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Recently, we’ve received a lot of inquiries from customers who sent us a sketch and expressed their desire to customize enamel pins. However, during our communications, we realized that many of them don’t fully understand the process of customizing pins. So, in this article, we will explain how to customize enamel pins step by step.
Step 1. Prepare Your Enamel Pins Mockup
Formats of Artwork, Jpg, png, Ai, PSD, either is fine.
Designing an enamel pin is not difficult, as there are several design tools available, such as Canva.
Canva
Canva is easy to operate and doesn’t require any technical skills. It allows you to crop images, adjust sizes, add colors, and text, which helps you complete the preliminary design of your badge.
Photoshop
If you have some Photoshop skills, that’s even better. You can use Photoshop to create the design you want. Compared to Canva, it’s more flexible and can be used to create various designs and add various colors.
A Pen With A Paper
If you don’t know how to use any drawing tools, that’s okay too. You just need to draw the pattern on paper, add colors, and text. This will give you the initial design of the badge. You can then send it to your badge factory, and they will help you create the design for free.
Things to Consider When Designing Lapel Pins:
Number of Colors:
The number of colors affects the price. The more colors, the longer the production time and the higher the cost. Moreover, if the colors are too complex, they may distract from the main point the badge is trying to convey.
Tiny Details
Try to simplify small details. Due to size limitations, small details in the design are hard to show. Usually, color blocks should be at least 1MM. Here is an easy way to test it: Print out your design at a 1:1 ratio to see whether all color blocks can be colored.
Gradient Colors
If your design has gradient colors, they cannot be achieved through baking paint, but they can be printed. Thanks to technological advancements, gradient color printing is now possible.
Copyright
Pay attention to copyright when designing. Avoid copying others’ original brands to prevent copyright issues.
Choose Badge Type: Hard Enamel Pins OR Soft Enamel Pins
Soft Enamel Pins feel on the surface, with metal lines protruding and the baked paint recessed. They are suitable for all types of badges.
Hard Enamel Pins have a smooth and bright surface. They are of high quality and suitable for 2D badge designs. They are slightly more expensive than soft enamel pins.
The materials for both are the same – Iron OR Zinc Alloy.
Iron is used for products with regular shapes and no-cutout designs.
Zinc alloy is used for products with irregular shapes or cut-out designs.
Step 2: Choose Lapel Pins Size
The popular pin sizes are 0.75”, 1“, 1.25”, 1.5“, 1.75” and 2”.
If your badge design is simple and has fewer colors, then a size between 0.75”-1.25″ would be sufficient. If your badge design is complex, consider a larger size to display more details. If you are unsure about the size, you can ask your badge supplier for professional advice.
Step 3: Choose Plating Color
Common lapel pins metal finishes are gold, silver, and black dye. Both baked paint badges and enamel badges can choose these plating colors.
Step 4: Choosing Pin Backs
Options include the butterfly clutch (the most common accessory), rubber backs, safety pins, magnets, U attachments, and deluxe clutch.
Step 5: Decide on the Quantity of Enamel Pins You Want To Produce
Take into account your budget and potential demand. Customizing badges requires opening a mold, so any badge design requires a mold fee for the first order.
Therefore, for small batch customization, the cost will be relatively high. We usually recommend customers to order MOQ: 100PCS/design. When you reorder this design, there will be no mold fee, making the price much lower.
Step 6:Choose Packaging Option
The standard packaging method is individual polybags. For some lapel pins retailers, they usually require backing cards + OPP bag packaging.
Generally, factories have cooperating card factories and can help you order cards.
Step 7: Choose a Factory To Produce Your Enamel Pins
- Research and contact enamel pin manufacturers.
- Request quotes and samples from potential factories.
- Consider factors like production time, quality, and cost when selecting a manufacturer.
Research and contact enamel pin manufacturers, alibaba.com , there are 10,000 suppliers here. you can browse the products and contact them to choose the proper one.
Google to search ” lapel pins manufacture”
OK, Now, there are hundreds of suppliers in front of you. But how to get the proper supplier for your design?
You can request quotes and samples from potential factories, it is FREE. Consider factors like production time, quality, and cost when selecting a manufacturer. Once you’ve decided on the design, size, quantity, and plating color, you can contact the factory to start production.
If you’re customizing pins for the first time, you may be concerned about the quality, delivery time, and their service. To alleviate these concerns, you can ask them questions during the procurement process, such as how long it takes, how they control quality, and ask them to send some product pictures for quality reference.
If you need a sample, they are also willing to send it to you.
As a manufacturer, Here is my sincere advice: When choosing a factory, don’t just focus on the price. The price not only represents the product but also represents the value that the supplier can provide to you, such as design, professional service, stable delivery, free samples, and high quality.
Every Price has its meaning, and it’s hard to get high-quality products and good service at a low price. We are in the industry for 15 years. we have seen too many good things and bad things in the field.
Reasonable Price Range: $150-$230 based on 100PCS pins
Reasonable Lead Time Range: 10-18days based on 100-1000PCS
Reason Quality Defective Rate: 5% is reasonable. as lapel pins are man-craft products. defective is inevitable.
Conclusion
After reading the article, do you know how to customize the lapel pins? If you need any help on lapel pins design, or to make your own lapel pins. welcome to reach out. We are happy to add value to your business, no matter you work with us or NOT.
