The front of a lapel pin will tell you a great deal about how it was made. Do metal ridges separate the colors? Is there an enamel covering? Does the image look like a photograph? Here are the more common methods used to make a pin:

Hard Enamel (or Cloisonné) lapel pins are die-struck from a copper bronze surface. A die is created to imprint your design into the metal. The outline of the lapel pin and any cut-outs are then cut with another mold. Colors are hand-filled with a powdered glass-like mixture. Colors are fired one at a time at 1,700 F for up to four minutes. This two step process insures that there will be no bleeding of colors. Next, the cloisonné pins are individually hand polished and then plated in your design specific plating color. Typical plating colors are Gold and Silver but several others are available. Finally each cloisonné pin is individually inspected and packaged in its own protective storage bag, and prepped for shipping. You will receive a high quality finished product that is comparable with other types of fine jewelry.

Soft Enamel lapel pins are filled with enamel paints. The pins are fired at low heat to seal the colors and provide a luster appearance. Our cloisonné soft enamel lapel pins are perfect for simple designs of colors that need to be clearly separated. The combination of brass and vivid colors make for a reasonably priced cloisonné lapel pins and an excellent choice for your event. Another option with the soft enamel lapel pins is to apply a clear protective epoxy finish for extra durability. Colors can be filled with this type of cloisonné lapel pin.

Die Struck all-metal lapel pin process offers sharp detail, contrast and relief. Instead of using color, the raised areas are highly polished and the recessed areas have a textured, matte or antique finish below the polished metal. This creates a clean, understated, elegant look. Die struck custom Lapel Pins can come in your choice of various metal plating finishes which include High Polished 18K gold, High Polished Silver, Antique Bronze, and Copper.

Offset Printed pins when your design requires fine lines and details in a specific color rather than in metal or when your image is a painting or photograph. Using the same thickness of metal as our photo etched and the latest printing technology, each design is printed directly onto the brass. A clear protective epoxy coating is applied to protect the image on your offset lapel pin.

Photo Etched lapel pins offer a similar look to the cloisonné but are less expensive. The photo etched pin process allows for more detailed designs and a wider spectrum of colors to choose from. A computer etches your design onto a brass plate. The design is then filled with the colored enamels of your choice. The photo etched lapel pins are fired in a kiln to ensure durability and high quality. The pin is polished and then a clear protective epoxy finish is applied to protect the underlying colors.

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The back of a lapel pin usually has a standard attachment referred to as a butterfly or military clutch. Other options include the tie tac and magnetic clutch.