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Custom Lapel Pins: The Ultimate Guide to Designing a Pin

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Custom Lapel Pins: The Ultimate Guide to Designing a Pin

Are you interested in creating a lapel pin? Click here for the ultimate guide to designing a pin that you’re guaranteed to love.

Pins have always been a way to signify brand and interests. However, they are getting even more popular now, to the point where thousands are attending pin shows in New York City. So, is it possible for a regular person to design and create their own pin?

While it might seem complicated, designing a pin is actually very easy. You simply need to know the steps in the process. Let’s take a look at these steps so you can get started right away!

Why Should You Create a Pin?

Creating a lapel pin can be helpful in many ways. This gives them appeal in many different ways.

A custom pin can be a great way to brand a company. This can allow the company to show off its logo or an aspect of its industry. The same can be said about professional groups, which can always benefit by having a more visible brand.

guide to designing a pin
Custom Lapel Pin – Guide to Designing a Pin

A social group can also get a lot of use from pins. A customized pin can contain the group’s logo or can simply celebrate the group’s interest. Either way, when each member has one of the pins, they’ll feel closer to the group as a whole.

Event pins are another option. They give event attendees a physical keepsake that will remind them of the event.

Artists can find another avenue of expression through pins. Creating and selling pins with designs based on their artwork can be a new revenue stream.

Choose the Material

Pins are not one-size-fits-all and are made from different materials. Here, we’ll take a look at some of the most common.

Enamel pins are notable for being colorful. Pins of this style can be used for a range of purposes, from bright and lighthearted artwork to accurate representations of logos. If the pin you are designing heavily relies on color, enamel may be the way to go.

If you decide on enamel for your pins, you will need to decide whether to go with hard or soft enamel. Hard enamel is sturdier and has a more uniform finish, but soft enamel has texture to it and allows color to pop better. Neither is necessarily better than the other, as they both have their advantages and disadvantages.

If you like colorful pins but don’t like the look of enamel ones, offset printed pins are another option. Offset printed pins often have the look of a small picture coated with a clear cover. In this way, they are able to achieve a little more detail than enamel pins would.

Because of this, they are a great option when you want a colorful pin filled with detail. This detail can be replicated perfectly on these types of pins. You need to make sure the pin is big enough to fit everything you need.

guide to designing a pin
Guide to Designing a Lapel Pin

Die-struck pins are another option. Unlike enamel pins, which can contain lots of colors, die-struck pins are usually just the color of the metal they are made with. In this way, they can be a statement on their own, as a police shield or a club shield can look fantastic as pure metal.

With die-struck pins, you do have a choice of the type of metal to use.

Creating a Design

After deciding what material you want to use, the next step in creating unique pins is to decide on the design. The pin’s design should reflect its purpose. This will vary depending on what the purpose is and who the target audience is.

In many cases, the pin’s design may already be done. If you want a business logo, a social group’s insignia, or a specific image then your design already exists. You simply need to obtain a digital file of the design.

If you are creating a fresh, new design, then you may have a little more work. You need to draw up an example of the type of design that you want. For artists turning their artwork into a pin, this shouldn’t be a problem.

In cases where you are creating a pin design from scratch, there are a couple of considerations to keep in mind. Make sure the pin you are designing looks good while also representing what you want it to. This is especially true in the case of colorful pins; you may even want to learn a little about color theory to see what looks good together.

Once you have your design done, you can start the ordering process.

Order Your Pin

With the other steps complete, actually ordering a pin is very easy. It simply requires a little more research.

Start looking up companies that create custom pins and find a few that you like. Look over their examples and compare them to examples on other sites. Narrow this field to the company or companies you like best.

At this point, you can contact them to request a quote for your pin. Most websites have a form that you can fill out in order to indicate exactly what you are looking for. Most also include a way for you to upload a picture of your design.

The company will then get back to you regarding the cost and how the rest of the process will go. If you like their terms, you can submit your order.

Once your order is fully submitted, you are done! All you really have left to do is wait for your new pins to arrive.

Designing a Pin for You

As you can now see, the process of designing your own pin is straightforward and relatively simple. You need to determine your need, pick your material, create your design, and place your order. Once you do this, you will have your own custom pins on the way in no time.

If you want to start designing a pin now, ask for a quote from Metal Promo.com!

Five Unique Marketing Tips: Marketing With Lapel Pins

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Competition is getting crazy. More than 270,000 American businesses exported goods out of the United States. Millions of other businesses were focused inside the United States, selling goods to other Americans.

This makes marketing so important. You have to follow marketing tips that help your business stand out, regardless of what your business is. One way you can make yourself distinct is through lapel pins.

How can you learn how to design a lapel pin? How can you use pins to create solidarity within your company? How can you use them for brand awareness?

Answer these questions and you can find simple yet profound ways to distinguish yourself from competitors. Here are five marketing tips you can follow with lapel pins.

1. Employ Color Psychology

Color psychology refers to how colors can impact a person’s mood and behaviors. When you are marketing with lapel pins, you need to consider the impact of colors on the viewer. You want to find colors that will create feelings that reflect well back on your organization.

Red is the traditional color of romantic love and passion. It also indicates dominance and power, making it a good choice for the pins of high-ranking figures. You should bear in mind that red signs indicate hazards, so seeing red may deter some people.

Blue is a color that can summon feelings of peace and tranquility. Yet it has associations with sadness and loneliness.

White and black are not common choices for pins. They can be too stark, and a black pin is difficult to see on a black lapel. But white is emblematic of peacefulness while black can signify boldness and power, so they may be effective choices.

2. Create Different Sets of Pins for Different Groups

Giving the same pin to everyone in your organization can create solidarity. Everyone is at the same level and feels like they are a unified team. Someone seeing several people with the same pin will be reminded of your organization and encouraged to work with you.

Yet you are not obligated to give the same pin to everyone. If your organization has several groups within it, you can give different pins to each group.

For an authority figure, you can give a pin with an element on it that indicates an authority. You can give a pin with a crown on it to your boss.

If you have an educational organization with multiple grades in it, you can have a number that indicates each grade. People in their first year can receive a pin with the number one on it.

You can also make different types of lapel pins. Soft enamel pins can have a more textured surface while hard enamel pins can resemble jewelry. Choosing the type of lapel pin can make all the difference!

3. Give Pins as Rewards

Creating a ceremony out of handing out your custom lapel pins will give your pins a layer of meaning. It can also help with creating brand awareness. Someone who sees the ceremony may want to work with you because they see you care about your employees.

You don’t have to be elaborate about your ceremony. You can hand your pin to the recipient with your left hand and shake their hand with your right hand.

But you can get more extravagant. You can give a speech about the recipient before you hand the pin to them. This is a good idea when you are presenting a pin to an important person.

If you want to turn your reward ceremony into a marketing opportunity, you should broadcast it. You can stream it on Facebook and other social media platforms. You can reward loyal customers or volunteers with pins as well.

4. Package Pins With Other Things

A pin is a small award. Someone who receives one after years of work may not feel the true weight of the gift. Consider packaging the pin with another object. You can give an important employee a plaque and a pin.

You can place the pin inside a special box. When the recipient is not wearing it, they can place it in the box and store it on a shelf. This has a practical purpose and it makes the pin seem important.

Feel free to sell a few pins together in a small package. You can also sell a pin alongside a hat or another object with your company logo on it. When the customer sees the pin or hat, they will remember your organization.

5. Place Pins in Advertisements

You can use lapel pins to help with broad and long-term marketing campaigns. Whenever you have a group of employees in an advertisement, the employees should wear your pins.

You don’t have to call attention to the pins if you don’t want to. A wide shot that shows everyone wearing your pins is enough to show them off. Someone looking at the visual may feel like your employees have solidarity and corporate pride.

Try to incorporate the visuals of your pins in other parts of your advertisements. If your pin has one important color, you should feature that color in your company logo and background choices. When a customer sees the color, they will remember your company right away.

Marketing with Lapel Pins for an Event
Marketing with Lapel Pins for an Event

Practice the Best Marketing Tips for Lapel Pins

There are several marketing tips you should follow when you are using lapel pins. You should find colors that draw out qualities about your organization.

If your organization has different groups, create a custom pin for each one. Make handing out the pins a ceremony that makes the recipient feel important.

You can hand out plaques in addition to pins. Have the pins be an important visual in your advertisements.

You’re not on your own when you’re looking for great pins. MetalPromo provides premium pins at low prices. Get your price quote today.

Where Can You Find High-Quality Lapel Pins? A Closer Look

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Where Can You Find High-Quality Lapel Pins? A Closer Look

Finding high-quality lapel pins can be hard if you don’t know what to look for. Keep reading and learn where to look here.

Although the process of applying enamel inlay to metal artwork goes back thousands of years, it may surprise you to know that the history of the lapel pin isn’t that recent either. The earliest examples of work that could be considered quality lapel pins come from somewhere between the 13th and 14th centuries, in China.

Things haven’t changed a lot throughout the centuries, either. Many lapel pins still come from China.

But if you want to find the best lapel pins, it’s a good idea to know what to look for, and where to look. Read on to learn everything you need to know.

Quality Lapel Pins Custom
Ben Kwok Custom Art Pins

Choose Your Supplier Wisely

There are a lot of enamel pin suppliers out there.. It means you have many options when it comes to ordering your pins, whether it’s for your business, your club, organization, or even personal collecting.

But it also means that it can be challenging to know whether a given supplier is the real deal or not. In order to find a reputable supplier, check out their customer reviews to review real customer experiences. Another smart idea would be to check out previous work in their image gallery or on their social media channels.

Know Your Supplier’s Policies

Before you submit your order, you should also know all of the policies your supplier has for the process. If you’re purchasing custom lapel pins, you should know ahead of time how many revisions to the design you’re entitled to, and also what return policies exist.

Many companies won’t accept returns on custom orders, so make sure you understand all of the policies and how to make sure you’re satisfied with your purchase.

Hard Enamel or Soft Enamel

One key question to ask yourself when you consider your lapel pin purchase is whether you want hard enamel or soft enamel pins. Some suppliers specialize in one method over the other, and some suppliers offer both. The criteria for a high-quality soft enamel pin are different from what you should look for in a hard enamel lapel pin, as well.

Soft enamel products tend to have more texture, because of the way that the enamel is applied and cured. The colored enamel fills in the recesses on the pin so that the colors don’t mingle, and the result is that the edges of the design stand out more clearly.

You can feel the outlines and recesses on the design, which is one reason that people prefer soft enamel for certain pins.

Hard enamel receives a gentle grinding over the surface, which results in a smooth finish with no ridges from the outlines of the recesses. For certain materials, like silver and gold, hard enamel is the best choice.

Die-Struck and Die-Cast

Other lapel pin options include die-struck pins and die-cast, both of which can be enamel products. Die-struck pins are made by using a machine to put a huge amount of pressure on a piece of metal, molding it without heating it very much. The pressure forces the metal into the correct shape for the design, and from there the piece can receive the enamel finish.

Die-casting involves melting down the metal and pouring it into a mold, letting it cool before applying enamel or other decorative touches.

For die-struck pieces, look for a crisp, clear definition of the design, and for higher density. Die-cast lapel pins should be clear of blisters, cracks, and flow marks.

Custom Quality Lapel Pins

Keep Budget in Mind

Budget is always an important factor in any purchase, but it’s important to keep mindful of the many upgrade options available when it comes to quality lapel pins. You should have an idea of the range of prices for the type of quality lapel pin you are wanting to make for your pin order.

Upgrade options can really enhance your custom lapel pin. Upgrade options range from plating option, glitter enamel, glow in the dark, and even show stopping blinkers! Just keep in mind that the more upgrades you add to your custom quality lapel pin, the more the price will increase. Another note worth mentioning about pins is that you can actually save money by ordering more lapel pins! Buying 100 pins may estimate at about $3.00+ per pin but if you buy 300 that price drops to $1.95 per pin!

Keep your budget in mind, but understand that quality and durability is more important than the lowest price.

Put a Premium on Shipping

Once you’ve ordered your lapel pins, you will want to receive them as quickly as possible. So before you pull the trigger, make sure you understand what the shipping options are, and how they’ll work for you.

Most quality lapel pin suppliers can offer competitive shipping rates since they do a high volume of shipping and get a discount. Depending on what you want your lapel pins for, choose the shipping type that keeps your purchase secure, while still getting it to you quickly. We, at MetalPromo, offer priority shipping FREE of charge!

Get The Most out of Your Lapel Pin Purchase

By knowing what to look for and where to look for quality lapel pins, you can get the most out of your purchase and know that you’ll enjoy your pin for years to come. Lapel pins are a great marketing tool, as well as a handy and creative way to celebrate your organization, a major victory, or any number of other causes.

Check out what you can do with custom lapel pins and more!

Master of Marketing: Everything Your Business Needs to Know About Company Logo Pins

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Everything Your Business Needs to Know About Company Logo Pin

Every organization needs a way to stand out from the crowd. People are bombarded by thousands of marketing and branding messages every day.

It’s easy for message and logo to get lost with so much noise. One way to make your business stand out is through company logo pins.

It seems simple because it has nothing to do with trendy buzzwords like influencer marketing, but it can work wonders for brand recognition and your business.

Read on to find out how a company logo pin can help you get your company known and increase your business.

Why Company Logo Pins

In business, you have one primary goal, which is to be profitable.

While doing that, you need to maintain strong relationships with your employees, your vendor partners, and your customers.

You also have to build a plan to get your company’s name known in your community, which is where marketing comes into play. Marketing is supposed to drive brand awareness, leads and sales.

That’s a lot to do for your business. A company logo pin can help you achieve all of these goals. Yes, one simple pin can pack a lot of power.

For example, your employees need to have a way to identify with the mission and vision of your organization. They need to have a purpose, which will make them more engaged and loyal to your company.

A company pin with your logo can serve as a simple reminder of what your company is about, driving home the sense of pride that everyone shares about the work that they do each day. They’re also used as a reward for recognizing great work, which can further drive employee engagement.

How does a company logo pin drive business? It helps your company stand out. When you go to networking events, you’re likely to give out and collect a bunch of business cards. Most of those cards will sit in a pile.

However, if you hand out a business card while wearing a lapel pin or attach a pin to the card, your brand is more likely to be remembered. The human brain can process an image in as little as 13 milliseconds.

They’re going to remember your logo before they read the content of the business card and make that connection. When you’re remembered, you’ve successfully cut through the noise of all other marketing messages.

That can turn into sales for your business when you follow up with them.

How to Create an Amazing Company Logo Pin

Now that you know how a company logo pin can be a tool to grow your business, how do you go about getting them made? Let’s take a look.

Start with Your Brand

Everything starts with your brand. No, not your logo. Your brand. Your brand is different from your logo. Your brand is what you want people to feel when they see your logo.

Think about some of the most well-known brands in the world. Nike’s brand is that everyone is an athlete. Pepsi’s brand is about being cool, while Coke’s is about happiness.

Your brand needs to have that emotional connection with your audience. That’s the true power of company logo pins. When you have that emotional connection down, your pin will evoke those emotions when people see it.

Once you have your brand nailed down, you want to make sure that it’s consistent with all of your marketing efforts.

Make Any Logo Adjustments

When you have an understanding as to what your brand is, you may need to make minor adjustments to your logo. You may find that the font isn’t aligned with what you want your brand to communicate.

How Will the Pin Be Used?

Your next step in the process is to decide how the pin will be used. Will it be used by employees to promote your business at events? Will you hand it out to customers and vendors? Will they be used as a trade show giveaway?

Each type of use may require a slightly different variation. For the pins that your employees wear to promote the business, you’ll want to convey professionalism and high-quality. Die-stuck pins can show the finer details of your logo.

When you think through the applications of the pins, it will be much easier to choose the material and the size of them.

Choose Your Pin Size

Most company logo pins are between .75” – 1”. That’s what people order, but it doesn’t mean that you have to follow the crowd.

You may decide that you want to really stand out and have your pins be given away at a trade show. In that case, you may use the pins to replace business cards and go for a larger size.

If you plan on wearing the pins or having your employees wear the pins, then you want something that will stand out, but not weigh down clothing.

Place Your Order

The last step is pretty easy. You get to place your order for custom company logo pins. You can start with a quote and finalize the process from there.

Once your order is completed, the pins will be shipped to you.

A Company Logo Pin is a Marketing Workhorse

When you think of marketing your brand, you’re likely to start with things that everyone is doing like social media or content marketing.

Using a promotional marketing tool such as a company logo pin can work amazing wonders for your business. It can leave a lasting impression of your brand, rally employees behind a purpose, and show customers and vendors that you appreciate them for their support.

Are you ready to start using company logo pins in your business? Contact us today for a free quote.

Why Nursing Graduation Pins Are Important in Honoring Graduates

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Why Nursing Graduation Pins Are Important in Honoring Graduates

It’s no secret that becoming a nurse is no easy task. It takes a lot of hard work and endless nights. But all of that dedication pays off when it’s time to gather around for the pinning ceremony to receive nursing graduation pins.

Although some might think that this ceremony is a simple pin being placed onto a graduating nurse’s chest, it’s actually much more than that. There is true significance behind the reasoning for the pinning ceremony and many nursing students look forward to it more than the actual graduation. Why?

Because obtaining a nursing pin is what makes the nursing students stand out from the others, and it’s something that each and every one of them is proud of. And beneath the seemingly simple ceremony is tradition and history that should be treasured for the rest of time.

Continue reading to learn more about why the pinning ceremony is so important for graduating nursing students.

Carries on a Tradition

There is much of a tradition when it comes to the nursing pinning ceremony. You might be surprised as to how far back it dates and who it relates to. With so much history and tradition, the pinning ceremony holds much significance.

Monks in the Knights Order

The pinning ceremony dates back to the 12th Century. Several knights lent a hand in helping wounded crusaders. And once monks entered the Knights Order, they also continued to help those crusaders who were injured.

The monks began to hold ceremonies where each one of them was presented with a Maltese Cross, which they then wore on their arm.

Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War

During the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale was known for her selfless acts of helping others. She took her work of helping the injured men in the Crimean War very seriously. And with this, she also made it a point to reward her nursing graduates with a medal of excellence.

This medal was given to those whom she believed worked the hardest. And in the 1860s, she was honored with the well-known Red Cross of St. George.

Transition into Present Day

But by 1916, the United States set it as a standard to reward all graduating nurses with a pin of accomplishment and not just a select few. The pins show each graduating nurse’s completion of education. These pins act as proof and identification of a true nurse.

Signifies a Student’s Accomplishments

During the pinning ceremony, nursing graduation pins are handed out to the graduating nurses, and it’s a way to make every new nurse feel special. The newly graduated nurses hold this ceremony close to their hearts because of how personal and intimate it is. The students’ very own teachers honor them with the pins and pin them.

The teachers also take the time to talk about each student’s accomplishments throughout their nursing education, which is an emotional time for every student that has worked as hard as they have to get there. This ceremony gives graduating nurses a day all about themselves.

It’s strictly nursing students, so there won’t be students from other graduating programs attending. All nursing students look forward to this day because it signifies what they’ve worked for and who they have become.

Choosing a Loved One for Dedication

Because completing nursing school takes so much dedication, time, and work, most students have a special loved one in their lives who they’d like to dedicate their nursing pin to.

This person is usually someone who has helped them along the way through their nursing journey. It can be anyone including a significant other, parent, or close friend.

In some cases, this person chosen for dedication will join the graduate on the stage. They then read a letter written by the graduate on why he or she chose this person to dedicate their pin to. This is another very emotional time during the ceremony and is important to both the graduate and their chosen person of dedication.

Signifies a Student’s Initiation in the Nursing Society

The pinning ceremony is the final step in officially initiating the recent graduate into the nursing society. The students have now taken a vow to always help those who are sick, injured, or in need of any medical attention. The pinning ceremony is the bridge between a nursing school and a nursing career.

And nursing graduation pins are the final step to take once crossing that bridge. These pins not only signify the hard work and dedication, but they are also a physical symbol of their initiation into the nursing field.

This is why continuing the nursing pin ceremony tradition is so important.

Nursing Graduation Pins: A Tradition Forever Respected

The tradition of pinning new graduates with nursing graduation pins is one that should carry on from generation to generation. It holds so much significance not only in tradition and history, but also in each nursing students’ hearts as well.

It’s a moment that every nursing grad looks forward to, and it’s what makes them stand out from the rest of their school’s programs.

Every nursing program should hold a pinning ceremony for its students. And what’s even more great about the pinning ceremony is that nursing pins are completely customizable. Whether you want to stick with the traditional oil lamp design or go with something more relatable to the school or program itself, there’s a pin for every school.

Click here to see all the customizable pin options available to you. Give your nursing students a moment that they’ll never forget!

Top 5 Benefits of Using Custom Medals

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Are you in the planning stages of an event and want to make it special with custom medals for participants? Here are the top 5 benefits of using custom medals.

Whether you’re planning an event for the public or looking to reward employees, there’s always the problem of what to offer.  Should you award cash, plaques, or certificates? Should you limit it to event winners, high performers, or should everyone get something?  Custom medals provide you with a solution to most of these problems. Even better, they offer many other benefits.  Let’s jump in and take a closer look at those benefits.

Custom Medals Raise Your Profile

At some point, you probably participated in or even won an event that got little or no coverage. Everyday people and the media love a bit of spectacle.

Sure, watching someone cross a finish line or eat 7 pies is exciting, but it’s over in a flash. Getting custom medals lets you do an awards ceremony. That’s the kind of thing media outlets like to cover.  It gives them an opportunity to capture footage of the winners getting the medals. That improves the chances of the event getting into the public eye.

Creates a Sense of Value

Just as viewers like spectacle, participants like getting something physical to take home with them. It creates a psychological value to participating and winning.  For example, you can make larger, custom medals for the winners. You can do a larger run of smaller participation medals for everyone else.  It encourages participation by offering value to everyone.

Brand Building

Awarding medals offers an opportunity for brand building.  Let’s say fun is one of your brand values. Let your medals reflect that attitude.  The first place medal might say, Supreme Champion, or feature a big gold star. You might put a big thumbs up on the second place medal. Third place might get a hand making the OK symbol.  The mild silliness of the medals becomes another reinforcement of the brand’s commitment to fun.

Improve Employee Engagement

Businesses often struggle with employee engagement. This isn’t helped by the tradition of annual reviews. Employees crave recognition at the time they perform well.  The military handles this by handing out challenge coins for accomplishments. Don’t offer feedback months after the fact.  Adopt challenge coins or custom medals as a way to reward employees at the time.  They’ll feel acknowledged, which encourages better engagement.

Foster Goodwill

Another stumbling block in regards to employee engagement and happiness is family goodwill. Spouses, children and even parents often pay a price when employees stay late.  Use family events to acknowledge that sacrifice. For example, give spouses or children medals of their own. It fosters goodwill by showing you realize employees live much of their lives beyond the business.

Parting Thoughts

Custom medals offer many benefits for events and businesses.  They help solidify your brand and raise your profile.  They create a sense of value for event participants.  They also offer a way to foster goodwill and improve employee engagement.

Metal Promo specializes in customized metal products, such as medals, pins and challenge coins. To learn more about our offerings or to place an order, contact us today.

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