Small metal merch
Custom pins
A custom pin is a small metal (or acrylic) badge with colour in the recesses or printed on the face. People wear it on a jacket, a bag, or a lanyard. It is not a sticker and it is not a keychain. Order pins when you want a keepsake that clips on.
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Key takeaways
- Custom enamel pins put colour into a metal outline. Soft enamel is recessed and textured. Hard enamel is polished flat.
- Printed metal badges and acrylic badges are the same job when the art is a photo or a shape enamel cannot hold.
- Backings matter: butterfly clutch for a lapel, rubber for a bag, magnet if you cannot pierce the cloth.
- Unitix makes custom pins in Australia. A fob that holds keys is a custom keychain.
Soft enamel, hard enamel, metal, acrylic
The outline is metal unless you pick acrylic. The fill is what people mean by enamel.
| Type | Surface | Pick it when |
|---|---|---|
| Soft enamel | Colour sits below the metal ridges | You want texture and a classic pin feel |
| Hard enamel | Colour polished flush with the metal | You want a smooth, jewellery-like face |
| Printed metal badge | Full-colour print, optional special film | The art is a photo, a gradient, or a hologram |
| Acrylic | Printed plastic, light, custom shape | You want a large or odd silhouette without metal weight |
What a pin is actually for
Pins work as staff marks, event souvenirs, club merch, and retail collectibles. They fail as the only ID at a door. That job is a lanyard or a wristband.
A custom lapel pin for a conference and a merch pin for a band are the same factory path. The brief changes: one colourway and a role title, or a character and a glitter film.
- Keep the drawing simple. Hairline gaps in enamel fill poorly.
- Name the backing. Lapel, bag, and magnet are different hardware.
- Say if it has to match a keychain. Same art on two products still needs two tools.
How to brief custom pins
Shape, fill, backing, count. A painting of the idea is not a die line.
- 1
Choose the face
Soft enamel, hard enamel, printed metal, or acrylic. If you are unsure, send the art and say whether you want texture or a flat polish.
- 2
Lock the silhouette
A circle is cheap and clear. A custom outline needs a clean vector path. Tiny islands of metal break.
- 3
Pick the backing
Butterfly clutch, rubber clutch, or magnet. Bags and thick merch jackets often want rubber.
- 4
Quantity and proof
Pins are small. Order a buffer. Approve a digital proof of colours and outline before metal is cut. Browse custom pins when the silhouette is decided.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between soft and hard enamel pins?+
Can I get custom enamel pins made in Australia?+
Are pins the same as keychains?+
Order custom pins
Soft enamel, hard enamel, printed metal, and acrylic badges to your outline.
