Hard Enamel Pins vs Soft Enamel Pins

Artists, brands, and designers face a complex decision about hard enamel pins vs. soft enamel pins. The right choice involves comparing features, use settings, and the results you want from the custom enamel pin design. This article guides enamel pin collectors to create unique lapel pins.

1. What are Soft Enamel Pins?

Soft enamel pins are the most traditional type of custom enamel pin design. You can create soft enamel pin badges by pouring soft enamel into a mold. The design process involves molding the metal surface to attain the desired shape. The method includes plating the metal, adding the enamel, and polishing the surface.

In addition, the manufacturer must remove excess colors and impurities before baking the pin. Hence, they can apply an epoxy coating to prevent peeling and cracking. The resulting custom enamel pin design features a classic look with dips between metal lines. It has a textured and bumpy touch suitable for contrasting designs.

2. What are Hard Enamel Pins?

Hard enamel pins are similar to soft ones but differ due to the production procedure. Enamel pin collectors create hard enamel pins by adding colored enamel to die-struck metal molds. Hence, they can heat the lapel pin, polish it, and grind the surface to attain a smooth and flat feel.

In any case, the hard custom enamel pin design ensures more durability and thicker pins, which makes them unsuitable for intricate designs. Nonetheless, hard enamel pins offer diverse color options, high quality, durability, and a smooth surface.

3. Hard Enamel Pins vs Soft Enamel Pins

Hard and soft enamel pins compare diverse appearances, colors, production procedures, costs, and textures. They offer a classic look with different specs, designs, and looks. Here is an exclusive comparison of the custom enamel pins design.

3.1  Appearance

Hard enamel pins offer a smooth and distinct look that the manufacturer attains by hand-polishing. The enamel pin collectors must bake the hard enamel pins at high temperatures. Thus, they attain a smooth and beautiful custom enamel pin design.

On the other hand, soft enamel pins blend vibrant custom designs with meticulous craftsmanship to attain unique lapel pins. Thus, manufacturing produces a soft enamel pin infusion of sharp details, colorful designs, and tactile dimensions.

3.2  Scratch Resistance

Soft enamel pins feature raised metal edges that can be prone to scratches. The edges have colored enamel paint that can crack when you rub a finger across the surface. Overall, the production process involves initial metal plating with a painted finish. Yet, soft custom enamel pins design offers affordability, fast production, and flexible design.

Meanwhile, hard enamel pins have a smooth and polished finish that is scratch-resistant. The unique lapel pins offer durability in uses with less intricate specs. In addition, they feature a jewelry look with more extended production costs and time.

3.3  Durability

Hard enamel pins have a longer lifespan than soft enamel pins. Nevertheless, soft enamel pins do not imply they are soft since they offer medium resistance. Hard unique lapel pins are more durable since they undergo heat curing. In addition, they have a smooth surface polish that ensures maximum durability.

3.4  Design Details

Hard custom enamel pins design involves polishing to flatten the edges, while soft enamel pins undergo polishing before coloring. Hence, the filling process raises the edges to attain a recessed surface after coloring. For that reason, complex design and sharp edges appear more transparent on soft enamel pins. 

Hard unique lapel pins can tone down the design lines and color details as the enamel pin collectors polish them after coloring and baking. They attain less color contrast. Also, soft enamel pins undergo electroplating, enabling them to achieve 3D-like effects.

3.5  Cost

Hard custom enamel pin designs cost more than soft enamel pins. In other words, hard enamel pins require more time in the oven, consuming more energy. The polishing process takes more time if it happens after baking.

Soft enamel pins are unique because they feature a textured feel and raised edges. Enamel pin collectors prefer hard custom enamel pin designs because they offer an appealing smooth and glossy finish.

3.6  Silk Screen Printing

Silk screen printing can be vital in applications with small sections that are tight to fill with enamel. In general, hard enamel pins can use silk screen printing, while soft enamel pins may not be compatible with the technique.

3.7  Metal Plating

Enamel pin collectors fill hard pins with enamel before polishing them to attain a flat surface. Thus, this production process renders them incompatible with some metal finishes. Simply put, hard enamel pins only suit silver and gold metal plating.

Meanwhile, soft enamel pins involve the metal plating before filling the enamel. Hence, soft enamel pins suit custom colors such as painted and rainbow-plated.

3.8  Surface Texture

Hard enamel pins ensure even layering and hardening by heat to attain a glossy and flat surface texture. Thus, the pins have a high-quality, polished, smooth, and refined look. On the other hand, soft enamel pins have a tactile finish with raised lines to enable intricate designs. They work better for visually dynamic styles.

3.9  Attachments & Customization

Hard enamel pins and soft enamel pins allow diverse customization options. They feature different colors, sizes, and shapes. Soft enamel pins generally allow intricate designs with vibrant and bold aspects. Meanwhile, hard enamel pins provide elegant designs and a uniform appearance for diverse customization features.

4. When to Choose Hard Enamel Pins

Hard custom enamel pins offer more scratch resistance and durability than soft enamel. Besides, they can be a better option for enamel pin collectors looking for a finished and clean appearance. Yet, the choice depends on personal preferences. Hard enamel pins involve polishing and grinding, which is incompatible with metals.

5. When to Choose Soft Enamel Pins

Soft enamel pins suit uses that require a textured look. These unique lapel pins undergo baking through an oven to harden and cure. Thus, they can suit diverse uses, including complex metal finishes. They suit painted, painted black, and rainbow-plated pins.

6. Wrapping Up!

Custom enamel pin designs ensure a fashion statement for promotional products. Yet, choosing between hard enamel pins vs soft enamel pins can be complex. Overall, hard enamel pins offer a smooth and glossy finish, while soft enamel pins feature a textured finish. Besides, the two options differ in cost, durability, and production process.

7. Buy Hard or Soft Enamel Pins with Nextpins Now!

Revolutionize your designs with hard enamel pins or soft enamel pins today! Netxpins offers diverse options for textured and detailed finish soft enamel pins. In addition, you can choose from numerous polished and sleek hard enamel pin options. Nextpin offers quality craftsmanship and durable products. Visit the official website to find out more!