NFC Label Formats

Your Sticker, Label and Inlay options

Seritag generally refers to 'NFC Tags' as stickers (also called labels), inlays and disc tags. We call wristbands, keyfobs, pens and so on, 'NFC Products'.

NFC Tags are available in a large number of different construction formats. To make things trickier, different manufacturers and retailers will refer to the options in slightly different ways. However, to try and keep things clear, Seritag define the various NFC Tag formats as follows :

Dry Inlay

Dry inlays are the most basic tag. The dry inlay is simply the antenna etching applied to a film of plastic, usually PET. There's no adhesive, and the antenna is exposed. Dry inlays can be used as the basis for all other NFC tag formats.

Typically, the tags are not separated. Dry inlays are usually supplied with many tags on one continuous piece of plastic either as a sheet or on a roll. On a sheet, they may be used to create sheets of 'smart' cards. On a reel, they would usually be converted into NFC stickers.

Sealed Dry Inlay

Seritag define the Sealed Dry Inlay as a version of the Dry Inlay which has an additional layer of PET applied to exposed antenna side. This is a non-adhesive format. It's typically supplied on a single reel so the tags themselves need to be cut/separated. This sealed product is typically used within the construction of other NFC products such as clothing labels.

Seritag stock a 25mm Dry Inlay NTAG213 for immediate dispatch. 

Wet Inlay

Seritag define the Wet Inlay as a particular construction whereby the adhesive is between the exposed antenna and the release liner (backing paper).

Essentially, it's the Dry Inlay with adhesive applied to the exposed side. It's the thinnest 'sticky' option as it contains only a single PET layer. However, the antenna and typically the chip is not protected. A typical use case for this tag may be integration into 'smart' business cards or in some cases a conversion into a printed label.

This is because when laminating tags between cardboard or into another printed sticker, you want the thinnest possible tag so it doesn't show through. The layers of card or the printed sticker layer would then provide additional strength and protection to the exposed antenna and chip. 

Seritag now stock a range of different sized NTAG213 wet inlays including 15mm, 20mm, 26mm, 29mm, 30x18mm, 48x78mm and 18mm NTAG424, 29mm NTAG424 and 48x78mm NTAG424. These are all available for immediate dispatch. 

Clear Sticker (Clear NFC Tag)

Clear stickers/labels are a very popular NFC tag. They have a completely sealed antenna with PET on both sides and an adhesive layer. The PET is clear so that the antenna is visible.

This strong, protected construction creates an NFC tag that can be used in a very wide variety of applications. The clear plastic displays the antenna and the chip which can look great. However, the surface can't be ID printed or over printed easily.

These tags are typically available with varying thickness of plastic layers. In some cases, the two plastic layers can be so thin that it feels like a wet inlay. In other cases, such as our 29mm Clear Garment Spec NTAG213, the layers can be thicker to provide increased protection to both the antenna and chip.

Our most popular clear label is the 29mm NTAG213 clear NFC sticker. 

White Sticker (White NFC Tag)

One of the most common NFC tags. The tag has the same construction as Clear Sticker but the upper PET (or sometimes PVC or paper) layer is white instead of clear. The white layer allows for printing and ID marking.

Generally, the top layer is plastic for durability and a degree of water resistance. If the tag is going to colour printed, then it can be made with a top layer of paper.

Our most popular white NFC sticker is the 29mm NTAG213 white tag. 

Printed Sticker (Printed NFC Tag)

This is a little tricky to define as there are a number of ways of making up a printed NFC label. However, in it's simplest format, it's construction is the same as the Clear Label or White Label and the top layer is replaced by either a printed paper or printed polyester layer.

Optionally, there may be another very thin layer on top as a laminate to protect the printed layer.

Seritag can supply a very large range of printed NFC stickers such as simple QR code labels for asset tagging, large matt or gloss full colour labels for marketing or high-end labels for wine and food packaging. 

On-Metal Sticker

This is a special construction to allow the NFC tag to be placed onto metal surfaces. In this type of tag, a thin layer of usually ferrite foil material between the tag and the adhesive layer acts as a 'barrier'.

The exact method of how this is done depends on the tag itself. Ferrite foil is very expensive and the antennas of the tags have to be tuned to exactly match the ferrite material. This means that on-metal tags cost substantially more than normal stickers. They are usually much thicker as well because of the ferrite and there will always be a scan distance reduction compared to a similar non-metal tag.

In short, you do not want to use an on-metal sticker unless you really have to.

Our most popular on-metal sticker is the 29mm NTAG213 on-metal NFC tag. However, many customers choose the hard PVC on-metal NFC version of the label. 

Reverse On-Metal Sticker

This is a particular type of on-metal NFC tag that was originally pioneered by Seritag. It was designed for use behind smart posters placed inside metal containers. However, the construction also suits a range of use cases where the on-metal label is applied to the 'back' of an item being attached. Read more about reverse on-metal NFC labels. 

A typical use case being the placement of tags inside bus stop timetable stands and similar locations. The layers are reversed so that the sticker can be applied on the back of the poster and have the ferrite foil barrier facing back behind it.

Seritag currently have 29mm Reverse On-Metal in stock for immediate dispatch.