Overview
ISO/IEC 29160:2020 - "Information technology - Radio frequency identification for item management - RFID Emblem" defines a public-domain visual emblem and an associated RFID Index to indicate the presence and type of RFID on products, labels, encoders and interrogators. The standard specifies the emblem’s appearance, minimum size, permitted representations, use restrictions and a two-character index that conveys the tag’s frequency, air-interface protocol and data structure. The emblem helps consumers, retailers and system integrators identify RFID-enabled items and supports privacy and interoperability.
Key topics and requirements
- RFID Emblem design and representations
- Two approved visual forms: dark-on-light and light-on-dark.
- Minimum print size: 5 × 5 mm with a 1 mm clear area around the emblem.
- Emblem must not be modified; older/alternate forms are non-conforming.
- RFID Index (two-character code)
- First character: frequency/air-interface protocol/defining authority (e.g., A, B, E, H groups).
- Second character: data structure or specific tag data format (or ‘*’ for interrogators).
- Generic emblem without index is permitted but discouraged due to incompatibilities.
- Placement and usage
- Specific placement left to application standards; in absence of those, place emblem where it’s easily visible and preferably near the transponder.
- Free to use by manufacturers and printers who conform to assigned index codes.
- Non-conforming manufacturers may use the defined generic “RFID inside” graphical symbol.
- Maintenance and governance
- Index assignments maintained via a Registration Authority; graphics available for download (BMP, JPG, EPS, PCX).
- New index assignments require a recognized SDO, stable technology standard, demonstrated need and recognizable coding authority.
Practical applications and users
- Who uses it: RFID tag and label manufacturers, RFID-enabled printer/encoder makers, supply chain integrators, retailers, consumer product companies, standards developers and privacy advocates.
- Why it matters: Improves consumer awareness and privacy protection, aids installation planners and readers in selecting compatible interrogators/readers by providing frequency/protocol/data-structure information, and reduces interoperability issues across HF/NFC, UHF/RAIN and other RFID technologies.
- Where applied: Product labels, packaging, RFID-enabled printers/encoders, interrogators/readers, asset tags and supply-chain logistics.
Related standards
- ISO/IEC 18000 series (air-interface protocols)
- ISO/IEC 17363–17367 (data structure examples cited in Annex A)
- ISO/IEC 19762 (AIDC vocabulary)
- EPCglobal Tag Data Standards (referenced for EPC-related index assignments)
For current RFID Index assignments, emblem graphics and maintenance procedures consult the ISO Registration Authority (see ISO maintenance agencies). Keywords: ISO/IEC 29160:2020, RFID Emblem, RFID Index, RFID tag, RFID marking, RFID symbol, UHF, HF, NFC, RAIN, EPC.
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