MSRP: $4,113.20
$2,879.23Part #052000
Overview
Professional credentials, printed at your desk
The HID FARGO DTC4250e is a direct-to-card ID card printer built for medium-sized businesses, schools, healthcare facilities, and local governments that need professional, secure ID issuance without complexity. This configuration, part number 052000 (also listed as 52000), is the single-sided model. USB 2.0, Ethernet, and an internal print server are all standard.
It prints at 300 dpi, combining dye-sublimation color with resin thermal transfer for sharp black text and barcodes. A full-color card takes about 16 seconds, a dual-sided color card about 24, and a monochrome card about 6. The SmartScreen graphical display walks users through setup, consumables loading, and status messages, and the cleaning roller is built into every ribbon cartridge, so it is replaced automatically with each ribbon change.
Security comes standard on every unit: AES-256 encryption protects card data in transit, resin scramble renders used ribbon panels unreadable, and user-defined passwords lock down printer access. The DTC4250e also supports eco-friendly rewritable cards, ideal for temporary credentials like visitor and contractor badges. Its modular design means the printer scales with your card program, and HID backs it with a three-year printer and printhead warranty.
Reference
Consumables
A complete list of compatible consumables for the HID FARGO DTC4250e. Click any part number for details.
| Part Number | Description and Yield |
|---|---|
| 045140 | HID FARGO YMCKO Color Ribbon, 300 Prints |
| 045143 | HID FARGO YMCKO Half-Panel Ribbon, 350 Prints |
| 045100 | HID FARGO YMCKO Color Ribbon, 250 PrintsDiscontinued – limited stock |
| 045114 | HID FARGO YMCKO Half-Panel Ribbon, 350 PrintsDiscontinued – limited stock |
| 045101 | HID FARGO Premium Black Ribbon, 1,000 Prints |
| 045102 | HID FARGO Black Ribbon Refill, 1,000 Prints |
| 0045111 | HID FARGO Premium KO Ribbon, 500 Prints |
| 045106 | HID FARGO White Ribbon, 1,000 Prints |
| 045130 | HID FARGO Gold Metallic Ribbon, 450 Prints |
| Part Number | Description |
|---|---|
| SPID-9630 | Specialist ID Blank White PVC Cards, CR-80 30mil |
| SPID-9790-WHITE | Specialist ID HiCo Mag Stripe PVC Cards, CR-80 30mil |
| 081754 | HID FARGO UltraCard PVC, CR-80 30mil (500) |
| 082266 | HID FARGO UltraCard CR-80 Paper-Adhesive (500) |
| 082267 | HID FARGO UltraCard CR-80 Mylar-Adhesive (500) |
| 081759 | HID FARGO UltraCard CR-79 Paper-Adhesive (500) |
| 081758 | HID FARGO UltraCard CR-80 10mil PVC (1,000) |
| 081751 | HID FARGO UltraCard CR-80 HiCo Mag Stripe (500) |
| 081750 | HID FARGO UltraCard CR-80 LoCo Mag Stripe (500) |
| 082136 | HID FARGO UltraCard Premium Composite (500) |
| 082137 | HID FARGO UltraCard Composite HiCo Mag (500) |
| 082279 | HID FARGO UltraCard CR-79 Mylar-Adhesive (500) |
The detail
Technical Specifications
- Print method
- Dye sublimation / resin thermal transfer
- Resolution
- 300 dpi (11.8 dots/mm) continuous tone
- Colors
- Up to 16.7 million / 256 shades per pixel
- Print speed
- 16 sec/card full-color (YMCKO); 24 sec/card dual-sided (YMCKOK); 8 sec/card (KO); 6 sec/card monochrome (K)
- Printing capability
- Single-sided printing
- Ribbon options
- YMCKO 300 prints; YMCKO half-panel 350 prints; resin black (K) 1,000 prints; premium KO 500 prints; resin white 1,000 prints; gold metallic 450 prints
- Display
- SmartScreen graphical display
- Accepted card sizes
- CR-80; CR-79 adhesive back
- Print area
- CR-80 edge-to-edge
- Accepted card thickness
- 9-40 mil
- Accepted card types
- PVC or polyester with polished PVC finish; 100% polyester (monochrome resin); rewritable cards
- Input hopper
- 100 cards (30 mil)
- Output hopper
- Up to 30 cards (30 mil)
- Card cleaning
- Cleaning roller integrated into ribbon cartridge; replaced with each ribbon change
- Memory
- 32 MB RAM
- Connectivity
- USB 2.0; Ethernet with internal print server
- Security
- Password protection; AES-256 encryption; resin scramble data protection
- Software
- FARGO Workbench diagnostic utility with Color Assist spot-color matching
- Software drivers
- Windows 7 / 10 / 11 / Server 2012 / 2016 / 2019 / 2022; macOS; Linux
- Operating temperature
- 65 to 80 F (18 to 27 C)
- Humidity
- 20-80% non-condensing
- Dimensions
- 9.8 in H x 18.1 in W x 9.2 in D
- Weight
- 9 lbs
- Supply voltage
- 100-240 VAC, 50-60 Hz
- Warranty
- 3-year printer and printhead (unlimited passes with UltraCard)
Stock up
Compatible Supplies
Genuine HID Fargo ribbons and supplies matched to the DTC4250e.
HID Fargo 45140 YMCKO Ribbon for the DTC4250e, 300 Prints
#045140
Regular price
$137.34
Sale price
$94.95
HID Fargo 45143 YMCKO Half Panel Ribbon for the DTC4250e, 350 Prints
#045143
Regular price
$107.10
Sale price
$79.00
HID Fargo 45100 YMCKO Full-Color Ribbon for the DTC4250e and DTC4000 ID Card Printers 250 Prints
#045100
Regular price
$127.05
Sale price
$84.70
HID Fargo 45114 YMCKO Half-Panel Color Ribbon for the DTC4250e and DTC4000 ID Card Printers 350 Prints
#045114
Regular price
$117.60
Sale price
$78.41
Sold out
HID Fargo 45101 Premium Monochrome Black Ribbon for the C50, DTC1000, DTC1000Me, DTC1250e, DTC4000, and DTC4250e ID Card Printers 1000 Prints
#045101
Regular price
$64.05
Sale price
$42.70
HID Fargo 45102 Monochrome Black Ribbon Refill for the C50, DTC1000, DTC1000Me, DTC1250e, DTC4000, and DTC4250e ID Card Printers 1000 Prints
#045102
Regular price
$37.01
Sale price
$24.67
HID Fargo 45111 Premium KO Cartridge for the C50, DTC1000, DTC1000Me, DTC1250e, DTC4000, and DTC4250e ID Card Printers 500 Prints
#0045111
Regular price
$152.25
Sale price
$101.50
HID Fargo 45106 Monochrome White Ribbon for the C50, DTC1000, DTC1000Me, DTC1250e, DTC4000, and DTC4250e ID Card Printers 1000 Prints
#045106
Regular price
$68.25
Sale price
$45.50
HID Fargo 45130 Metallic Gold Ribbon for the C50, DTC1000, DTC1000Me, DTC1250e, DTC4000, and DTC4250e ID Card Printers 450 Prints
#045130
Regular price
$70.35
Sale price
$46.90
Blank White PVC Cards for ID Badge Printers - CR80 30 Mil (SPID-9630) Color Options
#SPID-9630
Regular price
From $15.99
Regular price
Sale price
From $15.99
Standard CR80 30mil Cards w/ HiCo Mag Stripe
#SPID-9790-WHITE
Regular price
From $19.99
Regular price
Sale price
From $19.99
HID FARGO 81754 UltraCard PVC Cards - 500 Pack, CR80 30 Mil
#081754
Regular price
$83.00
Sale price
$64.00
FARGO 82266 CR-80, 10mil Blank White PVC Cards with Paper Adhesive Back
#082266
Regular price
$214.00
Sale price
$184.99
FARGO 82267 CR-80, 10mil Blank White PVC Cards with 14mil Mylar Adhesive Back
#082267
Regular price
$391.00
Sale price
$299.00
HID FARGO 081759 UltraCard CR-79 10 mil PVC Cards with Paper Adhesive Back, 500 Pack
#081759
Regular price
$214.00
Sale price
$176.99
HID FARGO 81758 UltraCard CR80 10 mil PVC Cards, 1000 Pack
#081758
Regular price
$151.25
Sale price
$141.17
HID FARGO 81751 UltraCard CR80 30 mil PVC Cards with High-Coercivity Magnetic Stripe, 500 Pack
#081751
Regular price
$155.00
Sale price
$144.67
HID FARGO 81750 UltraCard CR80 30 mil PVC Cards with Low-Coercivity Magnetic Stripe, 500 Pack
#081750
Regular price
$131.25
Sale price
$122.50
HID FARGO 82136 UltraCard Premium Composite Cards - 500 Per Box, 30 mil, CR80
#082136
Regular price
$190.00
Sale price
$169.00
HID FARGO 82137 UltraCard Premium Composite Cards with High-Coercivity Magnetic Stripe, 500 Pack
#082137
Regular price
$227.00
Sale price
$208.08
HID FARGO 82279 UltraCard CR-79 10 mil PVC Cards with Mylar Adhesive Back, 500 Pack
#082279
Regular price
$391.00
Sale price
$364.93
Downloads
Documents & Resources
Documents
Questions & answers
Frequently asked questions
Can the DTC4250e print on both sides of a card?
Yes. It comes in single-sided and dual-sided versions, and the dual-sided models print the front and back automatically. Use the selector above to choose your configuration.
What is the difference between the DTC4250e and the DTC1500?
They print at the same 300 dpi resolution and speed, but they target different needs. The DTC4250e adds a SmartScreen graphical display, an optional same-side input/output hopper for tight workspaces, a dual-input hopper option, and a macOS driver. The DTC1500 counters with a built-in custom watermark security feature, an optional lamination module, and higher-yield 700-print color ribbons. If you need Mac support or a compact footprint, choose the DTC4250e; if you need lamination or watermark security, look at the DTC1500.
What ribbon does the DTC4250e use, and how many cards does a ribbon print?
It uses HID FARGO EZ ribbon cartridges with a built-in cleaning roller that is replaced with every ribbon change. The current full-color YMCKO ribbon (045140) prints 300 cards, the dual-sided YMCKOK (045141) 250, the half-panel YMCKO (045143) 350, resin black 1,000, premium KO 500, white 1,000, and gold metallic 450. Every compatible ribbon is listed above. Note that HID has transitioned the color ribbons to a new generation: 045140, 045141, and 045143 replace the discontinued 045100, 045110, and 045114.
Do I need to update my printer for the new-generation color ribbons?
Yes. HID's new-generation DTC ribbons (045140, 045141, 045143) require printer firmware 3.7.0.8 or newer, driver 5.6.0.8 or newer, and the updated color profile loaded through Printer Properties. Both are free downloads in the Drivers section higher up on this page. Skipping the update can cause color drift, so update once and the new ribbons run exactly like the old ones.
What size and type of cards does it use?
It prints on standard CR-80 cards (credit-card size) and CR-79 adhesive-back cards, 9 to 40 mil thick, in PVC or polyester with a polished PVC finish. Monochrome resin is required for 100% polyester cards, and it also supports eco-friendly rewritable cards for reusable visitor and contractor badges.
How fast is it?
It prints a monochrome card in about 6 seconds, a full-color card in about 16 seconds, and a dual-sided color card in about 24 seconds — roughly 225 full-color single-sided cards per hour.
Can it encode magnetic stripe or smart cards?
Yes, depending on the configuration you select above. Options include an ISO magnetic stripe encoder (tracks 1, 2, and 3), an OMNIKEY 5122 encoder for iCLASS, MIFARE, and DESFire contactless credentials with an optional contact smart card slot, and an OMNIKEY 5127 encoder that adds 125 kHz HID Prox support on top of the 13.56 MHz contactless technologies. Encoding happens inline as the card prints.
What is the same-side input/output hopper?
On the same-side configurations (select "Same-side in/out" above), blank cards load and finished cards exit on the same side of the printer — 100 cards in, up to 100 out, plus a 100-card reject bin. That lets the printer sit flush against a wall or work in very tight spaces.
Can I connect it to my network?
Yes. Ethernet with an internal print server comes standard on every DTC4250e configuration, alongside USB 2.0, so multiple workstations can share the printer for centralized or distributed card issuance.
Is the DTC4250e compatible with Mac?
Yes. HID provides a macOS driver for the DTC4250e in addition to Windows (7, 10, and 11, plus Server 2012 through 2022) and Linux drivers. Current versions are in the Drivers section higher up on this page.
What warranty does it include, and is Specialist ID an authorized dealer?
The DTC4250e carries a three-year warranty on the printer and printhead, with unlimited printhead card passes when you use HID UltraCard stock. Specialist ID is an authorized HID FARGO reseller, so your printer, supplies, and warranty are backed by HID.
Complete your setup
Add the consumables you'll need to start printing.
Optional upgrades
Add compatible accessories to your printer.