Lapel pins are an old idea. They were used to identify specific military units at least as far back as the U.S. Civil War. The military began using them mainly to honor distinguished service on the battlefield by the early part of the 20th century.

They have proved quite popular among civilians as well. One newspaper in Pittsburgh reported in 1940 that “lapel pins in the shape of flowers are taking the world by storm.” With their attractive designs, economical cost and easy wearability, it’s no wonder lapel pins have long been a popular fashion accessory.

The highest quality lapel pins on the market today are the classic cloisonné lapel pin. These are die-struck, then filled with a glass-like mixture of hard enamel. The colors are then individually fired at high temperatures for the maximum possible durability. This process yields fine jewelry-quality pins. Since the manufacturing process is so complex, cloisonné lapel pins are the most expensive type of lapel pins available. For that reason, these are best suited for pins reserved for the business world, and are only rarely used for sports trading pins.

A less expensive alternative is soft enamel lapel pins. These look like cloisonné pins, but the colors are made from soft enamel and are fired at a lower temperature. This makes the pins more affordable than true cloisonné. You can add an epoxy coating to soft enamel pins to increase their durability. This is the most popular style for sports trading lapel pins.

Speaking of sports trading pins, they are some of the most popular lapel pins available today. They are a huge part of Little League baseball and softball tournaments. Other youth sports have begun to adopt the trading of custom lapel pins as well, including soccer, hockey and football.

An economical alternative is photo etched lapel pins. Because they are made of thinner metal, however, they are less durable than other types. These lapel pins are made by etching the design into the surface of the pin, using a chemical process similar to the process used to develop photographic film negatives. These pins need epoxy coating added to extend their life.

Offset digital lapel pins are the way to go if you want to reproduce photographs, gradients and drop shadows. Unlike other types of lapel pins, these have no raised or recessed areas because the photograph-quality image is printed onto the pin instead of die-struck into metal. Epoxy coating is recommended for this style pin.

Silk screened lapel pins, like offset digital pins, have no raised and recessed areas. Silk screen printed pins feature colors printed one at a time, similar to the process used to print T-shirts. These lapel pins need epoxy coating to improve their durability.

Die-struck lapel pins are ideal for military-style pins. These pins generally have no color added. The pins are stamped from a die, and recessed areas are sandblasted to give them a grainy appearance. Raised areas of the lapel pins are then polished to a high shine.

With multiple styles available, lapel pins can fulfill virtually any needs for recognition, promotion or identifications. Reputable suppliers of lapel pins can help you identify which best fits your needs.

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Military units have worn custom lapel pins at least as far back as the Civil War. Lapel pins were commonly used to denote specific military units and sometimes rank. Today, the tradition has evolved to the point that the military often uses custom lapel pins to honor distinguished service, either on or off the battlefield.

Custom lapel pins are made in several different styles. Some styles are better suited for particular applications than others.

The highest quality custom lapel pins available are cloisonné. These are created from a glass-like mixture of hard enamel on the die-struck metal base. To ensure durability and no color bleeding, each color is fired individually at high temperature. These custom lapel pins are the quality of fine jewelry and are the most durable lapel pin style made. Because the manufacturing process is so complex, cloisonné pins also are the most expensive type of lapel pins. Due to their cost, cloisonné custom lapel pins are best suited for pins for the business world. They are seldom used for sports trading pins.

Soft enamel custom lapel pins are the most popular style used for sports trading pins. They look like cloisonné, but are less expensive because the colors are made from soft enamel and fired at a lower temperature. An optional epoxy coating can be added to increase their durability.

The most popular custom lapel pins of all are sports trading pins. They are virtually everywhere at Little League baseball and softball tournaments. In recent years other youth sports such as soccer, hockey and football have taken note of the popularity and adopted them for trading as well.

Die-struck custom lapel pins are commonly used for military-style pins. The pins are stamped from a die, just like cloisonné and soft enamel pins. But unlike the other types, die-struck custom lapel pins have no color added. They feature recessed areas that are sandblasted to give them a grainy appearance, while raised areas are polished to a high shine. The result is a classic, formal appearance.

Offset digital lapel pins are the way to accurately reproduce gradients and drop shadows on custom lapel pins. Unlike the preceding pin types, these have no raised or recessed areas. Instead of being die-struck into the metal, the photograph-quality image is printed directly onto the pin surface. An epoxy coating is generally required to increase the durability of this style of custom lapel pins.

Silk screened custom lapel pins feature colors printed one at a time, just like the silk screen printing process used to print T-shirts. These are ideal if you need to precisely reproduce logos, corporate text, drawings or photographs on custom lapel pins. Like their offset digital counterparts, these have no raised or recessed areas. These custom lapel pins require an epoxy coating to protect the image and increase durability.

Photo etched lapel pins are an economical style of custom lapel pins. Because they are made of thinner metal, however, they are less durable than other styles. Using a chemical process similar to that used to develop photo film, the desired custom designs are etched into the surface of the metal. Like silk screen printed pins, the photo etched custom lapel pins require an epoxy coating for added durability.

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Sports trading pins are some of the most popular custom lapel pins available. From the times when Olympic athletes traded pins at the Games to celebrate international friendship, they have grown into a major hobby and part of youth sports the world over. Little League baseball issued its first official trading pin in the 1980s, prompting the market for custom lapel pins for teams to explode. Trading pins are just about everywhere at Little League games and tournaments now, and other team sports have adopted custom lapel pins for trading as well.

For showing support for causes, ribbon custom lapel pins remain popular. Many people wear pink ribbon pins to support breast cancer research, camo or yellow pins to support U.S. troops, and many other colors to support specific causes important to them.

Employee recognition custom lapel pins are a great way to boost workplace morale. Many businesses recognize employees’ years of service on the job with custom lapel pins. Others use them to identify team members, recognize outstanding job performance, or to promote the company’s products or services.

Custom lapel pins are available in a variety of materials and styles, with pin sizes and types to fit just about any need and budget. The right style depends on the specific application.

Cloisonné custom lapel pins are the finest quality lapel pins available. These pins feature a fine jewelry-quality finish. The pins are die-struck to create raised and recessed areas. The recesses are then filled with a glass-like mixture of hard enamel and each color is individually fired at high temperatures. Because the manufacturing process is complex and time-consuming, these are the most expensive type of custom lapel pins. For that reason, cloisonné pins are most suitable for business pins, and used for sports trading pins only rarely.

The appearance of soft enamel custom lapel pins is similar to that of cloisonné pins. Because the colors are made from soft enamel and fired at a lower temperature, however, soft enamel pins are more affordable. These custom lapel pins are the most popular style for sports trading pins.

Die-struck custom lapel pins, which have no color added, are most commonly used for military-style pins. The custom lapel pins are stamped from a die, and recessed areas are sandblasted to give them a grainy appearance. These pins feature a formal, ceremonial look.

Offset digital custom lapel pins are perfect if you need to accurately reproduce fine lines, photographs, gradients and drop shadows. A photograph-quality image is printed directly onto the pins. Silkscreen printed custom lapel pins allow exact reproduction of logos, trademarks and drawings. They are an excellent choice for company custom lapel pins.

Photo etched custom lapel pins are an economical choice. Because they are made of a thinner metal than die struck pin styles, they will be lighter to wear, but also less durable. These custom lapel pins require an epoxy coating for maximum durability.

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