Card Inlays — RFID Prelam & Inlay Sheets from a Shenzhen Factory

A card inlay (also called a prelam or inlay sheet) is the pre-laminated layer that holds the RFID chip and antenna before a card factory laminates, die-cuts and prints the finished card. Buyers usually compare frequency, chip family, layout format, thickness and QC testing before sampling. RFIDAK has produced RFID card inlays in Shenzhen since 2008, delivering LF, HF, UHF, dual-frequency, combi and dual-interface prelam with 100% electrical performance testing before shipment so card factories can protect lamination yield.

Card Inlay Types by Frequency & Interface

How to Choose the Right Card Inlay

When specifying inlays for your card production line, work through these five factors:

1. Frequency & chip: match the inlay to your finished card — LF 125 kHz for TK4100/EM access, HF 13.56 MHz for MIFARE/NTAG payment and transit, UHF for parking and long-range.
2. Interface: single-chip, combi (2–3 chips), or dual-interface CPU that meets both ISO/IEC 7816 (contact) and ISO/IEC 14443 (contactless).
3. Layout: pick a sheet format your press and punch tool accept — 2×5 (10/sheet) up to 6×8 (48/sheet), or a custom layout up to 640×520 mm.
4. Material & thickness: PVC, PET, PC or PLA substrate; typical HF inlay 0.40–0.50 mm, LF 0.50–0.55 mm, dual-interface down to 0.35 mm.
5. Quality control: insist on 100% electrical testing plus crossline and blackmark printing for press alignment to keep lamination scrap low.

Weighing chip security? See our Mifare Classic vs DESFire comparison, the RFID frequency guide for LF / HF / UHF selection, or the full RFID card inlay overview for layouts, chip options and lamination integration.

Common Applications

Card inlays are the core component behind access cards, hotel key cards, transit and payment cards, campus and ID cards, and dual-interface banking cards. They let card factories and ID issuers laminate, print and personalize finished cards in-house while controlling cost and quality. If you need ready-to-use cards instead of the raw inlay, start with the finished RFID cards category.