In this article we'll dive into the NFC / RFID support in SimplyPrint. This allows you to;

• Link spools from manufacturers that put RFID stickers on their spools, allowing you to link the NFC tags and their ID(s) to the SimplyPrint digital twin version of the spool
• Create / "write" NFC stickers via SimplyPrint, compatible with various brands and hardware, e.g. Creality CFS, Anycubic ACE and QiDi Box, as well as community and open source standards like OpenPrintTag, OpenSpool and OpenTag, as well as a simple "URL-only" SimplyPrint format

Let's dive in to details!

What is the NFC / RFID support in SimplyPrint? (and what is NFC & RFID?)

SimplyPrint, via our web platform and mobile app support a variety of different material NFC standards - let's dive in to what that means.

What is NFC / RFID?

You'll often see brands talk about "RFID" on their spools, which means they often put two small stickers on their filament spools on both sides of the spool; this small sticker can store data and has a unique ID, while requiring no power; when read via compatible hardware, whether the printer itself or (most) phones, the device "wakes it up", allowing it to read and write data to and from the small sticker; it's a wonderful technology that has finally been widely embraced in the 3D printing filament community.

"RFID" is the wireless tech, and is short for "Radio Frequency Identification", while "NFC" - short for "Near Field Communication" - is a specific type of RFID for secure, very short-range communication; this is the form of RFID that is most used in the 3D printing industry.

What's the use? Why do brands use NFC / RFID on their spools?

As these small and quite cheap stickers can store data and has a unique serial number / ID, it's a perfect way to store not just "2D" data like we can do on a QR code, but "3D data"; the data can and will be unique no matter what, allowing for easy unique identification. It's also a technology that is relatively easy to embed into devices; 3D printers, often their multi-material tools like the Bambu Lab AMS include small NFC readers that, when they come in contact with the NFC sticker on a spool, reads the data and uses it to identify the spool; this is done wirelessly, fast and cheap, compared to QR codes and barcodes, requiring more space, a webcam or laser scanner and proper lighting; not as smooth!

What data does a NFC tag include?

The data stored on a NFC tag varies from standard to standard, but in the end, it boils down to the filament and printer brands wanting the data to identify the spool. This means it has to include info like;

• Material type
• Color
• Brand

With some standards going much deeper than that

What can I use this for?

There are many reasons why you should care about NFC on filament, but the main one is; it allows for easy spool-identification and effortless filament inventory management. When implemented right, it can be a huge workflow improver and timesaver.

Now, let's dive into how NFC is used in SimplyPrint!

NFC in SimplyPrint: Filament Manager & Spool Identification

SimplyPrint uses and supports NFC in 3 main ways;

1. Automatic spool identification and creation, e.g. via Bambu Lab AMS
2. Spool NFC linking
3. Spool NFC writing / creating

All of this happens inside our Filament Manager.

When to use NFC in SimplyPrint

The SimplyPrint NFC features are for those of you who want to use our Filament Manager & Inventory feature to keep better track of your spool storage.

Method #1: linking already-NFC-enabled spools to their "digital twin"

The first use case is to link spools that already have NFC chip(s) on them, to their "digital twin" in your SimplyPrint filament manager.

This allows you to create the spools inside SimplyPrint, and right away tell us "These are the NFC tag IDs of each of the spools I just created; link them", which allows us to (for supported hardware), automatically assign the right spool to your printer when you put in the spool in the printer's material box / designated slot.

We natively support Bambu Lab AMS Material Syncing, where the Bambu Lab printer reads the NFC tag and based on the information, it knows that the spool is an (example) "Bambu Lab PETG Translucent, Translucent Pink" - but it also knows that it's this very particular version of the spool, and can distinguish between one and another spool that is of the exact same type; two "Bambu Lab PETG Translucent, Translucent Pink" spools with each their own identity, thanks to the unique serial number of the NFC ID(s). This allows us to automatically create the spool the first time we see it, and assign it to the given printer the next time we see it, but this presents a problem too...

The problem that this solves

While the fact that the printer tells us that "this is [this specific spool]" is great, it also creates a disconnect in your filament inventory if you wish to create the spools before they're used; let's say you get 5 new "Bambu Lab PLA Basic, Blue" spools delivered to your doorstep. You go and create these 5 spools in your SimplyPrint Filament Inventory, but when you put one of these new spools in your Bambu Lab AMS, we create a brand new spool, so you now have 6, not 5, in your inventory...

This is due to the lack of a link between your digital inventory and your spools (your spools and their "digital twin"). But, this is solved by linking the NFC tags to their digital twins when they're created!

So, when you create the spools in your inventory, after creation we ask you to scan both sides of each spool so that SimplyPrint knows the IDs of the spools.

Now, when you put a spool in your AMS, we won't create one too many spools for you, but on first try assign the right spool from your inventory to the printer.

Method #2: creating / writing NFC tags via SimplyPrint

Not all filament brands ship their spools with built-in NFC tags - the ones that do can pretty much be counted on one hand! But, luckily various brands as well as open source hardware methods allow you to create your own NFC tags and put them on your filament spools, allowing your printers to intelligently know what filament it was just fed with. And this process can be done via SimplyPrint too!

This allows you to both write AND assign the NFC tag(s) to your spools, in (almost) any format you'd like! We support creating;

• Creality CFS tags
• Qidi Box tags
• Anycubic ACE tags
• The "OpenPrintTag" format (by Prusa, expected to be used in their printers and many more soon)
• The community standards "OpenSpool" and "OpenTag"
• A simple URL-only SimplyPrint link

This means that we can create NFC tags that you can put on your spools, that your printers will read and actually recognize! More on these standards in the "Supported standards" section below.

Each standard stores different data and most of them use different types of NFC tags, as - and this is (unfortunately) not the last time we'll mention this; NFC is not just NFC. We support 6 different types of NFC tags, and most standards require you to use one specific tag type with weird-sounding names such as "MIFARE Classic 1K", and if you try to use any other tag than the one(s) the standard supports, it simply won't work. Naturally, we're here to guide you through that too though!

How to read and write NFC via SimplyPrint: methods & hardware

Seeing as NFC is a bit more complex of a technology than, for example, QR codes, using NFC may require some special hardware or only work on certain devices.

Mobile & tablets: Android & iOS via our app (easiest)

The easiest way to read and write NFC is via our mobile app for iOS and Android; almost all modern phones support NFC; check online whether your particular phone model supports it.

• Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simplyprint.appdev
• iOS app: https://apps.apple.com/dk/app/simplyprint-3d-printing/id1519749400

Limitations:

The only known limitation is for iOS; iOS devices are known not to support the "MIFARE Classic" tag type, which unfortunately is used for the Qidi Box and Creality CFS standards.

Computers method #1: Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebooks - hardware required

For desktop and laptop devices running Mac, Windows, Linux and Chromebooks, NFC read + write can be possible, but requires additional hardware and possibly software too.

Any computer can, without too much effort, read NFC tags - their IDs, that is - via USB-powered NFC readers. There are various read-only-readers that you simply plug in, and upon scanning an NFC tag, they simply act as a keyboard and writes out the NFC ID / serial number; this we, via the web, can pick up on and read without additional software required.

Examples of readers you can use;

• TODO; add links (we're on it!)

Limitations:

Can only read the IDs of NFC tags, meaning it can only be used to link spools to their digital twins.

Computer method #2: full NFC read+write scanners - hardware + software required

For Mac, Windows and Linux (not Chromebooks, given they can't install traditional software) we have developed support for various USB-powered NFC reader devices, that can read and write.

This requires you to buy a compatible reader, and run out "NFC Agent" software, which is a small open-source application that runs on your computer, that allows us - via the web - to talk to a USB-powered device that we'd otherwise not be able to interface with.

• Required software: NFC Agent
• Supported hardware: "ACS" readers: ACR122U, ACR1252U, ACR1255U-J1, ACR1552U
• Recommended: ACR1552U, as it can read and write all tags (only reader that supports the "OpenPrintTag" standard"

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More on how this method works [here] (article in progress - TODO)

Limitations:

None.

Mobile via web: "Web NFC"

The last supported method is to use a mobile or tablet with a browser. A relatively newly-supported feature is "Web NFC" (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Web_NFC_API), and it is currently only supported on some operating systems and some browsers.

• Supported operating systems: Android
• Supported browsers: Google Chrome, Samsung Internet

These limitations are not imposed by us, but rather the operating systems and browsers. We are hoping for more widespread support in the coming years, but in the mean time if you're on an iOS or Android device anyways, we recommend you use our app.

Limitations:

Doesn't work with "MIFARE Classic" tags or the "MIFARE Ultralight" format on any device.

Supported NFC & filament data standards

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The different NFC tags: what's the difference? - picking the right NFC tag

Unfortunately (for the ease of use), NFC is not just NFC... There are many different NFC tag types and formats, with different ways of storing data, different max storage, different prices and different supported standards.

That means you cannot just buy any NFC tag and expect it to work with any material standard or hardware.

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Updated on: 19/12/2025