How do you handle solid metal blocks the signal?

A closed metal loop kills a 13.56 MHz field. The antenna cannot simply be buried in steel. Three routes, all shown here: a PVC inlay window set into the steel, a frosted edge strip that breaks the loop, and a honeycomb cut-through that gives the field somewhere to go.

How do you handle show the coil on purpose?

Frosted and clear PVC will reveal the antenna whether you plan for it or not. On the clear and frosted builds the coil becomes the artwork: a visible copper spiral, positioned and framed like a drawn element rather than apologised for.

How do you handle wood moves?

Veneer expands and contracts, and an inlay pocket routed too tight will telegraph through the face or split the grain. Kept the pocket well inside the grain, engraved rather than printed, and used species with tight figure. Cherry got an acrylic window instead, so the coil is visible through the face.

Design exercise · Business cards · Print Peppermint

Where the antenna goes

An exercise in NFC card construction across metal, plastic and wood: how each substrate handles the inlay, when to conceal the antenna, and when the coil is the best graphic on the card.

Business-cards for Print Peppermint design exercise with metal with pvc inlay window, frosted edge strip, honeycomb cut-through, pvc: matte, frosted, crystal clear, holographic, recycled ocean plastic, wood: walnut, bamboo, cherry, birch, ebony stain and nfc inlay, 13.56 mhz.

FoilsCHENHUI Standard Metallic (M series) Bright Silver, CHENHUI Standard Metallic (M series) Bright Gold, CHENHUI Standard Metallic (M series) Rose Gold TechniquesEngraved, Hot Foil, Gold Foil, Rose Gold Foil, Silver Foil, Laser Cut, Laser Engraved, Raised Spot UV StocksWhite PVC card stock, Matte black metal, Wood veneer, walnut, Bamboo ply

The idea

NFC cards are usually sold as a plastic novelty with a QR fallback. The interesting question is a production one: where does the antenna go, and what does the material force you to do about it.

Three rules

01Solid metal blocks the signal. Three routes, all shown here: a PVC inlay window set into the steel, a frosted edge strip that breaks the loop, and a honeycomb cut-through…
02Show the coil on purpose. On the clear and frosted builds the coil becomes the artwork: a visible copper spiral, positioned and framed like a drawn element rather th…
03Wood moves. Kept the pocket well inside the grain, engraved rather than printed, and used species with tight figure. Cherry got an acrylic window inste…