Custom Lapel Pins Make Great Gifts!

Lapel pins are often used as signs of achievement, or as symbols of organizations. These organizations can be anything from a basketball team to an entire country. These little gadgets can also represent favorite cartoon characters, or be imprinted with the face of a movie star or politician.

Custom lapel pins take it one step further. Because these stylish pins have been customized to certain specifications, companies see them as great promotional tools. As you can imagine, hardly any businessman or politician will deny that these custom pins are indeed an affordable way of subtly convey a message, tastefully market a product, or service.

Giving away custom lapel pins to employees is one of the most effective ways to recognize their years of service. It not only boosts morale and productivity, but also shows that the employees loyalty is being recognized. These funky and inexpensive gadgets also can become welcome gifts at other occasions. They can be ordered as wedding favors, birth announcements, and much more.

Lapel pins have many aliases and are also occasionally marketed as buttons and badges. The nice thing about these items is that they can easily be customized. Just ask the team of OrderLapelPins.com. These expert custom lapel pin producers can tell you exactly how easy it is to incorporate a logo, artwork or company name into the many varieties of pins they have to offer. Among them are:

Cloisonn: A metal sheet is stamped in order to create a raised design outline. The recessed areas are filled with powdery glass-like color resins and then fired in an oven at 1600 degrees. The glossy finish will then give the pins a jewelry-like appearance.

Soft enamel: After being struck with the die, these custom lapel pins are filled with enamel paints. They are fired at low heat to seal the colors. This provides a lustrous appearance. This technique is similar to cloisonn, but less expensive.

Photo etched: A photographic image, taken from a negative, is transferred onto the surface of a brass pin. The design is then overlaid with enamel color and sealed in an oven. Lastly, the pins are cut from the sheet and polished.

Die struck: After an image is stamped onto a sheet of iron or copper, it is cut out. When the plating is finished, the pieces are polished to a luster finish.

Offset printing: These pins are created by producing a photograph of the chosen design. Once the image has been transferred onto a metal sheet, colors are printed onto the metal surface of the pins. After they are baked they are cut to size and shape specifications. The next step is to cover them with an epoxy dome to improve appearance and durability.

Because they have been around for a long time, collecting custom lapel pins has become quite a rage. Many fervent collector have been known to feverishly search antique markets, pawn shops and Internet auctions to find that unique sample they are missing to complete their collection. Like all ambitious hobbyists, they will walk the earth, trade and barter to reach their goal and return home with that missing Tinkerbelle pin with ruby birthstone, or an exact replica Voyager/DS9 Com pin that will be the finishing touch on their imitation Star Trek uniform. If these collectors are lucky, a friend or family member may pick up on their passion and have their favorite pin remade, customized with their name on. Can you think of a more thoughtful gift?