When designing a lapel pin - a small, decorative pin that features a design, logo or symbol - it’s important to understand the different types of lapel pins and how each type might best suit your project.
Enamel lapel pins are a popular choice. These are coloured lapel pins that have elements of the design filled with paint for a vibrant and eye-catching final product. There are design limitations, however, when it comes to enamel lapel pins, depending on the pin size and complexity.
So what other lapel pin options are there if enamel fill isn’t right for you?
- Metal Lapel Pins
- Printed Lapel Pins
- What’s the difference between Metal & Printed Pins
- Types of Lapel Pins
- When to use Metal vs When to use Printed
- What are the Pros and Cons of Metal & Printed Pins
- Which One is Right for You?
- Popular Pin Uses
- Final Thoughts
- FAQ
Metal Lapel Pins
Metal lapel pins are a close second in popularity to enamel lapel pins. Custom metal pins are lapel pins that don’t have any colour or paint filling them. They can be made in many different metal colours or finishes—gold, silver, bronze, antique shades—and can incorporate many of the design elements that you would find on an enamel lapel pin, but without the paint.
Metal pins can also be made with a sandfrost finish—this is created by sandblasting the pin and then hand-buffing the background, creating a dull, textured finish that is classy and timeless. What’s nice about custom metal pins is that you can use the same lapel pin mold for different metal colours—gold, silver, bronze, etc.—so you end up with many different shades of the same lapel pin design. This is especially popular for years of service or other recognition pins.
Printed Lapel Pins
Printed lapel pins are another great alternative to enamel pins, especially for projects with a design that is more complex or intricate. With this production process, pin designs are digitally printed in high resolution on a custom lapel pin shape and then stamped with an epoxy dome for protection. Custom printed pins are often the way to go if your logo or design has details that are too small to hold enamel (smaller than 1.5 mm), or if there is a colour gradient/blending/shading that can’t be recreated in a custom enamel pin. The other great thing about printed pins is that they are a bit more economical than an enamel or metal pin. Custom printed pins are lightweight, fun, and a great way to get your design or logo out into the world.
What’s the Difference Between Metal & Printed Lapel Pins?
There are many differences between custom metal pins and printed lapel pins. The main difference between metal lapel and printed lapel pins is the overall style. Metal pins are a little more classy and high-end, perfect for awards programs or fancy recognition gifts. Whereas printed pins are a bit more fun and artsy, we often see creative and intricate designs come to life as printed pins. Another main difference between metal lapel pins and printed lapel pins is overall weight. Metal pins are heavier and made with a thicker base. Printed pins are lightweight and made on a thinner base, hence the less expensive price point.
Types of Lapel Pins
Custom metal pins and printed lapel pins are only two of many different types of custom lapel pins. Other types include custom hard enamel pins, custom soft enamel pins, and custom 3D pins. These other lapel pin types vary in overall style and price point depending on your project and artwork design. For example, hard enamel pins are a great choice for classy, high-quality pins that don’t have too much fine detail or small areas to hold paint. Soft enamel lapel pins are a popular choice for logo pins, artist pins, and other fun designs. 3D lapel pins are made with a special type of pin mold that incorporates three-dimensional elements for a unique and multi-layered final product.
When to Use Metal Lapel Pins vs When to Use Printed Lapel Pins
So, when should you choose a custom printed pin and when should you choose a custom metal pin? There are several differences between metal lapel pins and printed lapel pins, so it really depends on the purpose of your lapel pin project as well as the overall lapel pin design. Recognition pins—specially designed to mark years of service or longtime employees and volunteers—are often produced in a metal finish. The finished product is classy, high-quality, and valuable, and as such, a metal finish makes a great choice for years of service pins. Additionally, the same pin mold can be used for various levels of service. For example, if you want to recognize 5 years of service with a bronze pin, 10 years of service with a silver lapel pin, and 20 years of service with a gold lapel pin, the same mold can be used for all three; the production team simply uses different metal electroplating in the final finishing stages.
The choice to go with a printed lapel pin most often comes down to a design, logo, or artwork that is too complex for a custom enamel pin. Enamel lapel pin production requires small metal edges around each design element to hold the paint. That means that the design elements can’t be smaller than 1.5 mm when shrunk down to lapel pin size. It also means that things like gradients/colour shading or blended colours can’t be done on an enamel pin. But not to worry, that’s when printed pins swoop in to save the day! The great thing about custom printed pins is that the most complex design can be recreated into a sleek, stunning lapel pin with zero adjustments to the artwork.
What are the Pros & Cons of Metal Lapel Pins and Printed Lapel Pins?
As with any type of custom lapel pin, there are pros and cons for both custom printed pins and custom metal pins. The pros of a metal pin include classy style, a high-calibre finished product, plenty of options for metal finish colour, and the option to mix and match between metal shades using the same pin base mold. The cons of a metal pin include some design limitations if there are details that are too small for a metal finish pin mold, and, of course, no colour!
The main pros of a printed pin are no limitations with the pin design—colours galore, gradients, shading, small details, and a more economic price point. The cons of a printed pin are a slightly thinner base and no real textures on the surface.
Which One is Right for You?
To determine whether a custom printed pin or a custom metal pin is best for you and your next project, a great place to start is the artwork or logo that you’re hoping to use. Does the artwork have lots of colours and details? Or is it a more straightforward design? A complex, full-colour, and detailed design would likely be best suited for a printed pin, especially if you’re hoping to keep the artwork exactly as-is when it’s transformed into a pin. If your logo or design is a bit simpler, with not a lot of colours or fine details, or you are looking for something particularly high-class and fancy, we definitely recommend exploring a metal pin as your best option.
Popular Pin Uses
Keep in mind, there are many possibilities when it comes to how to use your beautiful new custom lapel pin—a fashion accessory on your jacket is the most traditional use, but they can also be used to spruce up a hat, purse, backpack, scarf, and more! Promoting your brand, advocating for an important cause, recognizing service contributions, celebrating a special occasion, or simply starting a conversation, custom lapel pins are a great way to get your good ideas out there into the world.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to custom lapel pins, there are many things to consider when deciding between the various pin types, and weighing the Difference Between Metal Lapel and Printed Lapel Pins is no exception. Custom metal pins are the perfect choice for a classy, high-end final product, often used to recognize years of service or to celebrate a milestone. Custom printed pins are the best choice for a design or logo that is more complex, has a lot of colour blending or gradients, and can’t be edited from its original design. Both custom lapel pin types will result in an eye-catching and beautiful final product for whatever project you have in mind.
As custom lapel pin suppliers with decades of experience behind us, we look forward to guiding you through your custom lapel pin production process and helping to create an amazing final product.