HID FARGO DTC4500e Dual-Sided ID Card Printer with Dual-Side Lamination and Locking Hoppers

The HID FARGO DTC4500e is a high-volume direct-to-card ID printer built for organizations that issue cards every day - medium-to-large businesses, schools, healthcare systems, and government card offices. This configuration, part number 055520 (also listed as 55520), is the dual-sided model with a dual-side simultaneous lamination module and key-locking card hoppers and consumables access. USB 2.0, Ethernet with an internal print server, and a 200-card dual input hopper are standard on every unit. It prints at 300 dpi, combining dye-sublimation color with resin thermal transfer for sharp text and scannable barcodes. A full-color card takes about 16 seconds, a dual-sided color card about 24, and a monochrome card about 6 - roughly 225 full-color cards per hour. High-yield ECO refill ribbons (700 full-color prints) mean the DTC4500e runs about twice as long between ribbon changes as comparable printers, and the cleaning roller is built into the ribbon cartridge, so it is replaced automatically with every ribbon change. The SmartScreen graphical display walks users through setup, loading, and status. Security comes standard: AES-256 encryption protects card data in transit, resin scramble renders used ribbon panels unreadable, password protection locks down printer access, and fluorescent (YMCFKO) panel printing adds a covert UV security layer. This configuration adds physical key locks on the card hoppers and consumables compartment, keeping blank stock and ribbons secured - a common requirement in government and campus card offices. The lamination module bonds a durable PolyGuard or thermal transfer overlaminate to both sides at once of the finished card, extending card life and making tampering visually obvious. HID recommends 30-40 mil composite cards in the lamination module. HID backs the DTC4500e with a three-year printer and printhead warranty, with unlimited printhead coverage on HID UltraCard stock.