FACTORY-DIRECT OEM / ODM MANUFACTURING

Custom Lapel Pins and Badges Made to Match Your Artwork

Gairun is an OEM/ODM manufacturer of custom lapel pins and badges for brands, clubs, institutions, event teams and promotional product distributors. We produce enamel pins, die-struck badges, zinc alloy die-cast pins, photo-etched designs and printed metal badges with optional clear epoxy coating.

The right construction depends on the artwork, required surface, shape and intended use. A design based on separate color areas may suit enamel, while a formed shape may require die-casting. Detailed graphics can also be reproduced as a printed surface. Compare the methods below, then send your artwork and specifications for a project-specific quotation.

Request a pin or badge quote

Compare Pin and Badge Manufacturing Methods

Pin construction affects how lines, colors, relief and the outer shape appear in metal. These methods are distinct production routes rather than different names for the same product.

Construction route	Visible result	Key artwork question
Soft enamel	Color sits below the surrounding metal borders	Can the colors be divided into clear enamel areas?
Imitation hard enamel	Enamel and metal create a smoother face	Does the design need a smooth colored presentation?
Die-struck or stamped	Defined raised and recessed metal areas	Can the logo or message be built around metal lines and relief?
Zinc alloy die-cast	Formed shapes and more dimensional relief	Does the concept require geometry beyond a flatter stamped design?
Photo etched	Etched metal areas prepared for the selected decoration	How should the graphic be divided across the metal face?
Screen or UV printed	Artwork appears as a printed graphic on the badge surface	Should the design remain printed instead of being divided into enamel cells?

The final route is selected after we review the dimensions, shape, relief, color layout, text and attachment. You can also browse the wider custom metal product range if your program includes products beyond pins and badges.

Choose Soft or Imitation Hard Enamel by Surface Style

Enamel pins use metal borders to separate color areas. Those borders help define logos, letters and graphic sections during coloring. The main choice is the surface effect you want to show.

Soft enamel creates recessed color areas between raised metal lines. This makes the metal structure visible and gives the face a clear change in level. A transparent epoxy coating can be added when a clear coated surface is part of the design direction. See our custom soft enamel pins for a closer review of artwork and surface planning.

Imitation hard enamel produces a smoother appearance across the colored face. The artwork still needs controlled color areas and metal borders, but the final presentation differs from recessed soft enamel. Review imitation hard enamel pins when a smooth enamel surface is central to the brief.

Neither route is automatically right for every logo. Line clarity, text size, color separation and the intended metal finish must be reviewed together. Complex artwork may need an adjusted border layout or a different decoration route.

Use Die-Struck Construction for Metal-Line Artwork

Die-struck badges are formed by stamping metal with tooling made for the design. This route supports artwork organized around raised lines, recessed sections and shaped metal surfaces. Color, plating or printing can be considered after the base form has been selected.

Artwork review focuses on the features that must remain clear after forming:

Logo outlines and the relationship between raised and recessed areas
Small text and narrow lines that need clear separation
Areas intended to remain as visible metal
Sections planned for enamel or printed color
The outer badge shape and attachment position

Stamping describes how the metal is formed. It does not define the final decoration by itself. A die-struck pin may use a plated metal presentation, enamel color or another reviewed surface treatment. We coordinate forming and decoration so the proof reflects the intended finished badge.

Select Die-Casting for Formed Shapes and Dimensional Relief

Zinc alloy die-casting is an option for pins that require a formed outline or more dimensional relief. Molten zinc alloy is shaped in a mold, creating the base part before polishing, plating, coloring and assembly.

Gairun operates 88T and 160T zinc alloy die-casting machines. For a pin project, this capability is relevant when the concept includes sculpted surfaces, an irregular formed body or relief that needs a casting review. Our engineers assess the geometry and decoration plan before mold work begins.

A die-cast route does not mean every fine detail can be transferred without adjustment. The artwork must show which features are raised, recessed, colored, plated or printed. Dimensions, thickness and the back attachment area also need to be defined. Buyers with deeper process questions can review our zinc alloy die-casting capability.

Keep Detailed Graphics as Screen or UV Printing

Some badge artwork is better treated as a printed image than separated into enamel cells. Gairun provides screen printing and UV printing for custom metal badges. The choice depends on the graphic structure, color layout, text and the selected metal base.

Printed construction can be reviewed when artwork contains visual detail that would change if every color needed a surrounding metal border. It can also support layouts where the buyer wants the graphic to read as a printed face rather than a relief-and-enamel design.

A clear epoxy coating may be applied over the decorated surface. Epoxy changes the face by adding a transparent coated layer, so it should be shown in the specification rather than treated as an automatic step. Our printed and epoxy-coated badge page covers these decisions in more detail.

Coordinate Base Metal, Plating and Surface Effects

Gairun processes zinc alloy, brass, iron, stainless steel and aluminum. Material selection follows the construction method, geometry, surface plan and artwork. We do not assign a base metal only from the product name; the complete design must be reviewed first.

Available metal appearance options include gold, silver, nickel, black nickel, antique bronze and antique silver. Dual plating can place two plating tones within one coordinated design. Sandblasting and matte finishing provide additional surface directions.

Consider these choices as one system. A dark metal finish changes the contrast around color and text. An antique effect interacts with recessed detail differently from a bright plated face. Dual plating requires planned visual boundaries. The forming method must also support the intended relief and outer shape before the finish is chosen.

Reference images can communicate the desired appearance, but the quotation should still name the preferred finish. This allows our team to compare the request with the artwork and proposed production route.

Define How the Pin Will Be Worn or Presented

A badge used on apparel has different planning needs from one distributed in a presentation box or supplied as campaign merchandise. Tell us how the product will be worn, issued and handled before the artwork is approved.

Butterfly clutches and strong magnets are attachment examples handled in our pin and badge work. Attachment security is checked during final inspection. The attachment must be identified early because its position affects the back layout and how the finished badge sits when worn or displayed.

Brand and campaign pins

define the logo treatment, distribution method and presentation requirement.

Club and membership badges

identify member versions, wording changes and attachment expectations.

Institutional badges

provide the controlled emblem, exact text and approval requirements.

Event pins

state the event identity, version count, distribution plan and required schedule.

Distributor programs

separate each design, quantity, finish and packaging requirement in the order brief.

Approve Artwork, Samples and Inspection Details

We can begin with vector artwork, a PDF or a sketch. The design team develops a 2D or 3D proof as needed, followed by engineering review and mold work where the selected construction requires tooling. The proof should define dimensions, thickness, relief, color areas, plating and the attachment position.

Custom sampling normally takes 7–10 working days. This is the sampling stage, not a promise of final delivery timing. The order schedule is reviewed separately based on the selected design, process and project requirements.

File review

We examine the artwork and project specifications to identify a suitable construction route.

Visual proof

The proposed shape, metal areas, color treatment and finish direction are shown for buyer review.

Engineering and tooling

Dimensions, relief and production details are checked before mold development or forming.

First article

The initial piece is compared with the drawing for dimensions, thickness and relief detail.

In-process checks

Inspection may cover burrs, flatness, plating color and adhesion, plus enamel overflow or missing color.

Final inspection

Finished badges are visually checked for surface scratches and attachment security.

Frequently Asked Questions About Custom Pins and Badges

Which construction method is best for my custom lapel pin artwork?

Use the artwork structure as the starting point. Clear color cells can suit enamel, metal-line designs can suit die-struck construction, formed or dimensional shapes can require zinc alloy die-casting, and image-led graphics may be reviewed for screen or UV printing. We confirm the route after checking the shape, relief, color layout, text and attachment.

What is the visible difference between soft enamel and imitation hard enamel pins?

Soft enamel has colored areas recessed below the surrounding metal borders. Imitation hard enamel creates a smoother colored face. Both methods require planned color separation and metal lines, but they produce different surface presentations.

When should a badge be die-struck instead of die-cast?

Die-struck construction can fit designs based on stamped metal lines and raised or recessed areas. Die-casting is considered when the shape or relief requires a more formed zinc alloy structure. The final decision depends on the complete geometry and decoration plan.

Can detailed artwork be screen printed or UV printed on a metal badge?

Yes. Gairun provides screen and UV printing for metal badges. Printing is an alternative when the graphic should remain a printed surface instead of being divided into enamel cells. Artwork, colors, text and the metal base are reviewed before the printing method is selected.

Which files and specifications are needed for a pin quote?

Send vector artwork when available, or provide a PDF or sketch for review. Include the size, quantity, construction preference, material or finish direction, colors, attachment, packaging, destination and required schedule. Identify separate versions if names, colors or text change.

What are the MOQ and custom sample timing?

The standard MOQ is 100 pieces per design. A 50-piece trial order may be supported depending on the selected product, design or process requirements, and review. Custom sampling normally takes 7–10 working days.