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October 16, 2023
Enamel pins are a great way of promoting your brand or event, or just showing off your flair and personal style. Since pins are so customizable and have so many great uses, you might be considering getting some for your business. Unfortunately, since enamel pins are so difficult to make you won't be able to make them yourself.You will, however, be able to rely on a manufacturer to create a pin to your unique specifications and design. If you are unsure of the manufacturing process of enamel pins, how much it might cost and how long it might take, then you have come to the right place. This article answers all of that and more.
Enamel pins are metal pins that have been smelted and pressed into unique and interesting shapes and designs. Then, they are decorated in various ways. It could be painting, dipping in strong paints, or by hammering in metals into the pin to give it a cool metallic finish. Enamel pins are used for all sorts of things from supporting a cause, like a charity, or decorating your bag or jacket. They have endless uses and endless different designs, so you will always find something to use your pins for.
Enamel pins are made of molten metal, usually iron, though there can be other metals mixed in there for strength or color. Copper pins are a nice bright color that might suit different situations better, for example. Since they are almost all made of iron, they are very strong and durable. They stand up to heat, stress, and pressure incredibly well. Their finish is often enamel paints or dies to give them a unique and interesting finish, which material is used for decoration varies from pin to pin and company to company. Some pins may have a plastic or rubber coating on the pin tip itself to stop you from poking yourself, though this isn't always the case and is separate from the pin itself.
From start to finish the manufacturing time for enamel pins is about 2 to 4 weeks depending on the scale of the operation and the number of pins that are required. The process of heating the metal and molding it is relatively easy, the process of cooling it gently so that it doesn't break and then imprinting whatever pattern or design on to it that you require is a little more time-consuming. The bigger the operation, the faster they are likely to manufacture your pin. However, they will also require you to order a very large batch of pins not just a hundred or so. Once the pins are cool and decorated, they will be ready for packing and shipping. How long the shipping process takes will depend again on quantity and how much you are willing to spend on shipping. Unfortunately, most manufacturers don't allow you to pick up your delivery so you will be stuck waiting for the mailman.
Manufacturing isn't simply turning the machine on and waiting for the magic to happen, the design process is one of the most time-consuming parts. Agreeing on a realistic design with the customer is a big part of creating the final product. Plus, your pin might need a custom mold depending on the shape. If you are creating a circular pin, this isn't an issue. If you are creating a pin in the shape of your company logo, creating the molds might add an extra week onto the whole process. Additionally, blending the right color for your design might take a little trial and error. It is a lot easier to pick a color on photoshop for your company logo than it is to create an enamel paint in that color.
Yes, soft enamel pins are generally faster to make than their hard enamel counterparts for a few reasons. First, soft enamel pins require fewer finish touches. They are expected to be rough around the edges and not as smooth. This textured feel can be a huge selling point for some people, for others, it is less so. Luckily, it is easier to make a textured pin than an untextured one. This is partially why soft enamel pins are so much cheaper per unit than hard enamel ones.
The price will vary widely from place to place and from pin to pin. To give you a general idea, spending $100 for $100 soft enamel pins is not out of the realms of possibility. It could be less, depending on the size, it could be more due to the detailed images. Hard enamel pins are always a little more, anywhere from %10-%50 depending on the quantity and the manufacturer's rates. Since it is easier for the manufacturer to produce 10k of one type of pin, rather than 1k of 10 different types, quantity always leads to massive reductions in price. Of course, it is still more cost-effective to buy 100 pins if you only need 100 pins. If you need a lot though, always buy in bulk.
So, from start to finish you can have your pins made well within a month. It can be much faster if you do a few things to make the manufacturer's life a little easier. For example, knowing what you want and how much you want to pay.Furthermore, choosing a design that will actually work on the pin you have chosen is important. If you decide you want hard enamel pins, but that you also want intricate images on it, this won't be realistic in most cases. Which will waste time when you end up going back and forth with the manufacturer until you settle on a design that will work. If you make a plan and go in knowing what you need, you can be done in 2 weeks with no dramas. It is just as much in your hands as it is in theirs.For a simple and straightforward custom pin ordering process, contact PinProsPlus here.
