Fargo DTC1250e Supplies: Ribbons, Cards and Cleaning Kits That Fit

Choose Fargo DTC1250e ribbons, blank cards and cleaning supplies by exact part number, regional fit and the maker's update requirements.

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If you own a Fargo DTC1250e, order supplies by the full printer model and the manufacturer part number. Fargo lists 045030 for full-color printing and 045031 for color on the front with black printing on the back. Fargo also lists half-panel and monochrome ribbons, so the right replacement depends on your badge layout.

For blank cards, Fargo specifies CR80 or CR79 stock within its stated thickness and material limits. For cleaning, Fargo lists kit 086177 and recommends cleaning at every ribbon change. A kit sold by another brand needs a separate compatibility check, even when its number looks similar.

The guidance below follows Fargo’s 2026 DTC1250e consumables sheet, also available as a copy of the Fargo sheet. For each linked part, check the current price on Amazon. The Amazon listing descriptions below were checked on September 30, 2026. Match the listed part number before choosing another package or seller.

Compare the DTC1250e parts

Fargo lists the ribbon yields below as images, rather than a guaranteed number of finished badges. All Fargo rows come from its consumables sheet. The DuraClean row describes the Amazon listing’s claims, rather than a Fargo-approved substitute. Fargo also says part numbers may vary by region, so confirm regional suitability with your supplier before ordering.

Part number Type according to the named source Published yield or card specification What to check before ordering
045030 Fargo EZ YMCKO full-color cartridge with resin black and clear overlay Fargo lists 300 images Match your full-color badge layout and update requirements Buy 045030 on Amazon
045031 Fargo EZ YMCKOK full-color cartridge with two resin black panels and clear overlay Fargo lists 250 images Fargo describes color on the front and black text or barcodes on the back Buy 045031 on Amazon
045033 Fargo EZ half-panel YMCKO cartridge with resin black and clear overlay Fargo lists 350 images Color coverage is limited to a half-panel layout
045101 Fargo EZ premium resin black K cartridge Fargo lists 1,000 images Choose for black printing, not color photographs Buy 045101 on Amazon
045102 Fargo EZ standard resin black K cartridge Fargo lists 1,000 images Match the grade already specified for your job Buy 045102 on Amazon
045106 Fargo EZ white resin cartridge Fargo lists 1,000 images White printing is a separate choice from black or full color Buy 045106 on Amazon
045130 Fargo EZ gold metallic resin cartridge Fargo lists 450 images Match a design that calls for gold metallic printing Buy 045130 on Amazon
045111 Fargo EZ KO premium black cartridge with clear overlay Fargo lists 500 images Choose when your black-printing job calls for overlay Buy 045111 on Amazon
045117 Fargo ECO standard black K refill ribbon Fargo lists 1,000 images Requires the separately sold 044261 refillable cartridge
044261 Fargo ECO refillable cartridge only Fargo lists no ribbon yield for the empty cartridge The refill ribbon is sold separately
081754 Fargo UltraCard PVC Fargo lists CR80, 30 mil, 500 cards per box Plain card stock for a visual badge Buy 081754 on Amazon
082136 Fargo UltraCard premium composite Fargo lists CR80, 30 mil, 500 cards per box Match the material specified for your existing cards
081759 Fargo UltraCard with adhesive paper backing Fargo lists CR79, 10 mil, 500 cards per box Smaller adhesive card for an existing proximity card Buy 081759 on Amazon
086177 Fargo OEM cleaning kit Fargo lists four printhead swabs, 10 cleaning cards and three alcohol cleaning cards Amazon lists a Card Imaging Fargo 86177 two-pack Buy 086177 on Amazon
044260 Fargo cleaning rollers Fargo lists a three-pack Rollers are separate from the full cleaning kit
DC-86177 DuraClean aftermarket cleaning kit Amazon lists three long cards, 10 adhesive cards and four swabs Seller lists DTC1250e compatibility. It is not the Fargo OEM kit

Choose a ribbon for the badge you print

Full color or color with black on the back

Fargo lists 045030 as YMCKO with 300 images. In Fargo’s panel definitions, Y means yellow, M magenta, C cyan, K resin black and O overlay. Fargo describes the cartridge as full color with resin black and a clear overlay panel. Start with the part number when replacing the ribbon for your existing color layout.

Fargo lists 045031 as YMCKOK with 250 images. Fargo describes its intended use as full color on the front and black text or barcodes on the back. The second K is an additional resin black panel. Don’t choose the ribbon simply because its title includes “color”. Check whether your reverse side needs black printing or color printing before ordering.

The Amazon listing checked for the full-color ribbon names “45030” and says it replaces “45000”. Fargo writes the current part as 045030. The listing’s replacement statement is the seller’s claim. Keep the full model and current Fargo number in your order notes rather than searching only for the number on an old invoice.

The Amazon listings name 045030 and 045031 and each includes an AnythingID software demo card. A demo is not a permanent design-software license. Buy 045030 on Amazon. Buy 045031 on Amazon.

Half-panel color

Fargo lists 045033 as half-panel YMCKO with 350 images. Fargo describes the ribbon for limited personalization, including use with preprinted cards. A buyer who needs color only in a smaller part of a badge should check that the badge layout suits half-panel printing before choosing the higher published image count.

Don’t treat 350 images as proof that 045033 is a better replacement for every color job. Fargo distinguishes the half-panel cartridge from the full-color cartridge. If your current design uses color across the card, ask your supplier to confirm the correct ribbon rather than changing parts on yield alone.

Black, white and gold printing

Fargo lists 045101 premium black K and 045102 standard black K at 1,000 images each. Fargo identifies both for barcodes, text, serial numbers and bold graphics. The sheet does not establish a measured print-quality advantage between the grades, so there is no basis here to promise that one will improve your badges.

Fargo also lists 045111 KO at 500 images for premium black printing with a clear overlay. Fargo lists white resin cartridge 045106 at 1,000 images and gold metallic resin cartridge 045130 at 450 images. Match the required print color and overlay to your existing job. None is a replacement for a full-color photo ribbon merely because it fits the printer.

The Amazon listings identify 45101 as premium black and 45102 as black. Buy 045101 on Amazon. Buy 045102 on Amazon. The white listing names 45106 in its features, and the gold listing names 45130. Buy 045106 on Amazon. Buy 045130 on Amazon.

The Amazon 45111 listing is a bundle with a cleaning roller and 500 PVC cards, rather than a ribbon-only order. Buy 045111 on Amazon.

Refill ribbon or complete cartridge

Fargo lists 045117 as an ECO standard black K refill with 1,000 images. Fargo explicitly says ECO ribbons require the separately sold ECO refillable cartridge. Its number is 044261, and Fargo describes that item as the cartridge only, with the ribbon sold separately.

Check which cartridge system you already use before buying a refill. An order for 044261 alone does not include a ribbon according to Fargo’s sheet. An order for 045117 requires the matching refillable cartridge. Keep both numbers in your purchasing notes if your organization uses the ECO system.

Buy cards within Fargo’s size and thickness limits

Fargo specifies CR80 or CR79 cards, 9 to 40 mil thick, made from PVC or polyester with a polished PVC finish. Fargo’s product page identifies CR79 as the adhesive-back option. Check the size, thickness and printable material together. A listing that says only “plastic cards” gives you too little information to confirm fit.

Fargo lists 081754 as CR80 white PVC at 30 mil and 082136 as CR80 premium composite at 30 mil. Both are listed in boxes of 500. Fargo recommends its UltraCard stock for the DTC1250e. If you want to repeat an existing badge job, use the card specification from your previous successful order as well as the printer’s accepted range.

The Amazon card listings name 081754 and 081759. Use Fargo’s specifications above and below to distinguish the plain card from the adhesive card. Buy 081754 on Amazon. Buy 081759 on Amazon.

For adhesive badges, Fargo lists 081759 as CR79 at 10 mil with paper backing. Fargo describes the card as slightly smaller than CR80 and designed to fit within the edge of a proximity card. Fargo also lists CR79 Mylar-backed 082279 at 10 mil. Don’t substitute a plain CR80 card when the order is for an adhesive face applied to an existing credential.

Fargo’s sheet includes CR80 adhesive options 082266 with paper backing and 082267 with Mylar backing, both at 10 mil. Fargo also lists plain CR80 PVC 081758 at 10 mil. The matching thickness does not make the adhesive and plain products the same item. Check whether your order needs a separate card or an adhesive printable face.

An access credential needs more than the right printable size. Fargo identifies encoding as an optional printer feature. Its consumables sheet separately lists magnetic-stripe cards, including 30-mil PVC 081751 with a high-coercivity stripe and 081750 with a low-coercivity stripe. Confirm the credential and encoder your organization uses before replacing encoded stock with plain cards.

Cleaning kit and aftermarket option

Fargo identifies 086177 as the DTC1250e cleaning kit. In its cleaning-kit compatibility table, Fargo lists four printhead cleaning swabs, 10 cleaning cards and three alcohol cleaning cards. The Amazon Card Imaging listing names Fargo 86177 and describes a pack of two. The Fargo identity is the seller’s description, not independent confirmation of OEM origin. Buy 086177 on Amazon.

The DuraClean DC-86177 listing states compatibility with the DTC1250e and lists three long cleaning cards, 10 adhesive cleaning cards and four swabs. DuraClean is an aftermarket brand. Its seller calls the kit comparable to Fargo 86177, but that wording does not establish Fargo approval. Check the current price on Amazon.

Fargo recommends cleaning at each ribbon change. Follow the printer’s cleaning instructions for the appropriate card and swab procedure. Fargo lists 044260 cleaning rollers as a separate three-pack, so a roller order should not be mistaken for an order for the full kit. Fargo’s consumables sheet also states a warranty restriction on non-HID consumables where law permits. Confirm the terms that apply to your printer before choosing aftermarket supplies.

Update before using next-generation ribbons

HID’s DTC1250e Windows driver notice tells owners using next-generation ribbons to update the driver, firmware and color profile for best results. Follow HID’s linked instructions before changing to the newer ribbon generation. Updating the driver alone does not complete the three updates HID names.

Use downloads for the DTC1250e and check HID’s current instructions for your computer. Fargo describes Workbench as maintenance and diagnostic software. Your badge design program has a separate role, so opening Workbench is not a substitute for checking the printer updates or retaining the application you use to create badges.

Short FAQ

Can I order a DTC1500 ribbon instead?

Don’t substitute a ribbon based on the Fargo brand alone. Fargo’s DTC1250e consumables sheet identifies 045030 for its full-color cartridge. The Amazon DTC1500 ribbon listing identifies a different part, 045630. Use the full model and exact part number when ordering.

Some cleaning supplies cover several Fargo printers, according to Fargo’s cleaning compatibility table. Shared cleaning-kit compatibility does not establish shared ribbon compatibility.

Will a 300-image ribbon make 300 badges with color on both sides?

Fargo describes 045030 as yielding 300 images. Read that as an image count rather than an unconditional promise of 300 completed badges with color on both sides. Check how your front and back layouts use the ribbon before planning the order quantity.

Fargo describes 045031 separately for color on the front and black on the back, with 250 images. Choose the panel arrangement for your badge layout before comparing the published counts.

For a new setup, read How to Choose Your First ID Badge Printer: A Complete Setup Checklist. To compare replacement hardware, read ID Card Printers for Small Businesses: Compare Printers and Starter Kits.

For the front-and-back printing decision, read Single-Sided vs Dual-Sided ID Card Printers: When Is Automatic Duplex Worth It?.

For another printer you own, use Zebra ZC300 Supplies: Choose the Right Ribbon, Cards and Cleaning Kit or Badgy200 Supplies: Color Ribbons, Blank Cards and Cleaning Kits.