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Lapel Pin Types

The Ultimate Guide to Creating a Custom Lapel Pin

The first use of American military lapel pins dates back to 1860 during the Civil War. These lapel pins were used to identify soldiers by their unit numbers on the battlefield.

From there they have been worn by senators, special organization members, fraternity and sorority members, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, and members of political parties.

Today the modern lapel pin is a fun and fashionable accessory that is customizable for a variety of interests and hobbies. A custom lapel pin is a great expression of individuality.

Creating a custom lapel pin is an enjoyable process that takes your ideas and brings them to life. Want to know more about how to make your own custom lapel pin? Keep reading this guide for more details below.

Getting Started with Your Custom Lapel Pin Design

When creating a logo or design for your custom lapel pin, you need to consider how the overall concept will transfer to a lapel pin format. For lapel pins, you must take into account the image itself, as well as the font you use.

Lapel Pin Image

If possible, stay with a simple design image with not too many fine details in it, as they will be difficult to see. They may not convert over as well as they do on paper.

You should also consider the size of the image you are using. If your image is too small, it will look muddled and indistinct. This defeats the purpose of making a custom lapel pin if others cannot even see the image.

Lapel Pin Text Font

Choosing an appropriate font is as equally important for any text your custom lapel pin may have. You want a clean font that is easy to read. Avoid any fancy or overcomplicated fonts that will look messy or illegible.

Don’t use too much text, either. Using long portions of text will require your text size to shrink in order to fit it all on the pin. Stick with just one word or a few short words to maintain its readability.

Deciding on the Types of Lapel Pins

The next step in the design process is choosing the type of lapel pin you want. There are five types of lapel pins to choose from.

Soft Enamel Pins

A soft enamel pin can be die-struck or die-cast during the manufacturing process. Soft enamel pins differ from hard enamel pins due to the texture that results from filling the enamel beneath the metal ridges of the design.

The soft enamel pin is heated up to 400ΒΊ Fahrenheit, creating a high-quality custom lapel pin with a textured surface and a more natural appearance.

Soft enamel pins are cost-effective options that can provide an affordable option for purchasing large groups. You can customize soft enamel pins in an array of colors, shapes, and sizes.

Hard Enamel Pins

Hard enamel pins are the highest quality lapel pins you can get. A hard enamel pin is created by polishing the enamel flush with the metal for a smooth appearance. This is in addition to what goes into making soft enamel pins.

The result is a high-quality custom lapel pin with exceptional long-lasting durability and a beautiful finish. This high gloss finish enhances a pin’s vivid coloring and won’t fade with time.

Die-Struck Pins

A die-struck pin is an all-metal pin with an image or logo stamped into the metal. These pins can be made from brass, iron, copper, or other metal types. There is no color involved other than the color of the metal used.

Die struck pins have a striking appearance because of their raised features. Texturing and polishing add to their distinct features.

Offset Printed Pins

An offset printed custom lapel pin is ideal for creating a unique design. It uses state-of-the-art technology to print your design directly onto the metal. Once the design is printed and the color is set, a trimming tool shapes the design.

To provide protection and durability, an epoxy resin dome is applied to the custom pins. This also improves the image’s quality.

Quick Pins

Quick pins are suitable for when you need stock pins shipped out in a hurry. You can have your Quick Pins order in less than a week.

Quick pins are available in 3 sizes including a 1.5β€³ round or square pin, a 2β€³ square pin, or a heavyweight 3β€³ cast pin.

Specify Your Metal Coloring for Your Custom Lapel Pin

The right metal color, in combination with your design, can also complement your custom lapel pin’s overall appeal. You have so many different metal colors to choose from, so you’re certain to find the one that best suits your needs.

  • Gold- a timeless finish suitable for medals and special achievements
  • Brass- a polished and soft golden-like patina for a vintage feel
  • Antique Gold- a softer, darker gold coloring for service pins
  • Silver- bright, shiny metallic tones as a companion to its gold variation
  • Antique Silver- a darker aged silver for historical themed pin replicas
  • Nickel- sturdy silverlike tones used for award pins
  • Black Nickel- a contemporary-looking appeal with black tones
  • Copper- a warm and rich deep brown tone
  • Antique Copper- warm, rosy tones give it an aged look
  • Spray Black- a striking and attention-getting jet black coloring

Whatever metal color you choose, your custom lapel pins are sure to shine.

Select the Backing for Your Custom Lapel Pin

The next step is deciding which backing you want. Depending on your budget and needs, there are several different options for your custom lapel pin to choose from.

  • Safety Pin- a secure fastening safety-lock closure
  • Magnet- two secure magnets that don’t puncture clothing
  • Stick Pin- a stylish way to pin through the length of the lapel
  • Butterfly Clutch- features a pinch-to-open back closure
  • Earring Post- a thin version of a Butterfly Clutch made from silver/gold
  • Screw Back- screws into place firmly for a tight closure
  • Button Clutch- a locking variation of the Butterfly for valuable pins
  • Rubber Clutch- an economical rubber lapel back fastener

Once you have selected your preferred custom lapel pin backing, you can decide if there are any other enhancements you would like to add to your custom lapel pin.

Other Custom Lapel Pin Enhancements

You can choose from other options that can enhance your custom lapel pin’s look. These options can include:

  • Glow Enamel
  • Glitter
  • Crystals
  • Blinkers

To give your pins a glow-in-the-dark appearance, add glow enamel for a fun effect. Glow enamel costs just 20 cents per color.

Adding glitter to your custom lapel pin will really make it shine. It costs 10 cents each for one glitter color or two glitter colors for just 15 cents.

Add crystals to your pin to glam it up or make it stand out. The price is an additional 10 cents per crystal.

Blinkers are small lights that you can add to your pin. They are powered by an attached battery pack on the pin’s back. One blinker costs $1.25 and two lights are $2.24.

Find Quality Custom Lapel Pins and More from MetalPromo

Designing a custom lapel pin should be a fun and enjoyable process. From concept art to the finished product, let MetalPromo help you with every step of the creation process. Our product quality and honest customer reviews speak for themselves.

We offer free U.S. shipping, free artwork design and revisions, and we’ll even beat our competitors’ prices. We even have metal business cards, keychains, and custom challenge coins. Our talented design team can’t wait to bring your ideas to life.

Contact Us today to receive your free custom lapel pin order quote.

A Complete Guide to the Different Types of Lapel Pins

Congratulations! You’re celebrating five years as a company. Or, maybe, you’re receiving a much-deserved award. Or perhaps you’re finally being initiated into a club you’ve put a lot of hard work into.

No matter the event, lapel pins are the perfect accessory to commemorate the occasion. But how do you know the type of lapel pin to choose? Read on to find out!

The History of Lapel Pins

Lapel pins have a history in the United States dating back to the Civil War. However, the techniques used to make the pins have existed for thousands of years.

Types of Lapel Pins

Ancient Egyptians used enamel to decorate pottery and jewelry, with evidence of this was found buried with mummies in tombs at the time. Researchers agree that the Ancient Egyptians founded this cloisonne technique, and from there, other Western countries as well as China and Japan incorporated it into their own decorations.

As for the United States, all soldiers in the Civil War, whether from the Union or the Confederacy, wore lapel pins to differentiate between the sides. Then, by World War I, pins became signifiers for different honors and awards in the military.

In recent history, pins have made a comeback in the fashion world. Since 2014, there has been what some have called a “pin revival,” as indie artists began to manufacture pins with hundreds upon thousands of different designs.

You can find pins with the traditional flags, plants, foods, emojis, cartoon characters, words, and phrases – just about anything you can imagine. The fashion craze even led to New York City’s first Pin and Patch show, where around 2,000 people came to view a gallery full of them.

Soft Enamel Lapel Pins

Soft enamel is one of the most popular styles of lapel pin. The most notable feature of a soft enamel pin is the raised metal edges that create a unique texture.

All pins start with a mold, but with soft enamel, we add an outer layer of metal to the base. You may also add color to the metal plating depending on the pin’s design.

Next, we fill in the metal mold about halfway with enamel. This is what makes the edges of the pin raised. Afterward, we bake the pin in an oven to set the enamel.

Hard Enamel Lapel Pins

Unlike soft enamel, hard enamel pins are smooth to the touch. This is because, in the manufacturing process, we overfill the mold with enamel.

You color the enamel and then bake. We repeat this process for each color in the pin design. Then, we polish the layers down so the design is smooth with no raised edges.

Last comes the electroplating. We place shiny metals over the design to give a hard enamel pin its glossy finish.

Die Struck Lapel Pins

Die struck pins have the most classic look. These mono-color pins are cast with copper or brass. These softer metals allow for more detailed designs to be stamped into the mold.

Die struck pins are made through the same process as hard or soft enamel pins, they simply don’t use enamel paint. This makes the production process faster than other types of pins.

Offset Printed Lapel Pins

Offset printed pins allow for the most color and detail in your design.

First, we cut a piece of metal into the shape of your lapel pin, but the metal is left completely smooth. Then, we apply a base color to the pin. The design you choose is offset printed with a UV printer and adhered to the base. Finally, we apply an epoxy coating to keep the pin scratch resistant and looking shiny and smooth.

These lapel pins also have a quick production time because the metal requires no etching.

Quick Lapel Pins

Quick pins are just what they sound like – pins that are manufactured and shipped out as fast as possible. These pins are suitable for any type of event and can get to your doorstep in less than a week.

We offer free shipping on our quick pins so there is no added stress on needing your custom orders fast.

Choosing the Correct Lapel Pins

There are many lapel pin options to choose from – so how do you know which is the right product for your event? Most of the time, it comes down to the complexity of your unique design and your personal preferences. But we do have some tips to narrow down the options for you.

Soft and hard enamel pins are the most popular options. They are made in similar ways, and they both allow for vibrant colors and the same amount of detail. However, if you prefer a textured feel, soft is the better bet – hard enamel will always be smooth.

Soft enamel is cheaper than hard enamel to produce, but hard enamel is available in smaller sizes.

Die struck pins are perfect for achievement or award pins, as they look like little trophies you can wear. With their recessed, sandblasted backgrounds and polished and raised surfaces, these pins keep things simple, classy, and official.

Offset printed pins are the fastest to produce and have the cheapest costs. If you need your pins as soon as possible, this is the way to go. They are also perfect if your design is complex and contains a lot of colors.

Ready to Order?

We hope that with this guide, you understand the difference between all the lapel pins available to order.

We here at MetalPromo are always available to help you choose the best custom design for your special event. Click here to receive a pricing quote on your order today!


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