Types of Custom Lapel Pins

There isn't one type of custom pin, there are five. Soft enamel, hard enamel, die-struck, die-cast, printed: and the options for custom enamel pins alone trip up buyers who don't know what separates them. Pick the wrong one and the pin fights the design instead of serving it.

This guide covers the main types of custom lapel pins: how each is made, what separates them on cost and finish, and which one suits your project. Company anniversary, school event, police department, sports team in Canada or the USA: the answer changes depending on what you need.

Different Types of Custom Lapel Pins

Each of these custom pins is made differently. Different metal process, different colour approach, different result. Quick overview:

• Soft enamel: textured, colourful, most popular

• Hard enamel: smooth, polished, premium feel

• Die-struck: metal-only, no colour fill, classic look

• Die-cast: raised 3D detail, great for logos and mascots

• Printed: full-colour photo-realistic designs

Soft Enamel Pins

A design gets stamped into metal, creating recessed grooves. Those grooves fill with coloured enamel paint. The enamel sits slightly below the metal edges rather than flush with them, so you can feel the texture with your fingertip. That's soft enamel.

Among custom enamel pins, this is the most ordered style. It handles almost any design: simple logos, detailed mascots, multi-colour programs, at a price that makes large orders practical. Most first-time buyers start here. A lot of repeat buyers stay here.

Best for: Businesses, schools, sports teams, and events wanting vibrant colours without a high price tag.

Hard Enamel Pins

Same stamping process as soft enamel, then one more step: the enamel fills in, the pin gets polished flat until surface and metal lines sit level. Pick one up. It feels closer to jewellery than to a stamped pin.

That polishing step adds cost and time. Hard enamel pins run slightly higher than soft enamel: not dramatically: the difference shows up in a large order budget.

Best for: Corporate awards, government agencies, and any design where a refined, premium look matters.

Die-Struck Pins

No enamel. No colour fill. Die-struck pins work by stamping the design directly into metal, leaving the raised and recessed areas in their natural finish: gold, silver, copper, antique tones.

The result: a classic, formal appearance. Think coin or medal. Die-struck pins work when a design relies on fine detail and clean lines. No colour needed: the metal finish does the communicating.

Best for: Military insignia, service pins, fraternal organizations, and heritage brands.

Die-Cast Pins

Instead of stamping a flat blank, die-cast pins use a mold. That's what produces raised, three-dimensional detail. Small text, intricate linework, sculpted elements: all of it comes out sharp and genuinely dimensional. Stamping can't do this.

Colour can still go on die-cast pins. But that's not why you'd choose this type. You choose die-cast pins for the depth.

Best for: Complex logos, mascots, anything with fine detail that needs to read clearly at pin scale.

Printed Pins

Full-colour printing instead of enamel fill. Gradients, shading, photo-realistic images: things enamel simply can't replicate. Finished with a protective epoxy dome coating.

Printed pins are the format for artwork that enamel genuinely can't handle: six-plus colours, photographic elements, anything with colour transitions that would require so many fill areas the design would lose coherence at pin scale.

Best for: Designs with gradients, photos, or more than 5-6 colours where enamel fill isn't practical. When printed pins are the right answer, enamel alternatives usually aren't close.

Soft Enamel vs. Hard Enamel Pins

This is the comparison buyers ask about most: and understandably, because both types of enamel lapel pins start from the same process and look similar in photos.

Short answer: soft enamel has a textured, recessed surface and lower cost. Hard enamel is polished flat, smoother finish, slightly higher price point.

Neither is objectively better. A giveaway pin at a trade show doesn't need the same finish as a 25-year service award. The use case decides.

How to Choose the Right Type of Lapel Pin

Five types of custom lapel pins. Three things decide which one is right: your design, your budget, how the pin gets used.

Based on Design

• Simple logo, 2-5 colours: soft enamel or hard enamel

• Fine detail, small text, sculpted shapes: die-cast

• Gradients, photos, or 6-plus colours: printed

• No colour, metal-only, formal look: die-struck

Thin lines close together are a specific problem for custom enamel pins. Die-cast or die-struck handle fine linework more reliably.

Based on Budget

Soft enamel pins offer the best value for large orders. Of all custom pins, soft enamel has the lowest barrier to entry. Hard enamel and die-cast carry a moderate premium for their finishing steps. Die-struck sits in a similar range to soft enamel depending on plating.

Printed pins vary the most. Full-colour printing and epoxy coating add production steps that simpler enamel fills don't need.

Based on Intended Use

• Employee recognition, awards: hard enamel or die-struck

• Trade shows, giveaways, fundraisers: soft enamel

• Sports teams, mascots, detailed logos: die-cast

• Photo-based or gradient artwork: printed

• Military, police, or heritage organizations: die-struck or die-cast

A pin worn daily on a uniform needs to hold up differently than one handed out once at an event. Factor in frequency and duration of wear.

Final Takeaway

No single best type of custom lapel pin exists across all enamel lapel pins and metal pin formats. The right choice comes from three things: design complexity, budget, and how the pin gets worn or used. Soft enamel covers most everyday needs. Hard enamel and die-struck suit formal recognition. Die-cast handles intricate detail. Printed pins take on full-colour artwork.

Safest next step: send your design in for review before committing to an order of custom pins. A proof shows exactly how the design translates into metal and colour before production commits to anything.