What is a Custom NFC Card?
A custom Near Field Communication (NFC) card is a rigid, waterproof card with an embedded NFC chip and an antenna, personalized with designs, text, digits, barcodes, or QR codes. These NFC cards typically use standard CR80 sizing and are made from durable materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), wood, or metal. Custom NFC cards are manufactured with cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (CMYK) printing, engraving, hot stamping, or silkscreen methods. Unlike blank NFC Cards, which are stocked and sold without customization, custom NFC cards are made to order with printing or other design methods.
Custom NFC cards serve as access credentials for physical or digital systems, representing individuals within organizational databases. They function as proxies for employees, visitors, students, or customers, and hold unique identifiers that map to user records.
How to Choose a Custom NFC Card
- Material: White PVC supports full-color background printing, variable data, and multiple finishes, with edges displaying the core material color. Colored PVC limits design flexibility and makes scratches more visible. Metal NFC cards use a layered composite structure, scannable only from the non-metal side. Wood cards scan from both sides and display unique wood grain, affecting print consistency.
- Availability: Custom NFC cards are made to order with lead times of 15 to 20 business days, depending on type, customization complexity, and volume. Standard white PVC options have faster production times, while colored, metal, or wood cards require longer production and higher minimum order quantities (MOQs).
- NFC Chip Type: NTAG213 is the default for most applications. NTAG215 and NTAG216 offer additional memory. ICODE SLIX supports ISO 15693 and longer ranges. NTAG 424 DNA provides cryptographic security features.
Customizing a Custom NFC Card
- Premium Customization: Custom NFC cards support high-quality full-color CMYK printing, engraving, hot stamping, and PMS color matching for silkscreen (limited to 1-2 colors).
- Quick Printing: For basic text or simple graphics with fast turnaround, see blank NFC cards for direct-to-card print services.
- Special Shapes & Sizes: Alternative shapes, sizes, and hole configurations are available with potential new mold requirements.
- Pre-Punched Badges: Custom NFC badges are pre-punched with one or more slots for badge use.
- Encoding: GoToTags can pre-encode cards during production or customers can also self-encode using the GoToTags Desktop App.
Recommendations
- Select white PVC for optimal flexibility, print quality, and design options.
- Choose matte finish for dark NFC cards to reduce scratch visibility.
- Submit vector artwork in CMYK format for best print results.
- Avoid environments with frequent bending, heavy abrasion, or prolonged outdoor exposure.
