RFID Tag Printing & Encoding

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.

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.

Minimal Customization	Detailed Customization
Labels with added perforations	Custom form-factor tags
Custom-sized labels/inlays	Custom wristbands
Laser-engraved tags	Custom badges/cards

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.