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.