There are many reasons why people design custom lapel pins. This article will discuss some of the most popular reasons many use custom lapel pins, the soft enamel process, and how to create a winning design!

It is essential to understand the process of manufacturing an enamel pin to create a design that will utilize the process to its fullest and create a gorgeous enamel pin. For this article, we will focus on the soft enamel pin process. A custom soft enamel pin can be created with almost any art design. Soft enamel pins are small, inexpensive, and are used in many industries.

What is a Soft Enamel Pin?

Soft enamel pins have a metal base like many other pin types. They are created with raised and recessed areas filled with enamel colors. It is a favorite process for many designers as it has an eye-catching embossed look and feel, is affordable, and, most importantly, allows versatility in the designs.

Soft enamel pins are our most popular custom style, and the production method is very cost-effective. Our team will work directly with you to determine your artwork needs and finalize your design. Your selected enamel colors are added to the appropriate areas of the pin, which is then cured in an oven. The soft enamel pins are trimmed and polished, and your selected attachments are added.

Why Create a Custom Soft Enamel Pin?

• Retail: Lapel pins have been in fashion for hundreds of years. The style, size, and materials may change, but the general popularity of these items has remained steady over the years. Creating your own pins that depict trendy images sells great. Many people have entire stores on Etsy selling their designs. Most major department stores have pins and brooches in their jewelry isles.
• Corporate: Large and small companies use lapel pins. The most common uses are for trade show giveaways, employee recognition, and brand awareness. Soft enamel lapel pins with corporate logos can be worn instead of formal branded clothing for employees, creating a sense of unity for a smaller price tag. Lapel pins are also very popular for companies to use as promotional products. They are collectible and allow customers to wear your brand and promote it in a way that other products do not.
• Awareness: Lapel pins are also used by non-profits to spread awareness. Many will use lapel pins as a fundraising device. The low cost of production allows for significant profits when fundraising. From cancer research to environmental awareness, soft enamel pins promote causes effectively.

These are just the top three reasons why people create pins. There are dozens of other reasons why! When designing a custom soft enamel pin, it is important to consider what you will be using the pins for. At PinMart, the lowest quantity you can order is 50 pieces. If you are a small retailer, ordering 50 pieces is plenty to test the market with your design. For larger corporations, you may need 1,000 or more pieces of a single design. PinMart can accommodate any quantity required. If you are creating pins for a tradeshow, we suggest reviewing the vendor information packet to determine how many people will be attending the show. You want to ensure you will have enough pins to last the length of the entire tradeshow but do not have hundreds of extra pins, especially if you have specific dates or information on the pins that will be for a one-time-only event. As with many custom products, the higher the number of pieces you order, the lower the price per piece. When sending your quote request, we suggest asking for at least two pricing quotes (one lower quantity and one higher) so you can see the price difference and make the best choice for your situation.

Now that you have an idea of how many pins you will need, the fun part comes next – designing the pin! At PinMart, we offer free design services. If you have a hand-drawn sketch and can describe what you want, we can make it. You must remember how the enamel process works, and your pin size is critical. Most pins are 1 inch high and wide, but the size of the pin is something you should consider carefully. When creating a pin, you must keep in mind that each area is filled with color and separated by metal. The smaller the pin, the less detail you can incorporate into the design. The larger the pin size, the more expensive the manufacturing cost will be, but the more detailed it can be!

The metal plating you choose will make a big impact on the overall look of the pin, so think about the colors used in the design and choose the plating color that will enhance the pin’s overall look. Below are all the plating options you may choose from.

One of PinMart’s valued customers is Jabi Cat, a small business owned by Matthew McSorley. He submitted a custom quote to PinMart and allowed us to share the quoted design with our readers to understand the PinMart custom soft enamel quote process.

You can begin the design process in one of three ways.

1. Write a description of the pin that you are looking to create.
2. Draw out a sketch of the image you want to create into a pin.
3. Send a pre-made logo or design file.

Below is the artwork submitted to PinMart. This image was created in a digital design program. The black line in this drawing represents the raised metal separations. Per the initial quote request, this design required 6 colors with glitter inclusions. 

The image below shows an example of an art proof the PinMart design team has created based on the original design above.

This pin has a gold plated metal as the base. The pin has a thin gold metal border on the outside perimeter and a thin gold metal line separating each of the six colors. It is important to know that you may only include one color in a single area. For this colorful design, the designer could have chosen any of the metal plating options, but choosing the gold plating adds richness and warmth that enhances the design and makes the pin look more expensive.

The art proof will give you valuable information about the pin you will order. The top right area shows an enlarged image of the final version of the custom soft enamel pin. Inspect this image carefully if you have letters or words incorporated into your design. You are responsible for ensuring there are no errors before you approve the art proof and order.

The bottom left area shows your pin at its actual size. Note that all details on the pin are reduced. Ensure all letters and words are legible, and the overall image is crisp. Your custom soft enamel pin’s backside view is in this area. This will show you where the post and clasp will be located. The pin in this example has one post and a clasp. Depending on the size and shape of your pin, it may require two of each to reduce the pin shifting while being worn.

The bottom right area shows the PMS colors used. There is one other color as well. Depicted is the gold color as this example will be gold plated. It also shows the type of pinback chosen in the quoting form. PinMart offers several types of backing. The most popular is a traditional military clasp, but many designers choose the rubber clutch as well. Be sure to check that the proof has the correct PMS colors and that you understand where the metal will be raised and recessed on your pin.

Once you have gone through the final art proof provided to you by the PinMart custom team, reply with your approval. You will receive a prompt to check out and have completed the custom pin ordering process! The standard production time for custom hard enamel pins is 3-4 weeks. This may change slightly; your salesperson will give you more details when they send your art proof.

Be sure to give yourself enough time for your custom pins to arrive. We suggest ordering at least 3-4 weeks before your event or product launch to ensure enough time for delivery. If you are creating a pin for retail, track the sales for the new pin every week. Determine how many are being sold so you can anticipate when to reorder. You need to ensure that you will not go out of stock and slow the sales momentum.  

By creating a custom pin card, you can add branding to the product and increase its perceived value. If you are interested in having a custom pin card designed, be sure to include this information with your custom pin sales associate along with the design concept, and they will include pricing. This particular card is 2.5” W x 3.5” H, but you can customize the size you require. This size allows enough room on the card to have the company branding in a large font and include complimentary design elements.

Visit JabiCat’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JABadIdea?mibextid=LQQJ4d

If you have any questions about how you can create your own soft enamel pins, call our customer support team at PinMart at 1-877-746-6278.