RFID Tag Printing & Encoding
Speed up deployment of your projects by receiving your RFID tags and labels pre-printed and encoded. atlasRFIDstore's in-house Service Bureau team will handle production and quality testing for your labels, tags, and even hard tags.
Need your RFID labels to meet certain specifications? We have plenty of experience conforming to any manner of standards including retail compliance, SGTIN, GTIN, and more.
Why Print RFID Tags?
Visual Identification
Companies can use printing to visually see the encoded number, to display a regulated logo, such as an EPC logo, or describe a product.
Secondary Form of Identification
Companies that use barcodes in other areas of their facility typically print the 1D or 2D barcode on an RFID tag for a secondary form of identification.
Marketing Purposes
While this is more common with NFC RFID tags, printing can be used to display a brand name or instructions - like "Tap to Learn More".
Why Encode RFID Tags?
Non-Unique EPC
RFID tags come from the manufacturer with an encoded number, however, that encoded number is not guaranteed to be unique. Some RFID tags are sold in a roll of 5,000 tags, with every single tag encoded with the exact same number - making unique identification, impossible.
Specific Encoding Format
Some applications need a specific encoding format or numbering system in order to use the tags correctly. For instance, Walmart suppliers must encode their RFID tags using the SGTIN-96 format so that all tags can be read, processed, and understood.
Learn More
Our Capabilities
Printing & Encoding
Inlays | Wet Inlays, Labels, NFC Tags
Cards | UHF RFID Cards, NFC Cards
Tags | Metal-Mount Tags, Foam-Backed Tags
Sample Orders
Additional Services
Hard Tags - Encoding & Label Printing
Re-rolling Services
Expediting Services
Unique Capabilities
Comprehensive proofing and data management process
No minimum order quantities for in-stock tags
Permalocking capabilities
Void removal and replacement capabilities
Able to source unique tags
Assistance with tag substitutions if needed
Variable printing capabilities
Examples of Printed & Encoded RFID Tags
Examples of Custom RFID Tags
How Custom Printing & Encoding Works
01
Choose an RFID Tag
Not all RFID tags can be printed and encoded. Choose a tag with an option at the top for printing and encoding services. Most of these can be found in the RFID Wet Inlays, RFID Labels, or Printable RFID Tags categories.
02
Select Printing & Encoding
After you've found the right RFID tag for you, select the checkbox underneath [Optional] Printing & Encoding on the product page. This will add a cost per tag to your selected quantity.
03
Complete Your Purchase
Complete your checkout on the website. Let us know if you have any issues. Your specific encoding and printing details are not required during purchase.
04
Submit Details To A Specialist
After you've completed your purchase, a specialist from our team will email you to discuss necessary details to start your print job. If you are unsure, we can help guide you through the process!
05
Tag Proof Approval
Once we've received your print details, we'll send you a proof for approval. When we have the thumbs up, we'll add the job to the queue.
06
Print & Ship
Once your order comes up in the queue, we will start on your custom printed and encoded RFID tags. Once complete, we will ship your tags out, ready for use!
If you have questions about the RFID tag printing and encoding process, feel free to contact us, and we'll help guide you through the process, or customize it for your specific needs!
Frequently Asked Questions
- Capabilities
- What To Expect
- Other Questions
What data will be encoded to my RFID tags?
If you purchase custom printing and encoding, the atlasRFIDstore team can encode up to 24 digits of hexadecimal characters in multiples of 4 or 8 characters depending on the tag to the EPC memory. For examples, the sequence could begin like this:
000000000000000000000001
That number will be augmented sequentially up to the number of tags that you purchased. So, if you purchased 5,000 tags, your sequence will begin and end like this:
000000000000000000000001 - 000000000000000000005000
This will result in each tag having a unique identifier that you can use in your RFID application.
If you have other specifications for the tag’s EPC memory that you would like to have encoded, we will be contacting you after you purchase your tags, and you'll have the opportunity to provide a spreadsheet of the data that you would like to have encoded. For example, if the EPC and the User Memory both require encoding, we will reach out to gather the specific data needed to encode your tags properly.
The atlasRFIDstore team is also capable of printing and encoding tags to meet standards set by GS1 for retail, DoD, and other RFID tag encoding standards.
What human readable data will be printed on the tags?
Typically, the human readable data that is printed on RFID tags includes:
- Numbers
- Barcodes with numbers
- Logos
- Names
- Descriptions
- Dates
If you have other specifications for the tag’s human readable portion, we will be reaching out to you after you purchase your tags. Please tell us about these requirements when we contact you.
What type of custom RFID tags can be created?
Custom RFID tags can be created with the smallest of customizations, all the way to larger, more detail custom elements. Below are some examples of customizations we typically see.
| Minimal Customization | Detailed Customization |
| Labels with added perforations | Custom form-factor tags |
| Custom-sized labels/inlays | Custom wristbands |
| Laser-engraved tags | Custom badges/cards |
Can I lock my tag’s EPC Data or encode different portions of the tag’s memory?
UHF Class 1 Gen 2 RFID tags frequently have different sections of memory to which data can be encoded. Our service bureau can work with you to:
- Password protect (lock or permanently lock) your tag’s EPC from changes
- Encode to different portions of memory on the tag including the tag’s EPC or User Memory sections
This may be associated with additional costs, but reach out to us if you have any questions about using different portions of your tag’s memory.
What does RFID tag printing and encoding cost?
Standard printing and encoding typically costs around $0.50 per tag, but this can fluctuate depending on the type of tag. For example, metal-mount RFID labels cost $1.50 on average per tag because they are more difficult to print and require special printers and settings.
What does a custom RFID tag typically cost?
In large quantities, custom RFID tags can be as low as $0.10 per tag or lower depending on the tag, however customized tags do increase in cost for lower quantities. More detailed customizations, such as custom wristbands, can be $2.50 per wristband in large quantities.
What's the typical lead time for printing and encoding RFID tags?
Lead time varies greatly depending on volume and the requested options, but on average, most printing and encoding takes about 2-3 weeks after proof review and approval. Expedited fulfillment is available upon request.
What's the typical lead time for creating custom RFID tags?
Custom tags typically take about 4-6 weeks on average, but can take longer depending on how extensive the customization and the length of the proof approval process.
Will all of my RFID tags be encoded?
If it is vital to your application that your tags be delivered in a complete and perfect EPC memory sequence, please let us know. Frequently, calibration issues create “skips” in the tag sequence that result in the sequence stretching over the number of tags that customers purchase.
For example, instead of a sequence from 1-5000, a sequence might run from 1-5005 because 5 tags were “skipped” in the printing process due to voided tags. We can ensure that a roll is perfectly sequential, but we need to know that this is important to your application before we begin the printing process. Most applications only require that tags have unique identifiers, so this does not cause end user issues.
What do the black dots mean on some of my RFID tags?
Most manufacturers have a stringent quality assurance process that checks each tag’s EPC memory. When a roll is found with a defective RFID tag, a black dot or marking is placed on the tag to let the end user know that they should not use that tag. Subsequently, an additional good RFID tag is added onto the end of the roll to ensure that you receive the full purchased quantity of tags.
When we print/encode RFID tags, our printer should automatically identify the defective RFID tags and print “VOID” on that tag. Furthermore, the sequence should continue unbroken. However, sometimes our printer’s quality assurance standards are not as fine-tuned as the manufacturer’s. This means that we sometimes print and encode these black mark tags. We recommend that you DO NOT use the black mark tags even if they are not marked VOID. Again, this means that the sequence may have some “skips” because a bad tag was used as a part of the sequence. Let us know if this “skip” will have a negative effect on your RFID deployment.
Contact Us
Looking for something specific? Let us know, and we'll be happy to assist.