Tags
The three paths to a tag, every format with its spec, and how the surface decides the format.
Tags are the physical part of TapTech: an object with a tag in it that opens a page when a phone touches it. This page covers the three paths to a tag, every format and how to choose one. Tags come preprogrammed, and a tag is passive, so there is no battery and nothing to charge.
A tag can be programmed to open anything. Pointed at a Portal, it unlocks the full journey, and Core shows the full picture of what happened. Tags can be repointed without reprinting. Tags already in the field are encoded against a specific host and cannot move to another.
Three paths
Every order takes one of three paths.
- You choose
- Format, quantity and tag type
- Lead time
- Stock, from 1 week
- Good for
- The fastest way to a first deployment
- You choose
- Artwork, print, finish and tag type, per format
- Lead time
- The format's stock lead time
- Good for
- Most projects: your brand on a proven format
- You choose
- Scoped with us: engineered with your makers and tested for the material
- Lead time
- Quoted against your brief
- Good for
- A tag that has to live inside the product
Bespoke builds so far include the Genesis eyewear, with the tag in the temple arm, and the Mulaa Joans NFC bank note. How to order on each path is on Ordering tags.
No account needed
Every format at a glance
- Sticker sheetPackaging, print and anything that is not metal.
- Surface
- Not suitable for metal
- Lead time
- 1 week
- Tag type
- Standard or Advance
- On metal stickerShelf edges, fridges, machinery: anything metal.
- Surface
- Suitable for metal
- Lead time
- 4 weeks
- Tag type
- Standard or Advance
- CardMembership, authentication and networking.
- Surface
- Not suitable for metal
- Lead time
- 4 weeks
- Tag type
- Standard or Advance
- WristbandEntry, zones and crew.
- Surface
- Not suitable for metal
- Lead time
- 4 weeks
- Tag type
- Standard or Advance
- Mini CDReleases and collecting.
- Surface
- To be confirmed
- Lead time
- 2 weeks
- Tag type
- Standard or Advance
- Resin tagPermanent and outdoor placement.
- Surface
- Metal and non metal surfaces
- Lead time
- 4 weeks
- Tag type
- Standard or Advance
- Garment tagClothing, built in at manufacture.
- Surface
- Not suitable for metal
- Lead time
- 1 week
- Tag type
- Standard or Advance
- Metal card Coming soonPremium membership, gifting and VIP.
- Surface
- To be confirmed
- Lead time
- 4 to 6 weeks
- Tag type
- To be confirmed
- Lanyard Coming soonCrew, guests and passes worn all day.
- Surface
- Not suitable for metal
- Lead time
- 4 weeks
- Tag type
- Standard or Advance
- Key tag Coming soonSomething people carry on their keys.
- Surface
- Not suitable for metal
- Lead time
- To be confirmed
- Tag type
- Standard or Advance
Every format takes either tag type: Standard (NXP NTAG213) or Advance (NXP NTAG424 DNA). Both authenticate. See Tags and authentication.
Choosing a format
The surface decides the format before anything else does. Metal needs a shielded tag, a garment needs one that survives a wash, and a wall outdoors needs resin. Tell us the surface and the quantity and we will tell you which one it is.
Each solution has a lead format.
| Solution | Lead format |
|---|---|
| Creator | Garment tag |
| Events | Wristband |
| Experiential | On metal sticker |
| Retail | Sticker sheet |
| Membership | Card |
| Product | Resin tag |
A few rules of thumb follow from the formats. Volume, for people who have not bought anything yet, is a sticker. A relationship meant to last is a card or a garment tag. One event is a wristband. A fixed point outdoors is resin.
Surfaces
| Format | Where it goes |
|---|---|
| Sticker sheet | Packaging, glass, painted walls, print, product |
| On metal sticker | Shelf edging, lift doors, fridges and coolers, machinery, signage, vehicles |
| Resin tag | Walls, landmarks, street furniture, instruments and equipment, furniture |
| Garment tag | Seams, hems, waistbands, care label position, bags and accessories |
| Card | Wallet, lanyard holder, door reader, desk |
| Wristband | The wrist or the neck, worn not fixed |
| Mini CD | A hand, a box, a shelf, a record sleeve |
- Metal is the most common reason a first pilot fails. Use on metal tags for metal.
- Resin tags work on metal and non metal surfaces.
- Thick timber can stop a read, whatever the format.
- On glass or card, an ordinary sticker sheet performs better than an on metal sticker.
Durability
Our supplier tests the tags to 100,000 taps and rates them for 50 years. These are supplier ratings. In practice the limit is what the tag is attached to: a sticker can be peeled off, a garment tag survives a wash, and resin is the one for outdoors.
Formats
Each format has what it is for, where it does not work, its full specification, the customisation options and a downloadable spec sheet. Stock lead times are on Ordering tags.
Sticker sheet
An adhesive sticker tag, supplied in sheets, for anything that is not metal.
An adhesive sticker tag, 34 mm to 150 mm, square or circle, supplied in sheets. It is printed and water resistant, on 3M adhesive. It goes on packaging, glass, painted walls, print, product and anything not metal.
What it is for
- Handing out. A hundred of these at an event is an acquisition channel, not a giveaway. Mulaa Joans ran exactly that.
- Wayfinding. One per zone turns a floor plan into a record of how the space was actually walked.
- Packaging. Inside the box, on the swing tag, or on the shipper. The unboxing already has attention on it.
Where it does not work
It will not read on metal. Stick one to a shelf edge, a lift door or a drinks fridge and nothing happens, which is the single most common way a first pilot fails. Use the on metal sticker there.
A sticker can also be peeled off by anyone. The tag still authenticates the tag, but a sticker on its own does not show who owns the thing it is stuck to. See Tags and authentication.
Specification
| Size | 34 mm to 150 mm, square or circle |
|---|---|
| Material | Print material with scratch resistant lamination |
| Tag options | NTAG213 or NTAG424 |
| User memory | To be confirmed |
| Read range | To be confirmed |
| Full colour, optional ID or QR print | |
| Finish | Gloss, crystal matt or smooth matt |
| Fixing | Adhesive, supplied in sheets |
| Suitable surfaces | Not suitable for metal |
| Water and dust | Water resistant |
| Operating temperature | To be confirmed |
| Stock lead time | 1 week |
Customisation
| Option | Available |
|---|---|
| Full colour print, optional ID or QR | Yes |
| Smooth matt | Yes |
| Crystal matt | Yes |
| Gloss | Yes |
| Spot UV | No |
| Tag type | Standard (NXP NTAG213) or Advance (NXP NTAG424 DNA) |
Order
No account needed
Download
On metal sticker
An adhesive sticker shielded for metal surfaces.
An adhesive sticker shielded so a metal surface does not interfere with the read, printed and water resistant, on 3M adhesive. 23 mm to 50 mm, in a circle, square or rectangle. It goes on shelf edging, lift doors, fridges and coolers, machinery, signage and vehicles.
What it is for
- Retail fixtures. Most of a shop floor is metal. This is the format that makes a zone plan survive contact with a real space.
- Equipment. A tap on the machine itself, where a printed label would be the only alternative.
- Outdoor fixtures. Street furniture, gates, shutters. Fixed, public, and already metal.
Where it does not work
It is thicker than a standard sticker and it reads at a shorter distance, so the phone has to be put closer and more deliberately. Order it only where the surface is actually metal. On glass or card an ordinary sticker sheet performs better and costs less.
Specification
| Size | 23 mm to 50 mm; circle, square or rectangle |
|---|---|
| Material | White PET face, ferrite barrier |
| Tag options | NTAG213 or NTAG424 |
| User memory | 144 bytes (NTAG213) |
| Read range | 21 mm to 25 mm |
| Full colour | |
| Finish | Smooth matt, crystal matt or gloss |
| Fixing | Adhesive |
| Suitable surfaces | Suitable for metal |
| Water and dust | Water resistant |
| Operating temperature | -15°C to 60°C |
| Stock lead time | 4 weeks |
Customisation
| Option | Available |
|---|---|
| Full colour print | Yes |
| Smooth matt | Yes |
| Crystal matt | Yes |
| Gloss | Yes |
| Spot UV | No |
| Tag type | Standard (NXP NTAG213) or Advance (NXP NTAG424 DNA) |
Download
Card
A standard PVC card for membership, authentication and networking.
A PVC card in the standard CR80 size, 85.6 x 54 mm, printed on both faces. A slotted variant takes a lanyard or clip.
What it is for
- Membership. A Membership card: a club card that opens a door and identifies the person holding it. YOU Studio runs door access this way.
- Authentication. Issued with a high value object, and carried separately from it.
- Networking. A tap that hands over a page instead of a phone number.
Where it does not work
A card is the most expensive way to reach one person, so it is the wrong format for volume. If the plan is to put a tap in front of a thousand people who have not bought anything yet, that is a sticker. A card is for someone who already belongs to something.
Specification
| Size | 54 x 85.6 mm (CR80), 0.86 mm thick |
|---|---|
| Material | PVC |
| Tag options | NTAG213 or NTAG424 |
| User memory | 144 bytes (NTAG213) |
| Read range | 61 mm to 70 mm (slotted: 31 mm to 40 mm) |
| Printed both faces | |
| Finish | Gloss, matt, spot UV or black stock |
| Fixing | None, or slotted variant (slot on short or long side) |
| Suitable surfaces | Not suitable for metal |
| Water and dust | Waterproof, IP68 |
| Operating temperature | To be confirmed |
| Stock lead time | 4 weeks |
Customisation
Cards take every option in the customisation range.
| Option | Available |
|---|---|
| Full colour print, both faces, on black or white | Yes |
| Smooth matt | Yes |
| Crystal matt | Yes |
| Gloss | Yes |
| Spot UV | Yes |
| Black stock | Yes |
| Tag type | Standard (NXP NTAG213) or Advance (NXP NTAG424 DNA) |
Order
No account needed
Download
Wristband
A wristband with the tag in the plate, for entry, zones and crew.
The tag sits in a 26 x 35 mm plate, on a fabric or PVC strap. The plate can also be worn as a lanyard. It is worn, not fixed.
What it is for
- Entry. Worn on arrival and read at every point after it, without anyone opening a phone.
- Zones on a site. One credential that changes what it opens as the person moves through a festival or a venue.
- Staff and crew. Identification that is visible across a room and readable at a door.
Reentry uses wristbands by design. See Core Access.
Where it does not work
It is worn for one event and then it is refuse. Nothing carries a credential better for two days, and nothing is worse at carrying one for two years. If the relationship is meant to outlive the night, the wristband gets someone in and a card or a garment tag keeps them.
Specification
| Size | Plate 26 x 35 mm |
|---|---|
| Material | Fabric or PVC strap |
| Tag options | NTAG213 or NTAG424 |
| User memory | To be confirmed |
| Read range | 41 mm to 50 mm |
| Full colour on strap and plate | |
| Finish | Gloss or matt plate |
| Fixing | Push button clasp (adjustable option) |
| Suitable surfaces | Not suitable for metal |
| Water and dust | Waterproof |
| Operating temperature | To be confirmed |
| Stock lead time | 4 weeks |
Customisation
| Option | Available |
|---|---|
| Full colour print, plate and strap | Yes |
| Smooth matt | Yes |
| Crystal matt | No |
| Gloss | Yes |
| Spot UV | No |
| Tag type | Standard (NXP NTAG213) or Advance (NXP NTAG424 DNA) |
Order
No account needed
The lanyard, the same plate on a lanyard, is coming soon to the shop. Until then, order it through a brief or the calculator on the website.
Download
Mini CD
A Mini-CD in a plastic case with a printed disc and insert, for releases and collecting.
A plastic case with a printed CD and insert, 53 x 45 mm, printed full face. It is supplied individually, with no adhesive or fixing point. It lives in a hand, a box, on a shelf or in a record sleeve.
What it is for
- A release. A physical Artefact for something that otherwise only exists as a stream.
- Collecting. A run people complete over time, where holding all of them is the reason to keep tapping.
- Gifting. It survives the moment it was handed over, which a printed card does not.
Where it does not work
It is an object rather than a fixing. There is no adhesive and no fixing point, so it cannot be attached to anything, and it works only where someone chooses to keep it. As a way of covering a space it is the wrong tool entirely.
Specification
| Size | 53 x 45 mm |
|---|---|
| Material | Plastic case with printed CD and insert |
| Tag options | NTAG213 or NTAG424 |
| User memory | To be confirmed |
| Read range | To be confirmed |
| Full colour, full face | |
| Finish | To be confirmed |
| Fixing | Supplied individually, no adhesive or fixing point |
| Suitable surfaces | To be confirmed |
| Water and dust | Water resistant |
| Operating temperature | To be confirmed |
| Stock lead time | 2 weeks |
Customisation
| Option | Available |
|---|---|
| Full colour print, disc and insert | Yes |
| Smooth matt, crystal matt, gloss, spot UV | Not applicable |
| Tag type | Standard (NXP NTAG213) or Advance (NXP NTAG424 DNA) |
Download
Resin tag
A soft epoxy resin tag for permanent and outdoor placement, on metal and non-metal surfaces.
A soft epoxy resin tag, circular or square, 16 mm to 100 mm, fixed with adhesive or bolted. It works on metal and non metal surfaces: walls, landmarks, street furniture, instruments and equipment, and furniture.
What it is for
- Permanent placement. Bolted or bonded to a fixed thing, where the tap point is part of the site rather than a campaign.
- Outdoors. Weather, hands and cleaning, over a long period. H.LLS put these around Paris.
- High value objects. Bonded to the thing itself, so the object and its record cannot be separated.
Where it does not work
It is thick and it is domed, so it reads as a fitting rather than as print. On a flat surface where a sticker would disappear, this will be visible from across the room. That is the right answer outdoors and the wrong one on packaging.
Specification
| Size | 16 mm to 100 mm |
|---|---|
| Material | Soft epoxy resin |
| Tag options | NTAG213 or NTAG424 |
| User memory | To be confirmed |
| Read range | 21 mm to 25 mm |
| Full colour, optional ID or QR print | |
| Finish | Soft epoxy coat |
| Fixing | Adhesive or bolted |
| Suitable surfaces | Metal and non metal surfaces |
| Water and dust | Water resistant |
| Operating temperature | To be confirmed |
| Stock lead time | 4 weeks |
Customisation
| Option | Available |
|---|---|
| Full colour print, optional ID or QR | Yes |
| Smooth matt, crystal matt, gloss, spot UV | Not applicable: the epoxy coat is the finish |
| Tag type | Standard (NXP NTAG213) or Advance (NXP NTAG424 DNA) |
Order
No account needed
The resin tag for metal is ordered from the same product, as the on metal size.
Download
Garment tag
A woven tag or disc built into clothing at manufacture.
A garment tag comes as a woven tag or a disc. The disc is circular, 25 mm or 29 mm, epoxy bonded and wash tested, supplied on reels. It goes in seams, hems, waistbands, the care label position, and bags and accessories.
What it is for
- Ownership. The first tap makes the garment addressable and the owner recognisable on every tap after it. That is the Navinder Nangla build.
- Authentication. A claim that cannot be photographed, printed or copied off a listing.
- After the sale. The one channel that is still there months later, because it went out of the shop attached to the product.
Where it does not work
It belongs in the garment at manufacture. Adding it to finished stock is hand work, one piece at a time, and the cost of that is usually what kills a retrofit. Bring us in while the tech pack is still open and it is a line on the spec instead.
Specification
| Size | 25 mm or 29 mm disc, or woven tag |
|---|---|
| Material | Epoxy disc or woven fabric |
| Tag options | NTAG213 or NTAG424 |
| User memory | To be confirmed |
| Read range | To be confirmed |
| Custom design, optional ID or QR print | |
| Finish | Woven tag: one or two colour |
| Fixing | Fabric adhesive, sewn or bonded |
| Suitable surfaces | Not suitable for metal |
| Water and dust | Wash tested |
| Operating temperature | To be confirmed |
| Stock lead time | 1 week |
Customisation
The printed finishes in the customisation range (full colour print, smooth matt, crystal matt, gloss, spot UV) do not apply to the disc, which sits inside the garment. The woven tag is designed in one or two colours.
| Option | Available |
|---|---|
| Woven tag, one or two colour | Yes |
| Optional ID or QR print | Yes |
| Printed finishes | Not applicable |
| Tag type | Standard (NXP NTAG213) or Advance (NXP NTAG424 DNA) |
Order
No account needed
Download
Metal cardComing soon
A metal card for premium membership, gifting and VIP.
A metal card: the weight of a card that means it, and the premium counterpart to the PVC card.
What it is for
- Premium membership. A top tier card that feels different in the hand from the PVC card.
- Gifting and VIP. A card handed to a small number of people, where the object itself carries the message.
- Authentication. Issued with a high value object, like the PVC card, at a higher finish.
Where it does not work
Like the PVC card, it is the wrong format for volume, and it costs more and takes longer to make. Choose it for a small number of people who already belong to something.
Specification
| Size | To be confirmed |
|---|---|
| Material | To be confirmed |
| Tag options | To be confirmed |
| User memory | To be confirmed |
| Read range | To be confirmed |
| To be confirmed | |
| Finish | To be confirmed |
| Fixing | To be confirmed |
| Suitable surfaces | To be confirmed |
| Water and dust | To be confirmed |
| Operating temperature | To be confirmed |
| Stock lead time | 4 to 6 weeks |
Customisation
Tag type: Standard (NXP NTAG213) or Advance (NXP NTAG424 DNA).
Download
LanyardComing soon
For crew, guests and passes worn all day.
The wristband's plate on a lanyard, for crew, guests and passes worn all day. It is coming soon to the shop. Until then, order it through a brief or the calculator on the website.
Specification
The plate is the wristband's. The full specification for the lanyard is coming.
| Size | Plate 26 x 35 mm |
|---|---|
| Material | Fabric or PVC strap |
| Tag options | NTAG213 or NTAG424 |
| User memory | To be confirmed |
| Read range | 41 mm to 50 mm |
| Full colour on strap and plate | |
| Finish | Gloss or matt plate |
| Fixing | Push button clasp (adjustable option) |
| Suitable surfaces | Not suitable for metal |
| Water and dust | Waterproof |
| Operating temperature | To be confirmed |
| Stock lead time | 4 weeks |
Key tagComing soon
A hard tag that goes on a keyring.
A hard tag that goes on a keyring: on the keys, so it goes everywhere.
What it is for
- Membership. A member key tag that opens the door, books a room and buys a ticket.
- Access. A tap at a door or a desk, where a card would stay in a wallet.
- Merchandise. A small object a fan keeps on them, with a Portal behind it.
Where it does not work
It is a hard object on a ring, not a fixing, so it cannot be attached to a surface. For a fixed tap point, use a sticker or a resin tag.
Specification
| Size | 40 x 32 x 4 mm |
|---|---|
| Material | ABS |
| Tag options | NTAG213 or NTAG424 |
| User memory | To be confirmed |
| Read range | 31 mm to 40 mm |
| One, two or three colour | |
| Finish | To be confirmed |
| Fixing | Double keyring |
| Suitable surfaces | Not suitable for metal |
| Water and dust | Waterproof |
| Operating temperature | To be confirmed |
| Stock lead time | To be confirmed |
Customisation
The key tag takes one, two or three colour print. Tag type: Standard (NXP NTAG213) or Advance (NXP NTAG424 DNA).
Download
More formats are coming.