Card, mobile credential, payment and security
HID increases security, reliability, and field upgradable options for its direct-to-card line
The FARGO DTC line of ID card printers from HID is getting some major enhancements. The DTC1250e, DTC4500e and DTC1500 models produce secure IDs faster and with less IT support.
Organizations that rely on high-quality cards – from higher ed and healthcare to government, corporate, and more – widely use the FARGO DTC line. The latest enhancements further increase speed, security, and ease of use.
Speed and reliability are key to high-volume credential issuance. Newer, faster hardware and electronics enable the machines to print more cards in less time with fewer interruptions. High-capacity ribbons reduce the frequency of ribbon reloads thus reducing lost time.
The DTC1500 and DTC4500e offer a built-in, customizable watermark overlay at no additional cost.
For most organizations, print quality is as much or more important than issuance speed. The DTC line supports 300 x 600 dpi resolution, and now include an enhanced color profile, and adjustable K-panel printing.
The full DTC line offers enhanced AES-256-GCM encryption. They also include “resin scramble data protection.” This is a security feature that obfuscates text printed on the ribbon’s black resin panel. Normally the black panel contains a reverse image of the data printed on the card, which is a security risk if the used ribbon is stolen.
Additionally, the DTC1500 and DTC4500e offer a built-in, customizable watermark overlay at no additional cost.
An integrated diagnostic utility built directly into the printer driver allows common issues can be fixed without a support call. This keeps operator maintenance low.
The DTC line offers field-upgradable dual-side printing and encoding options so organizations can start small and add capabilities in the future.
As needs grow, issuance systems need to be able scale without requiring new hardware. The DTC line offers field-upgradable dual-side printing and encoding options so organizations can start small and add capabilities in the future.
The DTC1500 and DTC4500e are compatible with FARGO Connect, HID's cloud-based card printing and printer management platform. FARGO Connect provides issuance flexibility and multi-location enrollment and printing.
HID says the enhanced DTC models will be available in Q4 2026.
