Soft Enamel vs Hard Enamel vs Die-Struck: How to Choose the Right Finish for Your Lapel Pins
When people start planning lapel pins , the first questions are usually about design: what shape, what colours, what logo. The finish is just as important. It decides how a pin feels in the hand, how its colours look, how it wears over time and how much it costs. This guide compares the most common finishes, explains where each works best and offers a simple framework for choosing, so your next order of custom lapel pins turns out the way you imagined. Start With the Basics: Anatomy of a Pin Every pin is made of a few elements: Base metal: usually brass, copper, iron or zinc alloy Surface detail: raised metal lines and recessed areas that form the design Colour fill: enamel, or no fill at all Plating: gold, silver, nickel, copper or antique finishes Backing: butterfly clutch, rubber clutch, magnet or safety pin A metal lapel pin gets its look from the combination of these elements. Changing just one, such as swapping gold plating for antique silver, can shift the...