller for quick, clean and simple ribbon changes. All in all, the Fargo DTC4000 is ideal for use where flexibility is the key.

The Fargo DTC4500 ID card printer is part of the Professional series and is a more feature packed version of the DTC4000. With both USB and Ethernet ports as standard, the DTC4500 is designed for high volume use and for easy integration across a network. The DTC4500 also has the option of both single side and dual side laminators, plus the now standard encoding options of magnetic stripe, smartcard and proximity card reading and encoding. We find that the ideal users for the Fargo DTC4500 printer are large organisations, such Universities, Colleges and larger corporate, plus government schemes such as travel passes and mass ID cards. The Fargo DTC4500 really is the all-encompassing printer for high volume printing.

All of the Fargo ID card printers now have 24 months parts and printhead warranty, plus the Fargo HDP5000 re-transfer has a lifetime printhead warranty. The premier UK partner for HID Global is Bannerbridge Plc, and they give free lifetime technical support on all Fargo ID card printers supplied by them, using their own Fargo-trained engineers who have a combined Fargo printer knowledge of over 50 years.

Latest Fargo DTC1000, 4000 and 4500 card printer news

The Fargo DTC1000, 4000 and 4500 range of card printers, also known as the Neo series, are now firmly established as the premier brand of direct-to-card desktop card printers. The roll-out continues, with many existing Fargo card printer customers swapping out their previous Fargo card printer for a new Fargo DTC printer, and thanks to a recent successful Trade In Trade Up programme, users of both Fargo card printers and other manufacturers were able to take advantage of great deals when trading in their older card printer.

Fargo DTC1000

The Fargo DTC1000 is the perfect entry-level colour ID card printer, available from just £695.00, with a 24 second print speed and a small footprint.


The Fargo DTC4000 is a mid-range printer, with field upgrade options that include a dual-side print module, magnetic stripe encoding, smart chip, HID iClass and contactless chip encoding and reading.

Fargo DTC4500

The Fargo DTC4500 is the leading printer in the range, available aas single or dual side and if you are looking to use a card printer on a network, then this printer is perfect as it comes with both Ethernet and USB ports as standard.  The DTC4500 has all of the same field upgrade options as the DTC4000, plus you can add both single and dual side lamination modules to give your printed cards extra security and durability.

It's worth knowing that with the lamination modules on the Fargo DTC4500 and the class leading re-transfer printer, the HDP5000, you can have your own custom hologram put on to your ID card, meaning ultra secure, unique holograms that cannot be copied, scanned or duplicated, giving peace of mind and the best possible security against would-be fake ID cards.


For companies wanting to offer a bureau service, the Fargo DTC4500 and HDP5000 are the ID card printers to use, with both offering flexibility and print quality that is hard to beat.


When coupled with AsureID badge software, these Fargo ID card printers become class leading tools for ID card issuance.

Fargo DTC4500 card printer: In the field and working well!

It's now been a couple of months since the new Neo range of Fargo DTC card printers were unleashed in to the world and from what we gather, the feedback has been better than could have been hoped for.

After speaking to an event company that travels the world with their Fargo DTC4500 printers, attending three shows in three countries in the past month alone, we can report that the new printers are holding their own and keeping up the great Fargo reputation.  The event company have been happy with their existing Fargo Persona C30 and C30e card printers, but needed more printers and the ability to network.  Being the on-site host for shows and exhibitions, speed is also crucial as many visitors arrive without badges and there are always visitors who arrive on the day without pre-registration. The event company has several laptops on a network, all printing to the DTC4500 printers, via the standard Ethernet port on these machines.  After their first exhibition using the DTC4500 card printers, they were very happy with the machines and said they worked better than expected.  The main areas that pleased them were the speed of printing, the standard 200-card input hopper and the 3000 image black resin ribbon and of course the dual Ethernet and USB connectivity.

With their small footprint and lightweight chassis, the Fargo DTC1000, 4000 and 4500 printers are suitable for any location.  Small enough to be portable and tough enough to stand the rigours of travel, they prove ideal for exhibitions and events.  Plus, when speed is critical the Ethernet network allows several users to send print jobs to the one printer easily as the DTC4500 has it's own IP address for simple and fast network connection.

When used in conjunction with ID badge software such as AsureID Express 2009, the Fargo ID card printers give seamless badge issuance.

The Fargo Neo range are now installed in institutions across the globe, from education to corporate, and are gaining a reputation as the best desktop ID card printers on the market.

The Challenge
Action Ambulance Services provides 24-hour emergency and non-emergency medical services to
the people of Eastern Massachusetts from 13 different locations. The identification cards worn
by emergency personnel face challenging conditions, not only from temperature extremes and
inclement weather, but also from bodily fluids, including blood, of patients being treated.
Twelve years ago, the organization began using ID cards for employee identification, but its printer
was not able to laminate the cards, nor was it fast enough to keep up with the growing business.
Mike Woronka, now Chief Executive Officer of Action Ambulance Services, was responsible for
bringing the first ID card printer to the organization. He realized it was time for an upgrade of both
the hardware and the software.
“The environment in which our staff is working makes lamination a necessity,” he said. “Because
I had dealt with the previous printer, I had enough background and technical knowledge to be
involved in the selection of a new printer.”
In addition to printing its own ID cards, Action Ambulance Services also prints photo ID cards
for other government entities involved in collaborative efforts with the organization. “After 9/11,
security became a gigantic issue,” Woronka said. “We work hand-in-hand with agencies north of
Boston, including the military, Coast Guard, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Secret Service, local government agencies and the Massachusetts state police. We
issue ID cards to their representatives to give them access in and out of our Emergency Operation
Center at events such as the 2004 Democratic National Convention held in Boston.”
In addition, Action Ambulance Services uses its ID cards as a means of marketing itself to the
community. “We are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services, and
we are involved with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program,” said Woronka. “We want
people to know this.” The cards also carry the organization’s key strategic objectives, as well as
phone numbers to hospitals so emergency personnel can talk with physicians en route, if necessary.
Woronka’s challenge was to find a printer that provided lamination, high quality printing and
quick turnaround. He also wanted a printer that could run off of the company’s existing computer
network. A further requirement was an intuitive user interface that encouraged swift adoption by
the ambulance drivers.

Solution Found
An Internet search put Woronka in touch with the FARGO HDP5000 Card Printer/
Encoder. “Mike was looking for a laminating printer with dual-sided printing capabilities,”. “He also wanted a printer that could grow with Action Ambulance Services’ needs, perhaps including RFID and proximity cards some day.”
“RFID is where we are heading, but not right now,” said Woronka. “With the HDP5000, we can add
that feature some day. That was a key factor for us. The printer’s modular design enables easy
upgrades to card encoding technologies when Action Ambulance Services is ready.”
Customer case study
Top Reasons Why Action Ambulance Services Chose FARGO® Printers
For This Project
• Lamination capabilities for greater card durability
• Fast speed for quick turnaround
• Easy set up and use; plug and play capabilities
• Outstanding print quality and detail for optimum images

“Another important feature was the quality and detail of the printing,” he added. “The HDP5000
was outstanding compared to our previous printer.” Action Ambulance Services originally had
2,500 names in its database. Now, it prints about 5,000 cards every year. “This isn’t real high
volume,” said Woronka. “We are never ‘oh my goodness’ crazy, so one printer can easily handle
the quantity.”
Woronka also liked the plug-and-play capabilities of the HDP5000. “If the printer had been too
technical for us, that might have presented an obstacle,” he said. “As it is, we realize we can
grow into its capabilities easily.” The cards are being printed by the organization’s Graphic Arts
Department located in central operations.

Results
Action Ambulance Services now laminates its cards to protect them from external elements, as
well as from conditions unique to the job of emergency personnel. “With the HDP5000, we are
able to process photo ID cards more quickly than in the past,” added Woronka. “The turnaround
time has decreased significantly, and we can recreate lost ID cards faster. Internal customer
satisfaction has increased as a result.”
Woronka’s background helped him choose the right ID card printer for his applications. “I knew what I
was getting into,” he said. “The biggest project was converting our old database. The printer
was able to tie into our old database just fine. After that, it was just plug and play.”

Australian school photo business uses Fargo® printers for variety of ID card products

The Challenge
School administrators have a variety of needs when it comes to their ID card programs. For some,
simple security is the most important function and they use ID cards for visual identification of
students, staff and visitors. Others need more sophisticated support, including access to dorms,
facilities and equipment. Still others use photo ID Card Printers systems to automate and combine several
school operations, giving students the ability to check out library books or equipment, gain access
to student activities, use school computers or simplify registration. Schools that provide ID cards
with debit functions also enable students to use their photo ID cards for vending machine, laundry
and cafeteria payments.
Academy Photography, which was the first Australian school photo business to go completely
digital, has been in business since 1988, providing educational institutions with student and
faculty ID cards, in addition to school photos, for more than 15 years. Today, it provides ID cards
for more than 200 schools.
Tracking student movements in and out of school is the most important function requested by
customers of Academy Photography. “ID cards enable schools to analyze usage and improve
efficiency, as well as keep track of students for better education outcomes,” said Noel Cordell,
Card Bureau Manager. This helps to reduce truancy. Schools also use ID cards to pay for
concession fares on public transport, to pay for photocopies, to borrow books and to verify arrival
at school.

Solution Found
Academy Photography provides a card bureau, a small office with three work stations and a
dedicated staff who operate three Fargo Persona® card printers and one Fargo DTC1000 High
Definition Card Printer/Encoder. The DTC1000 features reverse image technology in which the
printer prints images directly onto special film that is then fused onto the surface of a blank card
through heat and pressure.
Cordell was instrumental in selecting the current Fargo equipment, although Academy had been
using Fargo printers for years, long before his arrival in 2005. “The features most important to us
were high quality prints, low waste and fast printing,” he said. “The DTC1000 also offers us the
ability to print and encode smart cards in the future.”
While most of Academy’s clients currently use either barcodes or magnetic stripe technology,
the company chose the Fargo DTC1000 to be ready for future requests. Fargo developed High Definition
Printing to go hand in hand with the growth of technology-rich smart cards. Often, the embedded
electronics in these high-security cards cause irregularities on the card’s surface, making them
difficult to print. Because the printhead of the DTC1000 does not print directly onto the card
surface, image quality is unaffected by a card’s surface irregularities.
ID cards not only provide convenience and security for students and faculty, but they also save
time for office staff who input attendance details and process roll calls. Academy provides
images formatted on a CD ROM as well as in hard copy reports for school records. These reports
provide information in instant real-time, and they are tailored to each school’s desired manner of
capturing and reporting attendance.

Academy Photography
Top Reasons Why Academy Photography Chose Fargo Printers
• High quality cards in keeping with Academy’s image
• Low waste to save money
• Speed of printing to meet customer requirements
• Ability to print and encode smart cards in future applications

Results
Academy Photography provides a variety of options for its clients. “Sometimes the school buys
the cards, sometimes the students do, and other times we provide them for free,” said Cordell.
Free ID cards? “We provide ID cards free to many schools as a value addition to our primary
product, school photos,” he added. Often, Academy’s student and faculty photos can be used for
the cards, thus requiring only one photo session and saving the school resources. Because cards
are produced in Academy’s printing laboratory, schools receive replacement cards quickly and
economically.
“ID cards allow users the convenience of remote identity verification,” said Cordell. Student and
faculty enjoy the benefits of ID cards produced by Academy.

Fargo ID card printers - the latest

The much anticipated Fargo DTC1000, 4000 & 4500 card printers are now shipping in the UK from the authorised distributors, as of mid-September.

We have examined, pulled apart and rigourously tested the range and so far so good.  All of the new printers have a professional matt black chassis and a very tactile touch.  With an LCD screen as standard you can see the status of the print job live and one of the best features is the Swift ID embedded software as standard, allowing you to get up and running straight away!

The new Fargo ID card printers seem to have the jump on rivals, as they now have inline printing and encoding through a single USB or Ethernet option, no need for two ports and two lots of cable running around your desk and the DTC4500 has Ethernet and USB ports as a standard feature.

With these latest Fargo ID card printers, you can field-upgrade to magnetic stripe encoding on all models, and the DTC4000 and 4500 can be field-upgraded to contact smart encoding, Mifare (contactless) smart encoding, the 125kHz HID prox reader and the 13.56 MHz HID iClass encoder.

The new DTC4500 can have the optional laminator which will then allow you to add a custom hologram to your ID card for extra visual security and a professional finish.

In summary, the Fargo DTC1000 is the new entry-level printer for low volume applications, the DTC4000 will be ideal where versatility is essential and the DTC4500 is the workhorse of the new Neo range, perfect for large organisations where it's needed to run all day every day.

Fargo DTC1000, DTC4000 and DTC4500 seem to set a new standard and it will be very interesting to see how their rivals shape up!