Please review this information before you submit an order form or a contact form.
There are helpful, in-depth answers here for very frequently asked questions. If you do not find the information you’re looking for on this page, the pricing page, or any of the other information pages - feel free to send over a contact form. We’re happy to help!

Prefer a visual slide-style information guide?
Visit our Instagram profile (logo link at top right corner) and check out the handy FAQ stories.

THE MOST ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE:

Hard Enamel Pins have a smooth, polished finish. The metal and the enamel are at the same level.

Soft Enamel Pins have raised metal outlines and recessed enamel pockets. You can see and feel the difference in the enamel and metal heights.

If you visit our Instagram page, you can see lots of examples of both types of pins. The captions always list the pin type and any special finishes. Detailed gallery page coming to the website soon!

WHAT IS THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
HARD AND SOFT ENAMEL PINS?

WHAT KIND OF ART DO I NEED TO SEND YOU?

Vector art, created in Adobe Illustrator, is always preferred! If you work in another vector program, please export your files as AI, EPS or PDF. As long as it’s a vector file, you can send the file with the colors you want on your pin, with the metal outlines in a similar color to the metal plating (yellow for gold, gray for silver, etc.). Best practice is to send your file with the art setup at the final size.

IF YOU WORK IN PHOTOSHOP OR PROCREATE:

  • Your art should be setup with the metal borders on a separate layer, indicated in black.

  • Your art should be setup with the enamel colors on a separate layer and the fills should be clean, 100% opaque and totally within the lines.

  • Additional elements - such as color keys, sizing references, etc. should be on separate layers and should not overlap the pin design.

  • PSD files should be sent for review before you submit an order form and should be 300 dpi and 300% scale of the final pin size.

  • All raster files will have to be converted to vector art before they can be mocked up for production. Depending on the complexity of your design and the setup of your file, your order may be subject to an art fee for this conversion.

The basic requirement for any file type, is that there is a clear indication of which details are intended to be your metal borders, as well as which details are enamel filling, cut-outs, glitter, screen-printing, etc. 

If you are unable to supply your art in a production-ready format, you may be subject to an art fee. Your file(s) will be reviewed for confirmation before the order is finalized. 

If you work in a physical medium and can only supply photos of your hand-drawn or painted work: please submit a contact form before placing your order, to allow a review of the art to determine if it will translate well as a pin. 

If you are not using Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or Procreate and you are not sure what file types your program will export - please review your program's FAQ or do a quick google search to see if it can export vector files. If you're totally lost, feel free to send us a contact form and we'll do our best to guide you through it. 

We only use the Pantone Solid Coated / Formula Guide book for color-matching. You can get a copy here, but please note that it is only available in a pair with the Uncoated book, which is NOT used for color-matching pins. 

If you do not have access to a copy of the swatch book, but work in Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop: you should have access to this book in the Color Book Library in the programs (listed as Pantone Solid Coated). Please note that colors may vary in appearance compared to the actual swatches, and will not be matched to the screen, but the book.

If you do not have access to a copy of the book and are not working in an art program which has access to the swatch books, please use CMYK colors and they will be auto-matched in the mockup process. 

Please note that colors will be matched as closely as possible, but due to how different stages in production may impact coloring, exact color matches are not guaranteed and a variance of up to 10% is considered acceptable. Colors may also shift slightly on re-orders. 

WHAT COLORS CAN I USE IN MY FILES FOR PIN PRODUCTION? 

HOW LONG WILL MY ORDER TAKE TO COMPLETE?

This depends on your order details and how long the proofing process takes. Standard production time is around 4 weeks after your proof is confirmed and your order is paid. This timeline may increase during heavy production seasons and does not include the time required for processing, in-house quality checks, or shipping time. 

Orders containing special finishes, packaging services, and/or quantities greater than 500 pins may be subject to longer production times. 

If you request a physical production sample be made before mass production, this can potentially double your turnaround time. Most clients approve mass production from the digital proof.

If you are ordering pins for a special event, holiday, or seasonal release - please give yourself 2 months lead time. While we always push to get your orders out within the standard timeframe, unexpected delays can happen when it comes to custom production.

DO I HAVE TO PAY FOR MY ORDER UP-FRONT? 

Yes.

When you submit your order details, your invoice is created and emailed to you for payment. Your digital proof will be included with your invoice and your payment will act as your "proof approval" to move your order into production.

Orders under $400 will not be sent to production without payment in-full.
A minimum 50% deposit is required for orders over $400, with the remaining balance due when the order is ready to ship.

WHAT PAYMENT TYPES DO
YOU ACCEPT? AND WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR PAYING FOR MY ORDER?

We accept PayPal, ACH, and all major credit cards. If you have an international PayPal account, please make note of this on your order form. 

Payments are prompted by an official invoice, which will accompany your digital mockup for approval when you place an official order through our order form. You will have the option to choose your method of payment directly from the invoice and submit payment through our client portal. 

We reserve the right to restrict payment methods for invoices of $500 or more, so please be prepared to pay via ACH or PayPal e-check for larger orders.

HOW MUCH DOES
SHIPPING COST?

USPS Flat Rate Priority shipping is used unless another form of shipping is requested or required, so the cost for a standard order shipping in the US is typically under $15. Shipping may be billed once your pins are completed if not included on your initial invoice.

International shipping is available and will be quoted based on your address. 

CAN YOU HELP ME WITH
MY ART?

Yes! If you are accustomed to working in a physical medium and need some help turning your work into digital art for enamel pin production, let us help!

Design services are offered in-house, but we can also point you to some freelance designers if you need art created from scratch (see our Design Friends page). 

Fees for design services vary based on your needs and will be quoted once more information is gathered. Most art fees are billed at a minimum of $80.

CAN I SPLIT MY ORDER INTO DIFFERENT COLORS? 

Yes! If you order at least 100 pins, using the same mold, you can make color changes within that order. The first variant is included, but each additional variant will be subject to a $15 color change fee. You must order at least 25 pieces for any color change/variant.

Variant allowances include enamel colors, metal plating, glitter colors. etc., but any changes which require a new mold will have to billed as a separate order.

While our office is located in the US, all of the pricing listed on our pricing page reflects overseas manufacturing. 

If you would like a quote for US-made pins, please use the contact form. Kindly note that this option will come at a higher rate and with fewer production capabilities. This option is generally limited to offset printed pins or no-enamel, metal-only pins.

If you're a reseller, US pricing may be considered
cost-prohibitive unless you order at least 500 pieces per design. 

ARE YOUR PINS
MADE IN THE U.S.A? 

If you're using the standard card size (2.5" by 3.5"), please visit this link for the template. Need a different size? Let's chat to make sure we can work with the size you need. 

HOW SHOULD I SETUP MY BACKER CARD FILE? 

We are a very small company, so we have to make the most efficient use of our time in order to best serve our clients.

Order forms trigger a lot of work on our end to: get the client setup in the client portal, setup a new item in our invoicing system with a custom name and image, create a sales order, purchase order and invoice - and create a digital mockup for approval.

Processing fees help us confirm that new clients are serious and ready to place their orders, so our time is not wasted on setting up orders for ghosts.

Thanks in advance for doing your research, reading the information made available to you, and being prepared to make awesome things!

WHY DO YOU CHARGE A
$40 PROCESSING FEE FOR NEW CLIENTS?