1. Overview
When planning a large-scale event, visual identity plays a defining role. Whether it’s a corporate campaign, university festival, charity run, collector convention, or nationwide marketing activation, enamel pins remain one of the most effective and budget-friendly ways to bring people together.
This case study explores how one of our valued clients—an event organizer preparing for a multi-city activation—used factory-direct bulk enamel pins to reduce costs, shorten lead times, and achieve consistent quality across thousands of units.
The client initially faced a tight schedule, broad design requirements, and a need for top-tier reliability. Through careful planning and factory-level coordination, the project delivered superior results. As the client told us afterward: “The turnaround time and enamel consistency exceeded our expectations.”
This is a deep dive into the full production journey.
2. Client Requirements
The client approached us with a clear challenge:
- A multi-week event across 12 cities
- 8,000 enamel pins needed
- Delivery deadline: 24 days
- Color accuracy essential for brand consistency
- A design containing several small details requiring technical precision
- Budget constraints due to the scale of the campaign
They had previously sourced pins through intermediaries, which resulted in slow responses and inconsistent quality across batches. This time, they wanted a direct factory partnership capable of providing:
- Fast sampling
- Consistent plating quality
- Stable PMS color matching
- Bulk pricing advantages
- Real-time progress updates
Their primary concern was whether such a large order could be produced within the timeline without sacrificing craftsmanship.
3. Crafting Process
Design Analysis & Technical Adjustments
Our design team reviewed the artwork and identified several areas requiring refinement. Based on proven manufacturing principles from our production training materials, we adapted the design to ensure production feasibility:
- Simplified several metal lines thinner than 1 mm to avoid loss during stamping
- Confirmed PMS selection for color consistency across all enamel areas
- Recommended soft enamel over imitation hard enamel to reduce both cost and production time
The client appreciated the guidance, saying: “You caught details we never would have noticed. These adjustments probably saved us from major production issues.”
Step-by-Step Manufacturing Workflow
Drawing from standard pin-making procedures described in our technical documentation, the following steps were executed:
1. Mold Creation
A precision steel mold was carved using CNC techniques, with careful attention to the design’s fine metal lines.
Soft enamel pins require crisp outlines, so the mold quality had to be flawless.
2. Die Striking
Metal sheets were placed under a high-tonnage press to strike the design into the surface.
Soft materials like brass create the cleanest lines, and for this project, we used iron soft enamel to balance clarity and cost—an ideal choice for high-volume event pins.
3. Cutting & Shaping
Cutting molds removed excess metal from each piece. For thousands of pins, ensuring consistency across the cut line is critical.
4. Polishing
Each pin was polished both mechanically and manually. This step ensures plating will adhere evenly.
5. Electroplating
The client selected black nickel plating for a sleek, modern look.
Plating options such as gold, silver, antique silver, and dyed black are available, but black nickel complemented the campaign’s visual identity best.
6. Enamel Filling
Each color was hand-filled into recessed areas, one color at a time.
Soft enamel creates natural depth thanks to the raised metal lines, which the client preferred for tactile appeal.
7. Baking
Pins were baked at ~160°C to cure the enamel permanently.
This ensures the color remains vibrant throughout the event and long after—important for pins meant to be kept as collectibles.
8. Quality Control
Multiple QC stages included:
- Line thickness verification
- PMS color matching
- Attachment strength (ensuring back posts were securely soldered)
- Surface smoothness & dust inspection
- Random sample checks for plating uniformity
Soft enamel pins do not require epoxy (unless specifically requested), keeping the finish crisp and clean.
Each pin was placed in an individual OPP poly bag, the standard choice for large event distributions. Alternative options (such as velvet boxes or printed backer cards) were available but not required for this project.
4. Client Interaction Highlights
Communication played a major role in the project’s success. The decision to work factory-direct gave the client:
- Immediate design feedback
- Real-time production updates
- Ability to request plating samples early
- Flexible handling of urgent artwork changes
- A single point of contact for the entire process
One memorable exchange occurred when the client mentioned their concern about the timeline. We reassured them by breaking down each stage with accurate production durations—from mold making to plating to QC—based on our standard timeline range of 10–12 days for bulk production provided in manufacturing guidelines.
After receiving the sample, they commented:
“Your sample looks exactly like the digital proof. This gives us confidence to move forward with full production.”
5. Production Workflow Details
The production timeline was carefully managed:
- Day 1–2: Artwork revision & mold confirmation
- Day 3–5: Mold engraving & die striking completed
- Day 6–7: Cutting, polishing, and plating tests
- Day 8–10: Enamel filling and baking
- Day 11–13: Main QC cycle
- Day 14: Final packaging
- Day 15: Production complete and ready for shipping
This left ample room for international shipping and customs processing, meeting the client’s deadline with several days to spare.
6. Post-Production Details
After production, we prepared a detailed QC report, including:
- Macro photos of metal line clarity
- Close-ups of enamel color edges
- Plating comparison shots
- Packaging confirmation images
Providing such transparency is especially important for large event orders where consistency is critical.
The client also received guidelines on storing and transporting the pins to avoid moisture exposure and abrasion during multi-city transit.
7. Client Feedback
Once the event concluded, the client shared enthusiastic feedback:
- “Attendees loved the design—many collected the pins from different cities.”
- “Quality was stable from the first box to the last.”
- “Your factory-direct model helped us hit our budget while still getting a premium finish.”
This project exemplified how direct collaboration between the client and the factory leads to smoother, faster, and more predictable outcomes—especially on bulk orders.
8. Call to Action
If you are planning an event and need thousands of enamel pins, a factory-direct approach gives you the best results in cost, speed, and quality.
Reach out to us anytime—our team is here to help you design, refine, and produce pins that your audience will love and remember.