What is an NFC Garment Tag?
NFC garment tags are specialized Near Field Communication (NFC) tags manufactured from machine washable materials designed specifically for integration with apparel items. They come in various forms: rigid tags with Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) shells like NFC Tokens, semi-flexible silicone tags similar to NFC Wristbands, or thin substrate tags with adhesive backing resembling wet NFC inlays but with thicker Clear Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). Each type offers different durability and attachment options to suit various garment applications. These specialized tags differ from standard NFC tags by offering machine washability and fabric-specific mounting options.
NFC garment tags enable product verification, customer data collection, and extended product content delivery. These tags function as proxies for digital identity authentication and information that cannot be physically printed on garments.
How to Choose an NFC Garment Tag
- Rigid vs Flexible: Rigid NFC laundry tokens and semi-flexible NFC silicone tags offer superior chemical resistance and washing durability (500+ cycles) but require sewing into folds or pouches. Flexible garment tags remain thin enough for direct application but have shorter lifespans (50-100 cycles).
- Attachment Methods: NFC laundry tokens and silicone tags are sewn into seams or pockets. Clear NFC garment tags come as iron-on or sew-on variants with adhesive backing. NFC patches feature polyester fabric surfaces for woven designs, while NFC pins have a metal pin for temporary placement.
- Availability: PPS laundry tokens come in circular sizes from 5 mm to 30 mm or larger. NFC garment tags are available in 25 mm circle size with sew-on variety kept in stock and iron-on type by special order due to the 6-12 month lifespan of the adhesive. NFC pins, NFC patches, and silicone laundry tags are custom order; pins are available in various circular shapes while patches offer customizable shapes and sizes.
- NFC Chip Type: NTAG213 suits most applications, with NTAG215/216 available for larger data storage requirements and NTAG424 DNA for enhanced authentication.
Customizing NFC Garment Tags
- Material Options: PPS tokens come only in black. Silicone tags are available in standard colors or can be PMS color-matched. Flexible garment tags come clear or with white fabric surfaces for printing. NFC pins are white PVC by default, with other PVC colors available at higher minimum order quantities.
- Customization Methods: PPS tokens and silicone tags support laser engraving or 1-2 color silkscreen printing. Flexible tags with white fabric surfaces allow CMYK printing. NFC patches offer custom woven designs, while white PVC pins support full CMYK printing; colored PVC pins are limited to 1-2 color silkscreen printing.
- Encoding: Tags can be pre-encoded by GoToTags during purchase or self-encoded later using the Desktop App.
Recommendations
- Clear NFC garment tags should be primarily secured by sewing, with adhesive as secondary reinforcement.
- PPS tokens offer the best durability for industrial washing applications.
- NFC pins are not designed for machine washing and should be used for temporary display purposes only.
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