Lapel Pin Design and Production

1. Lapel Pin Design and Production Lapel pins are an ancient art form that began in ancient Rome and continually evolve to become more beautiful and detailed as technology allows for intricate, flawless designs. This type of jewelry can be used to send a message, with class and sophistication. Because of advancements in computer design, pins can be designed digitally and there are many websites which offer this service. When you need a design and concept, they are available through the world-wide-web without obligation to buy. The process of designing pin samples has become easy for many designers due to advancements in computer graphics. This makes it cost-effective to create a free sample online within a few hours. There is usually no obligation to buy a lapel pin once a design has been sent to the customer, so if you are dissatisfied you can ask for a revision or contact a different company. Production is cheap due to automation and factory technology which has improved, especially in the past century. There are several different types of lapel pins, the most notable are cloisonne, soft enamel and die struck custom lapel pins. Cloisonne pins are still made with the ancient techniques of glass enameling which is the same technique used to decorate the crown jewels. Glass is created by melting sand at extreme temperatures. The fine sand can fill into fine grooves of jewelry and pins with ease before firing. The sand is colored using special dye. Once the sand is cooled it is polished until it is flush with the surface of the pin or jewel. This process is still the most expensive process of production, but is surprisingly cheap when you consider the quality of cloisonne and its roots in ancient jewelry. The most affordable lapel pin type is soft enamel. Soft enamel is the modern equivalent of cloisonne, yet they have some limitations. The filling is not sand, but a soft colored enamel which hardens after firing. This enamel can be colored using Pantone colors which means that companies can use it for their official logo and will meet their marketing guidelines for corporate identity. Soft Enamel cannot be flush smooth with the surrounding metal the way cloisonne pins are, however a glass-like epoxy dome can be added at little or no charge which gives the pin a smooth surface. Sometimes a rough surface is desired, much like a coin. Some call it "raised edges" which can give depth and substance to the design. If the raised edges are desired, an epoxy dome is not added. The third most popular lapel pin type is the die struck method. Similar to coins, die struck lapel pins get their name from a die which is used to stamp an image onto metal. The grooves and surfaces can be very detailed and beautiful. Sometimes sand-blasting can be used to decorate certain areas, usually backgrounds - in order to create contrast within the design. Gold metal plating, silver nickel plating or copper metal are used for optimal beauty and presentation. Die struck lapel pins are formal and sophisticated yet affordable alternatives when you do not need colors in your pin design. There are still other lapel pin types, such as printed pins, which are not as bold and bright as the soft enamel or cloisonne types, but are great for artwork and pictures. Some pin types such as photo dome are recent advancements to allow for fast production when there are tight deadlines.