Guide · Enamel

How Custom Enamel Pins Are Made: Artwork to Packed Carton

How a custom enamel pin goes from your artwork to a die-cast, plated, filled by hand or by machine, and packed pin, step by step from our Shenzhen factory floor.

A custom enamel pin is made in seven steps: artwork is converted into a mold drawing, a steel mold is cut, zinc alloy is die-cast into blanks, the blanks are polished, plated, filled with enamel color by hand or by machine, baked, then fitted with a backing and packed. From approved artwork to a shipped carton it takes 30 to 60 days depending on quantity.

Step 1: Artwork becomes a mold drawing

We take your file (vector is best) and redraw it as a mold drawing. Every color area becomes a recessed cell. Every line becomes a raised metal wall. This is where most problems are caught: a line too thin to cast, two colors touching with no wall between them, text too small to read.

You get a digital proof within 2 working days. Nothing is cut until you approve it in writing. If you need us to prepare the artwork from a rough sketch, add 7 working days.

Step 2: The steel mold

The approved drawing is machined into a steel mold. The mold carries the design in reverse. It is the single most important part of the job: if the mold is wrong, every pin is wrong. This is why we do not skip the proof stage, even for a reorder.

Mold cost is charged once per design. A reorder of the same design uses the same mold.

Step 3: Die casting the blank

Molten zinc alloy (ZAMAK 3) is injected into the mold under pressure. We run 9 die-casting machines at our Shenzhen plant. Each shot produces a blank with the raised lines and recessed cells already formed. The blank comes out with a small sprue and a thin flash around the edge.

For very thin or flat designs we sometimes stamp brass or iron instead. We will tell you in the quote if your design suits stamping better.

Step 4: Polishing and deburring

Flash and sprue are removed and the blank is tumbled or hand-polished. The edge has to be clean before plating, because plating copies every scratch. This is a quiet step that buyers rarely ask about, but it decides how the finished edge looks and feels.

Step 5: Electroplating

Blanks go through the plating line. Options: gold, silver, nickel, black nickel, gunmetal, rose gold, antique gold, antique silver, antique copper, copper, or two-tone. Antique finishes get a darkening step and a light polish so the recesses stay dark and the high points shine.

Plating happens before enamel for soft enamel. For hard enamel the sequence is different: fill, bake, grind flat, then plate.

Step 6: Enamel filling by hand

Each color is filled by hand with a syringe or by machine, one cell at a time, one color at a time. The pin is baked between colors. A five-color pin goes through the filling bench five times. Colors are matched to the Pantone numbers on your approved proof.

Soft enamel sits below the metal lines, so you can feel the texture. Hard enamel is filled higher, baked, then ground and polished to a flat face. Both are covered in detail on the custom enamel pins page.

Step 7: Backing, inspection and packing

The backing is fitted: rubber clutch, butterfly clutch, locking, magnetic (adult use only), safety pin or screw back. Each pin is checked for color fill, plating marks and post alignment. Then it goes into the packaging you chose: poly bag, backing card, blister card, presentation box or custom retail packaging.

Choosing the right route for your job

Your priority	What we'd suggest	Trade-off
Fastest delivery	Soft enamel, standard plating, poly bag	Fewer finish options; no custom packaging
Flattest, most premium face	Hard enamel with polished plating	Longer process; fine detail can blur slightly
Lowest unit cost at volume	Soft enamel, one plating color, simple backing	Texture is visible; less "jewelry" feel
Photo-like artwork with gradients	Printed pin with epoxy dome	No raised metal lines; different look
Long-term reorders	Lock the Pantone list and keep the mold on file	First order needs more proofing time

Timeline in plain numbers

• Digital proof: within 2 working days
• Physical sample: 10 to 14 working days
• Mass production: 30 to 60 days by quantity
• Clock starts when artwork is approved in writing and payment is received

Corporate buyers ordering for staff programs or brand launches will find more on the corporate brands page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a physical sample before production?

Not always. Many reorders and simple designs go straight from the digital proof. We recommend a physical sample when color matching is critical or the design has fine detail.

What file format should I send?

Vector (AI, EPS, PDF, SVG) is best. A high-resolution PNG or JPG works if it is clean. We can redraw from a sketch for an extra 7 working days.

Can I mix soft and hard enamel on one pin?

Not on the same face. You can combine enamel with printing, glitter, glow-in-the-dark or transparent enamel on one design.