A method of manufacturing RFID inlay structures includes providing a strap substrate containing an RFID chip. Strap pad patterns are formed adjacent said recessed regions over contacts of the RFID chip using a directly electroplateable resin (DER). The strap substrate is attached to an inlay substrate having an electrically conductive antenna and antenna contact patterns. The DER strap pad patterns, antenna pattern, antenna contacts and chip contacts are electroplated, thereby forming a metal interconnect between the contacts of the RFID chip and the antenna contacts on the inlay substrate. The strap substrate may be obtained from a web of strap substrates formed by a casting process. The DER material may be in the form of a DER ink and applied using a pen-plotter apparatus to form strap pad patterns or antenna coil patterns on the strap substrate, and to form antenna features and antenna contact patterns on the inlay substrate.