Custom Hard Enamel Pins

Custom hard enamel pins for artists, indie brands, bands, podcasters, and anyone making pins for a brand or project they care about. The enamel is baked and polished flush with the metal, which gives a smooth, jewelry-quality surface that holds color well and reads clean under light. Hard enamel is our most-ordered pin style, and usually the right call when you want a polished finish that wears well over time.

Alchemy is a production partner built by artists, musicians, and brand owners. We've helped creators produce over 5 million custom products since 2019, and we don't operate like a promotional products company. Whether you're an indie illustrator running your first 50-pin drop, a band making merch for a tour, or a designer ordering pins for a brand launch, our job is the same: make the best merch we can for you.

What hard enamel actually is

Hard enamel is a manufacturing process where colored enamel is filled into a metal mold and then baked at high temperature until it hardens. Once cooled, the surface is buffed flat so the enamel sits flush with the raised metal lines. The result is smooth to the touch, durable, and reads cleanly at arm's length.

The tradeoff vs soft enamel is finish, durability, and price. Hard enamel costs slightly more and takes a little longer to produce. In exchange you get a flatter, harder-wearing pin that holds up on jackets, totes, and pin boards for years. It's the right choice when you want retail-quality merch you can sell with confidence.

A note on fine line detail

Because hard enamel is buffed flat after baking, very fine metal lines may thicken slightly during polishing. That's a normal part of the process, not a defect, and usually not visible at arm's length. If your artwork has very thin lines you're worried about, send us the file before ordering and we'll review it. We'd rather flag a concern at file prep than have it surprise you on the proof.

What the price includes

Every quote includes custom mold creation, full production at the factory, and express shipping. No setup fees, no surprise line items at checkout.

Simple vs complex shapes

Simple shapes (rectangle, circle, square, triangle, and anything with soft continuous edges) can be stamped from sheets of iron. This is the standard, lower-cost mold process.

Complex shapes with deep cut-in areas, holes, or tight interior sections (cut-ins around legs, arms, hair, or intricate negative space) need to be cast in zinc alloy. Zinc is a softer metal that holds finer detail in the mold. The mold type and raw material both cost more, so complex-shape pins are priced higher.

If you're not sure which category your design falls into, send us the artwork and we'll tell you. If you check out with the wrong category, we'll either refund the difference or send a request for the balance, so you're never locked in.

How a run actually works

Most orders start with a quote, not a cart. You send us your artwork (vector, raster, sketch, Procreate file, whatever you have), and we come back with pricing, a production timeline, and any production notes within a business day or two. We'll flag anything in the file that won't translate well at production size before we move forward, so you're not surprised at proof.

From proof approval, most overseas products are about a month to your door. That's the nature of producing 100% custom merchandise overseas vs. shipping a stock promotional item. Shipping is express and included in the price.

If you have a hard deadline, tell us before you order. We don't charge rush fees. We'll either confirm we can hit your date or tell you up front that we can't, so you can plan around it.

Why our minimum is 50

It's a factory math thing, not a quality stance. The factories we work with charge a labor minimum that covers setup, mold use, proofing, and the production run itself. That floor barely changes between a 25-piece and a 50-piece order, so a 25-piece run costs almost the same as 50, just with half the pins. 50 is where the per-pin price actually starts to make sense.

We can run smaller hard sample runs if you really need to (the factory will do it), but it's not financially viable for most people: you're paying close to 50-piece pricing for a fraction of the output. If you're set on a small run, email us first and we'll walk through whether it's worth it for your situation. Larger runs (100, 200, and up) bring the per-pin cost down meaningfully.

Who we work with

Artists running their own work: illustrators, bands, indie brand owners, podcasters, comic creators, convention sellers. Designers ordering pins for a brand launch, an event, a campaign, or a customer giveaway. Agencies and design studios producing merch for their clients. Merch companies running production for the artists they represent. The common thread is that the merch matters: it's representing a brand, a band, an artist, or a project that someone cares about.

What you get with Alchemy

• 5+ million products produced for creators and brands since 2019.
• 100% money-back guarantee. If it's not right, we remake it at no cost or refund you in full.
• Prop 65 compliant pins, tested for lead and phthalates.
• Long-standing factory relationships. We've been working with the same vetted overseas factories for years. That means consistent quality, predictable timelines, and no chasing the lowest quote at the cost of the product. You get a US-based partner who handles the production logistics for you.
• Quality good enough for licensed brands. We've produced merch for officially licensed properties and large brands. The same standard goes on every order, including yours.
• A team of artists, musicians, and brand owners. Not customer-service reps trained on a script. Everyone proofing your file or reviewing your sample knows what it feels like to send their own art to a factory and hope it comes back right.

Common questions

How much does a custom hard enamel pin cost?

Depends on size, plating, complexity, and quantity. As a rough anchor, a standard 1.25" hard enamel pin lands around a few dollars each at 100 units, and the per-unit price comes down from there. Full cost breakdown on the blog.

What's the difference between hard and soft enamel?

Hard enamel is smooth and jewelry-like, polished flush with the metal. Soft enamel has raised metal lines you can feel with your thumb, with recessed colored fills. Hard enamel is more durable and reads cleaner at distance; soft enamel is more tactile and supports finer line detail. Longer breakdown here.

Do I see a proof before production?

Yes. We send a digital proof for your review before production is scheduled. Once approved, the factory starts. Revisions are unlimited, we keep proofing until you approve.

Can I get a physical sample before the main run?

Yes, but it roughly doubles the turnaround. The factory has to do a full labor run for a single piece, and if approved, they restart the process for the main run. Worth it for large orders or first-time brand partners. Often not worth it for smaller runs.

How long do hard enamel pins take?

About four weeks from proof approval to your door, including express shipping. That's the nature of producing 100% custom merchandise overseas. If you have a hard deadline, tell us before you order and we'll confirm whether we can hit it. We don't charge rush fees.

Are your pins safety-tested?

Yes. Our pins are Prop 65 compliant and tested for lead and phthalates. Matters if you're selling to a parent-facing audience, producing for a brand whose legal team will ask, or just want to know your merch passes the same safety tests larger brands require.

Are your pins made in the USA?

Our enamel pins are produced overseas at factories we've worked with for years. Our team is US-based and handles file prep, proofing, and customer success on every order. Our wooden pins and stickers are the products we make in the USA.

Can you do backing cards or custom packaging?

Yes. Backing cards are a flat fee ($50 for the first 100, $25 per additional 100). Logo imprint on the back of the pin itself is a flat $40. Pin FAQs has more detail on packaging options.

Start a quote

Send us your artwork and a rough quantity, and we'll come back with pricing and a timeline within a business day or two. Not sure if your file will work? Send what you have. We'll tell you what we'd need to make it production-ready. Start a quote.

Design Templates

Set up your artwork at the correct size with proper bleed and safe zones using our production templates. Vector files (PDF/AI/EPS) are preferred for clean lines and scaling; raster (PSD) works for full-color artwork at 300dpi.

• Procreate template and brush set (Vector + Raster bundle)
• 80x54mm backing card template (PSD) (Raster PSD)
• 75x100mm backing card template (PSD) (Raster PSD)