PINS 101

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS & SUBMITTING ARTWORK:

Preparing artwork to be made in metal and enamel is very different from offset printing. For best results, design a pin version of your logo seal or design. What looks good as a poster may look like a colorful smudge when shrunk down to the size of your thumbnail. Most of the lapel pins we make are between 3/4″ and 1-1/4″ measured on the longest horizontal or vertical dimension. Simplicity of design often makes for the most legibly produced lapel pin, however, we can produce the most intricate of designs.

Be sure to check out our Showcase and extensive Options section, for examples of Finishes, Background Textures, and our Antiquing process!

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HELPFUL TIPS:

While we can’t provide extensive lapel pin design tutorials over the phone or e-mail, for your convenience, we’ve prepared these 5 tips to make your project a painless success!

File formats, hardcopies and faxes:

Adobe Illustrator (vector) is the BEST FORMAT to send us your logo, state seal or other design.
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From rough sketch to professional graphics:

If all you have is an idea or stick figure sketch, our Full Service In-house Design Studio can create a work of art for your lapel pin, coin or other emblem.
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Fonts:

Use simple fonts whenever possible (Arial, Helvetica, Myriad and similar fonts work wonderfully).
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Colors:

Use Pantone Coated colors, not CMYK or RGB to make sure you get the colors you want and need.
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Contrast, Number of colors and gradients:

In order to make a pin design really stand out, it must make effective use of contrasting colors.
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