ID Badge and Card Printing

With direct-to-card (DTC) printing technology, images and text are printed directly onto the card surface, making it ideal for standard ID badges and cards that use minimal or no embedded electronics. With retransfer (also referred to as reverse transfer) printing technology, images and text are first printed onto a clear film which is then fused to the card, making it ideal for applications that include embedded technology such as smart chips or antennae. Because images and text are printed onto high definition film instead of directly to the card, the often uneven surface of technology cards won’t compromise image quality. HID’s retransfer printing method is referred to as HDP^® (High Definition Printing).

Yes. The total print area of the finished card is slightly smaller with DTC printing than with retransfer printing if pre-printed cards are not used. DTC printing provides what is referred to as “edge-to-edge” coverage where images and text can be printed just up to the edges of the card. Because there is a slight margin between the card’s edge and the print ribbon, finished cards usually have a slight (but barely visible) blank/white border at the outer edges.

Conversely, retransfer printers print over the entire card’s surface. This is known as “over-the-edge” coverage. With retransfer/HDP printing, there is no white border at the outer edges of finished cards because this method provides complete card coverage. 

Yes. Barring any additional visual security features and/or overlaminates, retransfer/HDP-printed cards are considered inherently more durable than DTC-printed cards because the retransfer film or HDP film (also known as InTM film) that is applied during the printing process acts as a natural, durable barrier between text/images and the outside world. Cards produced by retransfer/ HDP printing are also considered more secure than other types of cards because they are inherently tamper-evident — if a counterfeiter tries to peel apart the layers (peel the printed film from the card’s surface), the image essentially destroys itself, rendering the card unusable. 

HID offers both DTC and HDP/retransfer printers to meet a variety of security requirements and aesthetic needs.

Our cloud-based ID card issuance platform, HID FARGO Connect, employs a multi-layered security approach that helps safeguard deployment in distributed environments across both trusted and untrusted networks. Built-in security technologies transform your FARGO card printers into trusted end points within the IoTT (Internet of Trusted Things). HID FARGO printers now become smart, secure, web-enabled devices capable of leveraging all the functionality of the FARGO Connect platform — and rigid security standards ensure data transfers are always encrypted using banking-level, certificate-based encryption protocols. Designed with FERPA, GDPR and HIPAA regulations in mind, the system only allows transient, non-persistent personally identifiable information (PII). As soon as the card is printed, the data disappears. To learn more, we invite you to read our white paper on HID FARGO Connect security.

Our printers can produce a wide range of credentials including employee badges, student IDs, membership and loyalty cards, transit and parking passes, government-issued IDs such as driver’s licenses and more. Optional contact and/or contactless card encoding can be employed to integrate with a variety of applications including physical access/entry, cashless vending, time and attendance, and/or logical access to computers/networks. HID FARGO printers also support various card materials and the application of overt, covert and even forensic security elements via holographic overlaminates, holographic foil cards and/or fluorescent printing for enhanced credential protection.

Genuine HID FARGO consumables are specifically engineered to work with HID FARGO printers, ensuring optimal print quality, image durability and printer reliability. They also utilize RFID technology to accurately communicate critical information to the printer operator such as confirmation that the correct type of ribbon or film is installed. This same technology enables the printer driver to auto-configure print settings based on the materials loaded into the printer — helping eliminate registration issues and ensuring your cards and IDs print as expected.

As an added bonus, genuine HID FARGO consumables also transmit material status — warning operators when supplies are running low and in need of replenishment. This aids operators in being able to plan ahead and ensure productivity remains high — avoiding unexpected periods of downtime.

Moreover, because genuine HID FARGO consumables are manufactured with high-quality materials, they help protect the inner mechanics of your card printer, maximizing printhead life and printer/encoder reliability.