The Difference Between Hard and Soft Enamel Pins
Custom glazed detail badges are a unique and popular way to demonstrate personal style and team identity. In the selection process of glaze detail badges, hard and soft foetal glazes are two common choices. This independent site blog will delve into the differences between hard and soft foams to help you understand their uniqueness and application scenarios.
Deciding Which Works Best
Hard enamel detailing and soft enamel detailing are two common badge making techniques that have some significant differences in appearance, texture, and durability.
Custom Lapel Pins That Look Different and Feel Different
Hard Enamel Badge:
Hard enamelled detail badges usually define each color area with a metal border, which is then filled with glaze for patterning. This method makes the surface of the badge flat and smooth, giving a pearlescent feel. The following are the features of the hard enamelled detail badge:
- High quality appearance: The surface of the hard enamelled detail badge is smooth and glossy, making the detail pattern more vivid and clear.
- Durability: The hard enamel detail badge is baked at high temperature to harden its glaze and therefore more durable and scratch resistant.
- Clear color separation: Each color area of the hard enameled detail badge is defined by a metal border, so the separation between colors is very clear.
- Suitable for complex patterns: Hard enamel details are suitable for complex patterns and details because the presence of borders can effectively distinguish different colors and elements.
Soft Enamel Badge:
Unlike hard enamelled details, soft enamelled detail badges are made without metal borders to separate areas of colour. The glaze of the soft enamelled detail badge fills the patterned area and sinks slightly during baking, creating a slight concave and convex feel. The following are the features of the soft tire glaze detail badge:
- Rich texture: The surface of the soft enamel detail badge has a concave and convex sense, making the pattern more three-dimensional and tactile.
- Color gradient effect: Since there is no metal boundary, the soft enamel detail badge can present a color gradient effect, making the pattern more vivid and delicate.
- Affordable: Compared with hard enamel details, soft enamel detail badges are cheaper to produce and suitable for mass production and mass customization.
- For simple patterns: Soft enamel detail badges are especially good for simple patterns and less colors because the separation between colors is not as clear as hard enamel detail.
Why Choose One Over the Other?
Our team has the ability to create beautiful designs for both hard and soft enamel pins, but each one comes with certain advantages depending on how you are planning to use your pins and what kind of design our team helps you create.
Hard Enamel：
If you are after high texture, clear detail and durability, choose a hard enamel badge. They are suitable for complex patterns and multi-color designs, capable of presenting highly detailed results.
Soft Enamel：
And if you pay more attention to the three-dimensional sense of texture and color gradient effect, and want to be more economical in cost, then soft enamel badge is a good choice. They are suitable for simple patterns and fewer colors, and can show a unique concavity and vivid effect.
Choosing Between Custom Hard Enamel and Soft Enamel Pins
Our unique pin team has been making custom products for companies all over the country since the year 2000. We pride ourselves on our ability to produce one-of-a-kind artwork and the industry’s best quality pins for every customer. No matter what you plan on using your pins for, you can be sure our team will be here to help through the entire design process.
When it comes to choosing between hard and soft enamel, the decision will change both the aesthetic and texture of your pins. If you are unsure which style works best for your design, just remember the major benefits associated with each:
Hard Enamel Pins
- High durability: Because the hard enamel badge is baked at high temperatures, the glaze will harden, making it more durable and scratch resistant.
- Clarity and detail: Metal borders define each color area, making the separation between colors very clear, allowing complex patterns and details to be revealed.
- High textured appearance: The smooth and glossy surface of the hard enamelled detail badges gives them a high textured appearance.
- High cost: Due to the relatively complex production process, the cost of hard glaze detail badges is usually higher than that of soft glaze detail badges.
- Limited color gradient: Due to the presence of metal borders, the color gradient effect of the hard enamel-detail badge is relatively limited.
Sard Enamel Pins
- Affordable: Compared to hard glaze details, soft glaze detail badges have lower production costs and are suitable for mass production and mass customization.
- Rich texture: The concave and convex feel of the soft enamel detail badge gives them a three-dimensional and tactile feel, making the pattern more vivid and interesting.
- Color gradient effect: Since there is no metal boundary limit, the soft enamel detail badge can present more color gradient effect, making the pattern more diverse.
- Lower durability: Compared to hard enamel detail badges, soft enamel detail badges have a relatively thin glaze and may be more susceptible to scratching and wear.
- Unclear color separation: Since there is no metal boundary, the separation between the colors of the soft glaze detail badge is not as clear as the hard glaze detail.
Deciding which style works best for you is mostly a matter of personal preference. No matter what style you prefer, you can be sure our team will make something remarkable for you and your team.
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