Guide · Soft

Soft Enamel Pin Design: Line Width, Text Size and Color Gaps

Soft enamel pin design rules: how thin a line can be, how small text can go, why every color needs a metal wall, and what to send for a clean proof.

Soft enamel artwork follows three rules. Every color area must be closed by a metal line. Lines must be thick enough to cast and plate without breaking. Text must be large enough that its counters (the holes in letters) can still hold enamel or stay open as metal. Send vector art with Pantone Solid Coated numbers and we check all three in the digital proof.

Rule 1: Every color needs a wall

Soft enamel is filled into recessed cells. Each cell is bounded by a raised metal wall. Two colors cannot touch each other directly. If your artwork has a red shape sitting on a blue background with no outline, we will add a metal line between them. That line will be plated, so it will show. Decide now whether you want that line to be gold, silver, black nickel or another finish.

This also means no gradients, no shading, no soft edges. Each cell is one flat color.

Rule 2: Line width

A metal line has to survive three things: casting, polishing and plating. Too thin and it casts incompletely, breaks in tumbling or looks fuzzy after plating. The safe rule is relative to pin size: a line should be no thinner than a small fraction of the shortest pin dimension, and lines that are purely decorative should be thicker than lines that separate colors.

We do not publish a millimeter number here because it depends on pin size, plating type and whether the line sits next to a large or small enamel cell. What we do is mark every risky line in the proof and suggest the fix. Antique plating hides a slightly thicker line better than bright gold does.

Rule 3: Text size

Text is the most common reason a proof comes back with notes. Two approaches:

• Raised metal text on enamel: the letters are walls. Each stroke follows the line-width rule. Counters in letters like "e" and "a" become small enamel cells that must be big enough to fill.
• Recessed enamel text on metal: the letters are cells. Each cell must be wide enough for a syringe to fill cleanly.

Bold sans-serif faces work. Thin serifs, script fonts and outlined text usually do not. If text is essential and small, consider putting it on a printed element or a laser-engraved back instead.

Rule 4: Color cells

Very small enamel cells are hard to fill evenly and may look darker than large cells of the same color. Very large cells can show slight surface waves. Keep cells in a similar size range where you can. Break a very large area with a design line.

What to send

• Vector file: AI, EPS, PDF or SVG. Outline all fonts.
• Pantone Solid Coated numbers for each color. Not CMYK, not RGB.
• Plating color.
• Target size. If unsure, tell us where the pin will be worn and we will suggest.
• Back requirements: backing type, any text or logo on the back.

With that, a digital proof comes within 2 working days. Missing Pantone numbers is the most common delay.

Choosing your design approach

Your priority	What we'd suggest	Trade-off
Keep the logo exactly as drawn	Increase pin size until all lines pass	Bigger pin costs more
Keep the pin small	Simplify: drop thin details, merge similar colors	Logo is adapted, not copied
Small text must be legible	Move text to a printed element or engrave the back	Mixed process on one pin
Many colors	Group into fewer Pantones; use one wall color	Less color nuance
Photographic artwork	Choose a printed pin instead	No raised metal, different feel

What we change in the proof, and what we ask first

We will, without asking: close open shapes, outline fonts, add a wall between touching colors, and convert CMYK to nearest Pantone with a note.

We will ask before: changing the pin size, removing a design element, thickening lines beyond what the artwork implies, or changing a color that has no Pantone reference.

Common fixes, in order of how often we suggest them

1. Increase pin size by one step.
2. Remove the thinnest line layer.
3. Merge two close colors.
4. Turn recessed text into raised text, or the reverse.
5. Move detail to the back as laser engraving.

Full finish and specification options are on the soft enamel pins page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can you draw the artwork for me?

Yes. Send a sketch, a photo or a description. Add 7 working days for artwork preparation before the proof.

Do you check the artwork before quoting?

We quote from the concept and then check in the proof. If the proof shows a size change is needed, the quote is updated before anything is cut.

Why does the proof show a line I did not draw?

Because two colors were touching. Soft enamel needs a wall between them. Tell us which plating color you want the line to be.