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!
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.
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 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.
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 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 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 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.
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.
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!
When it comes to creating custom lapel pins, the type of pin you choose will have a large impact on the overall look and feel of the custom pin. Continue on to learn more about the different types of lapel pins.
Watch our video to learn more about different lapel pin types.
A common choice for lapel pins is soft enamel. For these pins, our manufacturing process uses raised and recessed metal to separate the enamel paint that makes up the design. This results in a high-quality custom lapel pin with a natural look and a textured surface.
Hard Enamel pins are similar in their use of enamel paint, but an additional process is used in which the enamel is polished to be flush with the metal for a smooth, jewelry-like finish.
If you're looking for a more classic or traditional appearance, die struck is another great option. Instead of using enamel paint, die struck utilizes the raised and recessed areas of metal to display your design. For die struck pins, plating choice will have a large impact on the overall look of the design.
Due to their versatility and lower cost, Offset printed pins are another popular choice. there are no thin metal lines separating the colors. This means your design can have complex details and gradual color changes, to display an exact match for your existing design materials.
If you need pins on a tight deadline, ask us about quick pins. You can choose from a variety of in-stock shapes and sizes to display your design on a printed pin. In most cases, If you order by 10:30am eastern time, you can have them delivered the same week, with free tracking and shipping anywhere in the United States.
If you want to know more about lapel pins and lapel pin types, or our other custom metal products, check out our youtube channel or visit our website for more information regarding lapel pins and metal promotional products. Interested in getting your own custom lapel pin? Complete our no obligation form to get started on your next lapel pin project.
Have you been noticing all of these cool lapel pins and might want to get some for yourself? Wondering how you get started and what you need to know? You've come to the right place.
With lapel pins making a comeback, you have a lot of options that you can choose from to customize and make the pin everything you imagined it to be.
One of the decisions you have to make is between soft enamel pins and hard enamel pins. What does that mean? For someone that hasn't gotten lapel pins before, those terms probably don't mean much.
If you'd like to find out more about lapel pins and what you need to consider when you are creating them, keep reading to learn the difference between soft enamel and hard enamel pins.
Soft enamel is a very popular type of pin. It gives the pin a raised texture look which also feels a little different than hard enamel pins when they are finished.
The image you want gets stamped into the metal and then cut down to the right size. This can be anywhere from a small pin, such as 0.5", to a large 4" pin.
The soft enamel metal plating process, such as with gold or nickel, has to happen before the enamel gets filled. Because of this, only some of the metal finishes that you may like can actually be done with soft enamel.
For a pin to become plated with a colorful metal, such as black or another custom color, you can only use soft enamel. The enamel gets added in after the plating process to the recessed areas.
When finished and the enamel is dry, you may notice that the enamel has a soft and bumpy feel to it. If you would like, epoxy resin can coat the soft enamel if desired. This helps to flatten the enamel a little more and also give it more protection.
These types of pins are more durable and sturdy than soft enamel pins. A lot of people will choose this pin instead because it has a very clean look.
Hard enamel pins become filled with the color enamel after the image is stamped in and cut out. Each color is cured in the oven one at a time, which can add to the expense of this pin because it takes a lot more time.
The pin is then polished down to be smooth and flat with the metal die lines. Because the grinding process is crucial, not all metal finishes work with the hard enamel pins. Gold or silver metal plating are some common options that you may use with a hard enamel pin.
After the colors are added and the pin has been polished, it is electroplated and polished one more time. This completes the pin.
The polishing process is done multiple times and it makes it a little harder to get specific detail in hard enamel, such as thin lines or small engravings.
The truth is that most designs that you may want, whether it is an image or a drawing, can likely be done with either option. A big part of the decision will come from your own preference on which you like better.
The way that both of these types of pins look are way different from each other. Hard enamel is much more refined and smooth while soft enamel is a little more quirky and unique. Another difference is that soft enamel can really get all of those minute details onto the pin while hard enamel is going to look a little bit more specific each time.
A big part of the decision may be the price. Soft enamel is notoriously cheaper than hard enamel because it does not involve such an intense process to make. Hard enamel pins have to be polished and cured several times to achieve their look.
You may decide that one type is better for certain occasions while the other type is more suitable for other occasions. For example, military lapel pins can be made from hard enamel because it may look more professional and classic.
The great news is that you can easily make custom lapel pins that work with either soft enamel or hard enamel. If you have an event coming up or just want to make some pins for fun, you may want to experiment with both options to see which you like better.
One of the great things about being able to make these types of pins is that you can be creative! The sky is the limit and you can make pins that showcase exactly what you were hoping for.
When you are deciding between soft enamel pins and hard enamel pins, it comes down to what you like the best and what you plan to do with the pin.
Remember that hard enamel pins are more durable, but they also cost a little more to make. A soft enamel pin is a little less scratch-resistant, but it can have a unique look about it that is hard to find elsewhere.
If you want to get some information about our lapel pins and how you can order them, check out our website to learn more. We have plenty of options to choose from!
