My Pin Making Journey: Part One - Research

In 2017, my friend from college, Taryn Stilley, was pushing me to make enamel pins out of my designs. I casually looked into it and wasn’t interested. I probably should have listened because it’s extremely fun and addicting. It wasn’t until the summer of 2019 when I finally got around to jumping into making enamel pins.

Having no idea how to make pins, I did the most obvious thing and simply Googled “how to make enamel pins” only to be met by 18 million results. Talk about being overwhelmed. Videos and links to shops plagued my screen. The top result was a blog post from Pin Lord, so of course, I clicked that. For anyone unfamiliar with the company, Pin Lord is an online shop that sells enamel pins. For someone like me, with no knowledge of pins and not owning a single pin, this looked like I had hit the jackpot.

I read through the guide on how to make pins. If I knew then what I know now, I would have just avoided the blog entirely. While it comes off as a decent guideline, the information isn’t completely accurate, especially when it comes to limitations on art and working with manufacturers. There are also two main types of pins people buy and make within my circles: hard enamel and soft enamel. I’ll clarify these later for anyone who doesn’t know the difference. There are acrylic and wood pins as well, but this isn't about that.

Regardless of all the available information, I still needed to own a pin because I still had questions I couldn't answer without physically seeing one. I believe in supporting local artists and went out of my way to locate one to buy from. I chose to buy my first pin from a local Minnesota artist, Amanda Nelson. I picked a cute original fox design she had listed in her Etsy shop. I made sure to buy the Regular version of her pin instead of the cheaper Seconds just to ensure I got the best version to use as a reference. You can check out my pin grading guide if you're unsure what that means. I carefully looked it over and took a few notes about the packaging, the backing card and what information was on it. The pin was shiny and beautiful. It's still beautiful in fact, even though my daughter has been sporting it on her backpack for nearly a whole year.

Once I had learned the differences between hard and soft enamel pins, I decided I really liked hard enamel. I couldn't easily scratch it while I could the soft enamel pin (without epoxy). To me, it represented a higher quality product that would last for a long time. It was about this time I had to start looking for a manufacturer. Pin Lord had a list of people they recommended, so of course, I emailed all of them.

I quickly found out I still had no real idea what I was talking about. This prompted me to create a list of things I needed to answer for each pin I would make in the future. So emailing wasn't a waste, but it definitely opened my eyes to what information I actually needed.

Research & Note Taking

If you’re reading this and thinking “Oh no, there is so much information out there! How will I even know what is correct?” – my first suggestion is to slow down and collect information that fits what you're after. The best thing you can do to properly prepare to make pins is to buy a pin. Maybe you’re like me and don’t care a ton about them. That’s okay. It's not some brand new product, it is something you can research and learn about before you jump in. While I am not into pin collecting, I have grown to love the durability pins have as tiny pieces of art. If you already own pins and this is something you're just trying to dive into, you can just skip ahead.

My recommendation is to buy a hard enamel pin and a soft enamel pin. Look them over entirely and take notes on what you like or dislike about each - that also includes anything on the back. People have done some amazing things with backstamp designs. The main point is to gain an understanding of the differences between the two so you can pick the right option for your design. Heck, maybe even try to destroy one. Pins are rather durable, but they still have areas of weakness. Poorly made pins run the risk of plating that comes off and backs that snap. I have managed to break off a pin back while trying to straighten it. Nothing a little JB Weld can't fix though.

I definitely pushed too hard and snapped this off. Whoops!

Certain designs will look better in soft enamel than hard. When I think about some of the flower pins I’ve seen, they almost always look better in soft. Not sure why. You'll probably find designs you have a preference for in soft versus hard as well. It likely won't be flowers, but you'll know when you find one what I mean.

Side Note: Pay attention to where you do choose to buy pins from. As of this posting, sites like Pin Lord obviously violate people's intellectual property. I don't sell soft enamel pins myself, so I can't even make a recommendation to buy any from me. Cross-check with sites such as Pin Theft to make sure you're not supporting companies that rip off other people's intellectual properties. If it was you, you'd be upset too, so keep that in mind.

Hard Enamel vs Soft Enamel

Manufacturers will usually first ask you what kind of pin you're trying to make. Having purchased pins and inspected them, you'll know your preference and what you will want to make. I will mention the market exists for both, so you won't go wrong regardless. There is no rule for what material they need to be made from. You can make your pins from either zinc alloy or iron. All of my pins are made of zinc alloy, so the mold and unit price is higher than if I had gone with iron. Zinc alloy is higher quality material. Iron material is only good for pins that are smaller than 2 inches without any cutouts.

Hard enamel pins are my personal favorite. I consider them to be durable and have tested that theory with my daughter's backpack. She throws it around with no regard for her pins and they aren't nearly as dinged up as I had anticipated. While they are awesome for long term use, they do have limitations. For example, if you want to preserve details, you will want a soft enamel pin. Hard enamel gets buffed out and runs the risk of being over buffed and fattening out your lines. One of the designs I helped turn from a Copic sketch into a pin was very detailed and we ran into this issue even at 2 inches. I actually asked Lauren Harbaugh if I could use her picture to more clearly show an example of this common issue. You can find her shop on Etsy.

The left dragon's lines thickened during buffing while the right is normal.

It was a total bummer since I made the pin at 2 inches and even reduced the details from the original sketch to reduce the flaw rate. Soft enamel probably would have been a better choice in the end, but the good ones were gorgeous.  

Another issue with hard enamel is the process itself. I have included a video I like below that shows you how they make hard enamel pins. It's not a quick process at all. They fill in color, heat it, fill in another, etc. This continues until all of the colors are filled in. 

I will assume you watched the video and now understand the process. It's because of this process that sometimes lighter colors do not turn out correctly. I will say I have not personally had that problem yet, but I have seen a number of makers who have ordered pins with the same Pantones that have turned out darker. This could be a mixing issue but sometimes it's an issue because of how many times it has to be heated.

Issues you may encounter with hard enamel:

- Snagging/Loose Enamel. If you run a cloth across the pin and it snags, do it a few times to make sure the enamel isn't gonna fly out. I haven't had this happen, but I have seen it happen.

- Missing Enamel. This happens often with small fill spots. They have either been missed during filling or they flew out during the buffing process. I would consider this a common issue.

- Buff Marks. This isn't a real defect but it's something to be aware of since it is extremely common. You will notice it much more in darker colors than light and at certain angles in the light. A manufacturer won't usually replace or fix your pins if this is your problem. 

- Thickening of Lines. This happens when a pin is over buffed. It's rarely a design issue but certain designs have this issue more often than others.

- Plating Issues. This includes minor bubbles, micro-scratches, spots, pitting, chips in the plating, tarnishing and major scratches/missing plating on the sides (often caused by chemicals being left on too long/not being properly cleaned off). It will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and you'll learn which plating colors have higher flaw rates than others. Tarnishing can sometimes be fixed with a cloth. Do not use household or chemical cleaners on your pins. They can strip the plating. Jewelry polish cream (something non-abrasive/gentle) and a selvyt cloth can help remove tarnish (sometimes).

• I work with black nickel almost exclusively. Black nickel is highly toxic and requires certain chemicals that can't be left on or they will eat away at the plating. Coloring isn't always perfectly consistent either. I've had pins show up in the same batch being darker than others. Sometimes the metal is inconsistent itself with darker splotches that don't rub off. Some places won't even work with this plating type so also keep that in mind.

• Rose gold is another plating that often has issues. It's known to flake or peel.
• Copper can peel. I haven't had this issue but I have seen people's pictures where the plating is coming up entirely. Make sure your manufacturer can actually handle this process.
• Gold can peel if plated poorly. 

- Bubbles/Holes. Not sure what causes this problem. I've seen it happen in a few pins before. It could be due to poor mixing of the paint, but either way, it happens. It's pretty common in pins with glitter.

- Failed Cutouts/Rough Edges. Depending on the design, sometimes cutouts can be a challenge to remove all the metal from. It could also be an error on the part of the worker. Sometimes extra metal hangs off the edges on the outside of a pin as well. They can typically be gently filed or snapped off. If it's not that obvious, you can ignore it.

- Glow Issues. Glow is from a powder and can cause it's own problems when applied. It can collect in corners, causing it to be spread unevenly. When it collects in corners, sometimes it leaves a white haze. It's not terrible but it's really obvious against dark colors. Glow also has a limited charge life. If applied incorrectly, glow may be missing in some areas, potentially making a design look odd. Luckily, this isn't something that will detract from a pin's daytime appearance in most cases. Sometimes a manufacturer may even add glow to a pin when you don't want it.

- Fading. Transparent enamel doesn't always have a solid color across the whole area it's in. Sometimes it is a little darker in one spot and fades as it moved across the pin. In some cases, this creates a really cool effect. It worked great on my moon pins, but it can look terrible in other situations.

- Overfilled Metal/Unwanted Raised Metal. Sometimes something can get messed up while making the raws, causing the metal to fill into areas it isn't intended to go. Nothing can be done to correct that. In cases of transparent over metal pins, sometimes the metal will fill all the way to the top as if it was a regular pin. It tends to look really awkward as a portion of metal extends all the way through the transparent enamel it should be encased behind. 

- Misprints/Miscolor/Discoloration. Misprinting is only an issue when it comes to screenprinting. Sometimes the mask can be misaligned and be printed in the wrong spot. Other times the color is completely wrong. Other miscoloring issues can happen when someone mixes the wrong color entirely or fills a color into a spot on the pin intended for a different color. Discoloration is also something to keep an eye out for. This is sometimes due to the process itself and is more common with lighter colors.

- Spots/Dust/Stray Glitter. Sometimes spots from other colors make it into spots they shouldn't be. Glitter is also a random problem. Your pin may not have any glitter but enough people order glittered designs that the nightmare that is glitter will randomly find its way into your pin. I usually have just one fleck of glitter just chilling and taunting me when it catches the light. Dust or small threads can also get caught in the enamel and tend to be more obvious in white/light colors.

- Bent/Loose/Missing Pinbacks. This can happen in shipping. Pins aren't always shipped super securely and the backs can get knocked loose, bent or broken in shipping. I use long-nose pliers for straightening pins. Don't apply too much pressure or you can snap them loose. JB weld can fix loose backs or backs that fall off during straightening. Missing backs are harder to work with if the part isn't in the baggy. You can turn those pins into magnets or pick up a replacement back from Michael's or similar craft store. The jewelry section has a lot of options.

- Bad Pinback Welds. The welds don't hold. This can usually be fixed with JB Weld. Not a super common issue but it can happen.

- Matte/Shiny Finish. Some pins have inconsistent finishes. You'll end up with a matte pin and a shiny pin that are the same design, same batch, etc. Sometimes half your pin will be shiny while the rest is matte. It's like they completely failed at polishing the pin and didn't notice. While that doesn't matter too much under normal circumstances, the big issue is when you do split pins that are intended to match up. You'll be frustrated if you're expecting consistency between two pins that line up next to one another and one set of halves is matte while the other is shiny. Prevent situations like that by mentioning it ahead of time.

- Overfill/Underfill. Sometimes this is hard to tell. You'll want to examine your pins in good lighting at angles to verify if your pin has either of these issues. Sometimes underfill can be so obvious you don't even need to angle it. This can also be classified as uneven fill. While uncommon, it can sometimes be so bad the metal is exposed. Hard enamel pins should be completely flat. 

Despite all these potential issues, it's still a great option. Don't let my list of potential issues scare you off. I've had entire batches of flawless pins before. I've also had a variety of issues in my pins. It's better to realize problems in advance though. I usually combat potential problems by ordering extra pins. You also have to take into consideration not all manufacturers are the same quality. Finding the manufacturer to use that meets your expectations is really important.

Soft enamel pins start off with the same process of producing a raw metal pin. The advantage to soft enamel pins is that they don't use the same process as hard enamel. This allows for more complex designs. If you want a more textured look or like to feel your pin's details, this is the way to go. You can still get a hard enamel appearance by requesting epoxy.

Soft enamel also allows for anodized and dyed metal. You can't get those effects in hard enamel.

Issues you may encounter with soft enamel:

- Spots/Dust/Stray Glitter. Sometimes spots from other colors make it into spots they shouldn't be. Glitter is also a random problem. Your pin may not have any glitter but enough people order glittered designs that the nightmare that is glitter will randomly find its way into your pin. Glitter without epoxy will get everywhere because there is nothing keeping it on the pin. I recommend that you epoxy your glitter pins. Dust can also get caught in the enamel. It's generally a bigger issue for soft enamel pins that use epoxy, but that also depends on how well the factory you work with controls dust.

- Scuffing/Gouging. Soft enamel can get scuffed up or gouged as it's not rock hard. It's comparable to nail polish that is not well set. 

- Bent/Loose/Missing Pinbacks. This can happen in shipping. Pins aren't always shipped super securely and can get knocked, bent or broken in shipping. I use long-nose pliers for straightening pins. Don't apply too much pressure or you can snap them loose. JB weld can fix loose backs or backs that fall off during straightening. Missing backs are harder to work with if the part isn't in the baggy. You can turn those pins into magnets or pick up a replacement back from Michael's or similar craft store. The jewelry section has a lot of options.

- Bubbles/Holes. I've seen this happen with soft enamel pins a lot. It's a common issue and likely has to do with how they mix the paint and how much air is trapped in it. Epoxy won't correct this issue either, as you can end up with bubbling in your epoxy as well. Maybe bubbles could look cool in some kind of fishbowl pin, but really you don't want to see any.

- Plating Issues. This includes minor bubbles, micro-scratches, spots, pitting, chips in the plating, tarnishing and major scratches/missing plating on the sides (often caused by chemicals being left on too long/not being properly cleaned off). It will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and you'll learn which plating colors have higher flaw rates than others. Tarnishing can sometimes be fixed with a cloth. Do not use household or chemical cleaners on your pins. They can strip the plating. Jewelry polish cream (something non-abrasive/gentle) and a selvyt cloth can help remove tarnish (sometimes).

• I work with black nickel almost exclusively. Black nickel is highly toxic and requires certain chemicals that can't be left on or they will eat away at the plating. Coloring isn't always perfectly consistent either. I've had pins show up in the same batch being darker than others. Sometimes the metal is inconsistent itself with darker splotches that don't rub off. Some places won't even work with this plating type so also keep that in mind.
• Rose gold is another plating that often has issues. It's known to flake or peel.
• Copper can peel. I haven't had this issue but I have seen people's pictures where the plating is coming up entirely. Make sure your manufacturer can actually handle this process.
• Gold can peel if plated poorly. 
• Dyed metal is a soft enamel only option. Most of the time it looks great, but sometimes you get unlucky and the paint starts to flake or peel off.
• Anodized is soft enamel only option. The effect should look like a rainbow depending on what color you select, but sometimes it flakes off, exposing the silver below.

- Low Fill. Metal can be exposed or color can be so low that it looks like another color entirely.

- Epoxy Discoloration. This happens over time usually. Epoxy that is exposed to light tends to yellow. This isn't usually a big issue coming from the factory, but poorly mixed epoxy or contaminated epoxy can cause this. This may be a bigger concern over time to customers or pins that have sun exposure while being stored.

- Glow Issues. Glow is from a powder and can cause it's own problems when applied. It can collect in corners, causing it to be spread unevenly. When it collects in corners, sometimes it leaves a white haze. It's not terrible but it's really obvious against dark colors. Glow also has a limited charge life. If applied incorrectly, glow may be missing in some areas, potentially making a design look odd. Luckily, this isn't something that will detract from a pin's daytime appearance in most cases. Sometimes a manufacturer may even add glow to a pin when you don't want it.

Soft enamel is often used for complex designs with multiple colors and difficult crevices to fill. Some of the most beautiful pins I've ever seen have been soft enamel. Your design can be smaller in a soft enamel pin and retain the detail than it can be in hard enamel. There are pros and cons to both types of pins.

Hard Enamel vs Cloisonné

Often times you'll see people use cloisonné and hard enamel interchangeably, but they aren't the same. Cloisonné uses pigmented sand which is fired and cured giving it a more dazzling finish. Hard enamel uses enamel paint to fill in the recessed areas, heated and then polished down to a glossy finish.

TLDR

In order to properly prepare to make pins, you need to do some research. Owning both hard enamel and soft enamel pins are a good place to start so you understand the differences between the two. Once you determine which you prefer, understand the benefits of each and determine which works best for the design you're trying to create.