Application engineering

RFID Tags for Apparel & Footwear

Item-level UHF tagging that turns a stocktake from a barcode marathon into a walk with a handheld reader: hang tags, labels and inlays, printed and encoded before they ship.

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Knitted sweaters on hangers along a clothing rail

Design for the real reading environment

Apparel is usually where RAIN (UHF) RFID pays back first: garments are RF-friendly, assortments run to thousands of SKUs, and stock accuracy drives sales directly. With item-level tags, a handheld reader counts a rail or a shelf without line of sight, so cycle counts can run weekly instead of a few times a year, and ship-from-store or click-and-collect orders are picked from stock that actually exists.

Antenza supplies the three formats apparel programs use: printed card hang tags, adhesive labels for care tags or packaging, and dry or wet inlays for converters and service bureaus. The inlays listed below run mainly on NXP UCODE 9 and Alien Higgs-9 / Higgs-10, with UCODE 8, UCODE 7, Higgs-3 and Monza options in the wider range. Tags are produced with our ISO 9001-certified production partner and can be printed and EPC-encoded before they ship. For format choices, see our apparel hang-tag guide.

What apparel teams struggle with

  • 01

    Stocktakes that never finish

    Barcode counts need line of sight, one item at a time. Stores end up counting a few times a year and the stock file drifts in between.

  • 02

    Omnichannel promises the stock file can’t keep

    Ship-from-store and click-and-collect only work when on-hand accuracy is high; phantom stock turns into cancelled orders.

  • 03

    Shrink without visibility

    Loss shows up months later as a write-off, with no record of where in the chain the item disappeared.

  • 04

    Tags that must work at the garment factory

    Source tagging needs tags that survive pressing, folding and shipping, delivered printed and encoded to many sewing sites on schedule.

How Antenza supports apparel programs

Chips chosen for retail inventory

UCODE 9 and Higgs-9 / Higgs-10 are high-sensitivity chips built for high-volume item-level programs. Where your software needs a loss-prevention status bit or brand checks, UCODE 8 adds a Product Status Flag (PSF) and Brand Identifier. Chip data on every product page comes from the vendor datasheet.

All three apparel formats

Printed hang tags on card stock, adhesive labels for care tags or packaging, and dry or wet inlays if you convert locally. Face stock, adhesive and die are confirmed per order.

Printed and encoded before shipment

EPCs are written to your SGTIN-96 or custom scheme and read-verified before shipment, so garment factories only attach tags. Background: EPC encoding explained.

Samples before volume

We send samples of the shortlisted inlays so you can test on your own garments, fixtures and readers before a volume order; lead time is confirmed in writing with each quote.

Typical apparel tag specification

The right antenna depends on garment material, tag position and reader setup. Tell us the use case and we shortlist from existing antenna designs first, which avoids new tooling cost.

Typical apparel tag specification
Frequency UHF 860–960 MHz, EPC Gen2 (ISO/IEC 18000-63), RAIN RFID
Chips in the listed range Mainly NXP UCODE 9, Alien Higgs-9 and Higgs-10; UCODE 8, UCODE 7, Higgs-3 and Monza variants also listed
Formats Card hang tag · adhesive label · dry or wet inlay
Listed antenna sizes 30 × 15 mm to 70 × 17 mm (see the products below)
Encoding SGTIN-96 or a custom EPC scheme, read-verified before shipment
Printing Brand artwork, variable data and barcode on request
Read range (reference) Typically 3–8 m on garments Reference only; depends on reader, antenna, power and the tagged material

Products for this application

UHF inlays in our range that are used for apparel. Products with published dimensions come first; the others are available with specifications on request.

How ordering works

  1. 01

    Specify

    Share surface, read distance, chip preference and volume. We shortlist tags that fit.

  2. 02

    Sample

    Receive sample tags of the shortlisted designs to try in your own setup.

  3. 03

    Validate

    Test on your items, readers and printers. We adjust chip, size or format if needed.

  4. 04

    Produce & ship

    Volume production with 100% inline electrical test, then export shipping.

Frequently asked questions

Can you print our artwork and barcode on the hang tag?
Yes. Hang tags can carry brand artwork, variable data, an EAN/UPC barcode and a human-readable SKU that matches the encoded EPC. Send artwork and quantity with your inquiry and we confirm the printing options in the quote.

Which chip should we choose for a retail apparel rollout?
Often the software provider or the retailer decides: some programs specify the chip or require an approved inlay. If you are free to choose, UCODE 9 or Higgs-9 are cost-effective, high-sensitivity starting points, and UCODE 8 adds PSF and Brand Identifier features. Impinj lists Monza R6 as end-of-life, so we do not recommend it for new designs. Compare the chips in our chip comparison.

Do you encode tags before delivery?
Yes. We write EPCs to your allocation (SGTIN-96 is the usual retail scheme), read-verify each tag and print matching visual data, so tags arrive ready to attach.

Can RFID tags survive ironing and laundry?
Paper hang tags and adhesive labels are made for the retail journey, not for washing. If the tag must stay on the garment through laundry, you need a textile or laundry tag construction: tell us the wash and ironing conditions and we confirm honestly whether we can supply a suitable option before sampling.

What are the MOQ and lead time for apparel tags?
They depend on format, printing and chip. Send quantity and artwork with your inquiry and we reply within 24 hours with MOQ, sample and bulk lead time for your exact specification.

Further engineering reading

Talk to an RFID engineer

Planning an apparel RFID rollout?

Send garment types, tag format and annual volume. An engineer replies within 24 hours with a shortlist and a sample plan.

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Email us: sales@antenza.com

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