What is a UHF RFID Inlay?
An Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) inlay is a thin adhesive UHF RFID tag consisting of a UHF RFID chip and aluminum antenna on a clear polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic substrate. UHF RFID inlays are the core functional component used inside UHF RFID labels, UHF RFID tags, and custom UHF RFID products and are categorized as dry (no adhesive or liner) or wet (with adhesive on a removable liner). Wet UHF RFID inlays have a clear PET, white polypropylene (PP), or white polyvinyl chloride (PVC) face material and can be used for thermal transfer printing. UHF RFID inlays are thinner, more moisture-resistant, and have longer shelf life than paper-faced UHF RFID labels. Unlike on-metal UHF RFID labels, UHF RFID inlays are not designed to work on metal surfaces and lack the foam or flag required for metal separation.
UHF RFID inlays are used by retailers, logistics providers, and converters for tagging items, converting them into labels, or embedding them into packaging. They can be applied directly to surfaces or integrated into other materials during manufacturing processes. They serve as machine-readable proxies for physical items and materials in tracking, inventory, and manufacturing systems.
How to Choose a UHF RFID Inlay
- Clear versus White: Clear PET UHF RFID inlays show the internal components while white UHF RFID inlays conceal the antenna and chip—though components may still be faintly visible under light. Choose based on aesthetic requirements and application visibility needs.
- Antenna Design and Size: UHF RFID performance depends on both antenna design and size. Different antenna patterns optimize for specific applications and environments. Larger antennas generally provide better read range, while specialized designs achieve performance in smaller form factors.
- Auburn RFID Lab Certification (ARC): Use Auburn RFID Lab Certification (ARC) certified inlays for retail item-level tagging applications. ARC categories define specific performance requirements and construction standards to ensure readability throughout retail supply chains.
- Availability: GoToTags stocks popular wet UHF RFID inlays in standard sizes and ARC specifications for immediate shipment with quantity-based pricing. Dry UHF RFID inlays are typically special order, and printed UHF RFID inlays may require longer lead times and higher minimum order quantities.
- UHF RFID Chip Type: Choose UHF RFID chips based on memory requirements. Impinj Monza R6 offers cost-effective serialization. NXP UCODE 8 and Monza 4D provide user memory for additional data storage. High-security applications require UCODE 9 or UCODE DNA.
Customizing a UHF RFID Inlay
- Print Compatibility: Clear and white UHF RFID inlays are compatible with thermal transfer printers for basic black text, numbers, barcodes, or Electronic Product Code (EPC) logos. GoToTags provides black thermal transfer printing service using in-stock UHF RFID inlays with quick turnaround, or customers can purchase blank UHF RFID inlays for self-printing.
- Special Layouts: Custom layouts may require modified pitch spacing, web widths, or antenna positioning to accommodate specific application equipment or integration processes. GoToTags can facilitate special orders for application-specific layouts or recommend conversion to custom label constructions when standard inlay formats are incompatible.
- Encoding: UHF RFID inlays can be pre-encoded with EPC, Tag Identifier (TID), or user memory fields during the order process or by customers using the GoToTags Desktop App and compatible readers.
Recommendations
- Choose UHF RFID inlays for thinner profiles and better environmental resistance than paper labels.
- Test printing compatibility and adhesion methods before ordering large quantities for direct application.
- Consider clear PET UHF RFID inlays when visual identification of internal components is helpful.
- Use ARC certified UHF RFID inlays for retail compliance.
- Most customers use wet UHF RFID inlays; only use dry UHF RFID inlays if specifically required for your integration process.
