Custom Lapel Pins To Make Events Memorable
Custom lapel pins have been around for many decades and are best used to commemorate a special date or occasion. This way they also become collector pieces in years to come. There are many options for lapel pins, from Imitation Cloisonne to Die Struck, High polish, soft enamel and novelty flashing pins. We thought we’d take some time to explain the differences between different styles, so you can have an informed choice of what would work best for your business.
1. Imitation Cloisonne Lapel Pins
We start with these as they are the most exclusive. You can get genuine Cloisonne, but they are prohibitively expensive, so we thought we’d start with the next best thing. These lapel pins are made with hand syringed resin enamel colours being filled to different sections of raised brass. This is what makes them expensive as literally the entire process is done by hand. What you end up with are very rich deep colours with a smooth and durable finish. They are baked in an oven at 160 degrees to ensure the enamels are all hardened properly. For the most upmarket lapel pin, these would be the ones to choose.
2. Die Struck Antique Lapel Pins
If you are wanting an “old world” look, then these are the ones for you. The one pictured is antique silver, but you can also get them in both antique brass or antique copper.
They are made by being die struck and then the recessed areas stay a darker colour and the raised sections are polished to a lighter colour of the same metal to give it a contrast.
The pin is then washed with an antique finish. These are ideal for more solemn occasions such as recognising deeds of people, whether it be for bravery or community service. They look fantastic and are understated, giving them a timeless feel.
3) Die Struck Sandblast Lapel Pins
Another great option is to have a sandblasted effect to your die struck lapel pin. Just like the antique finish, the basic part of making the lapel pin is the same, by having the design die struck into the metal.
You can choose between brass, gold, silver and copper for the finish. After the pin is die struck, is then sandblasted. This has the effect of giving the raised sections a high polished look and the recessed areas a matte finish.
This contrast is what makes this particular lapel pin so appealing.
We have had several die-struck finishes previously. This one varies as it is not a wash or blasting finish, but instead, it is colour filled. It is similar to imitation cloisonne, but the first part of the construction is done by a die struck press, not by individually building up the different sections in metal.
This makes them much quicker to produce, but the individual colours are still hand-filled on each lapel pin. They come in gold, silver or bronze and they are perfect for getting good colour saturation. Ideal for simpler designs where you want the colour to stand out and be the main feature
Lastly, we have the photo dome lapel pin. This is the cheapest way to produce lapel pins but also allows for full-colour prints. Rather than ink being hand placed onto the lapel pin and being separated by metal, these are produced by printing your design on a piece of paper. This is then placed on the pin and an epoxy doing is added over the top to protect the paper and print.
If you are needed a large bulk order to give out to a big crowd of people, these are the most cost-effective lapel pin you can buy. Also, the full-colour print reproduction allows you plenty of scope with your graphics.
We hope this blog has helped clarify some of the differences when it comes to customising a lapel pin. If you are still unsure what would work best for you, we are always just a phone call or email away and would be happy to assist.