Custom Anodized Rainbow Plated Soft Enamel Pins

Custom soft enamel pins with anodized rainbow plating for brands and creators whose designs benefit from a one-of-a-kind shifting metallic finish. Anodized rainbow plating gives each pin its own unique rainbow color pattern (primarily in the blue/purple range with shifts toward green, gold, and red as light hits the surface). No two pins from the same run will look exactly identical — that variation IS the product.

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-piece drop, a band making merch for a tour, or a designer ordering for a brand launch, our job is the same: make the best merch we can for you.

What anodized rainbow plating actually is

Anodizing is an electrochemical process that creates a controlled oxide layer on the metal surface. The thickness of that oxide layer determines what color the metal appears, and varying the thickness across the surface produces the rainbow effect — different parts of the pin reflect different wavelengths of light. Because the process has natural variation, each pin's exact rainbow pattern is unique. Two pins from the same run will both look "anodized rainbow" but the specific blue-to-green-to-purple flow across the surface will differ slightly between pieces.

The base construction underneath the rainbow plating is soft enamel — colored inks recessed below raised metal lines, with the rainbow effect visible on the unprinted (metal-showing) areas of your design. Designs with more visible metal area show more rainbow effect; designs that fill heavily with enamel show less.

What you get

• Construction: Soft enamel with anodized rainbow plating
• Base metal: Zinc alloy
• Color range: Each pin has a unique rainbow pattern, primarily in the blue/purple range with shifts toward green/gold/red
• Optional epoxy coating: Free clear epoxy top for added smoothness and durability (creates a mock hard-enamel surface while keeping the rainbow effect visible below)
• Volume discounts: Significant price reduction at higher quantities
• Express shipping included

About the longer turnaround

Anodizing adds production steps that don't exist on standard plating finishes. Where a regular soft enamel run takes about four weeks, rainbow anodized pins typically take 4 to 8 weeks from proof approval to your door. Plan accordingly. If the timeline doesn't work for your project, see our standard soft enamel pins with conventional plating finishes on a faster turnaround.

Other pin styles we make

• Standard soft enamel pins — same enamel construction with conventional plating finishes
• Antique sandblasted pins — soft enamel with textured vintage finish
• Hard enamel pins — buffed flush, smooth jewelry-quality finish
• UV printed pins — full-color photo-realistic art directly on metal

How a run actually works

Most orders start with a quote, not a cart. You send us your artwork, 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.

From proof approval, most overseas products are 4 to 8 weeks 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 with half the output. 50 is where the per-piece 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. Larger runs (100, 200, and up) bring the per-piece cost down meaningfully.

Who we work with

Artists running their own work: illustrators, bands, indie brand owners, podcasters, comic creators, convention sellers. Designers ordering 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 on metal-and-enamel work, tested for lead and phthalates.
• Long-standing factory relationships. We've been working with the same vetted overseas factories for years. Consistent quality, predictable timelines, no chasing the lowest quote at the cost of the product.
• Quality good enough for licensed brands. We've produced merch for officially licensed properties and large brands.
• A team of artists, musicians, and brand owners. Not customer-service reps trained on a script.

Common questions

Will every pin look exactly the same?

No, and that's intentional. The anodizing process creates natural variation in the rainbow pattern across each pin's surface. Every piece in your run will have the rainbow plating, but the specific blue-to-green-to-purple flow will differ slightly from pin to pin. Many buyers love this — it means each pin is a one-of-a-kind object. If you need uniform plating where every piece looks identical, see our standard soft enamel pins.

Why does it take 4-8 weeks instead of 4?

Anodizing adds production steps beyond what conventional plating requires. The factory has to control oxide layer thickness across each piece individually, which takes more time. The variability we just described is also part of what extends the timeline — there's no way to bulk-process anodized rainbow pins as fast as conventionally plated ones.

Can I add specialty inks?

Yes. Glitter enamel, glow-in-the-dark, and pearl inks work with anodized rainbow plating. Specialty inks add cost; email us for an exact quote.

Is the epoxy coating really free?

Yes. Free on rainbow anodized pins. The clear coat creates a smooth top while keeping the rainbow effect visible below — useful when you want a hard-enamel-like surface but with the rainbow plating instead of standard finish.

Are there volume discounts?

Yes. Larger runs (200, 500, 1000+) get significant per-pin price reductions because the anodizing setup amortizes over more pieces. Email us with your quantity for an exact quote.

Do I see a proof before production?

Yes. Digital proof for review before production. Revisions until you approve. Note that the proof shows your design with rainbow plating illustrated, but the actual unique rainbow pattern of each pin won't be exactly predictable from the proof.

Are these made in the USA?

Anodized rainbow pins are produced overseas at long-vetted factories. Our team is US-based and handles file prep, proofing, and customer success. Our wooden products and stickers are made in the USA.

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 Pin TemplateSet (Vector + Raster bundle)
• 80x54mm Pin Backing Card (Raster PSD)
• 75x100mm Pin Backing Card (Raster PSD)