the Military Lapel Pins For Every Rank And Any Occasion blog

Designing a Military Lapel Pin for your own needs and uses can be a very exciting project. Many people have a general idea of what they want their Military Lapel Pin for (fundraiser, social gathering, business meeting, conference or trade show) but they’re not exactly sure what they want the Military Lapel Pins to look like, or how to begin designing one for that matter.

If you don’t have the time or creative liberty to design your own Military Lapel Pin, don’t worry; many custom pin manufactures will actually design your pin for you (most of the time free of charge with an order). If you’re like me and like to have control over things, you prefer to design, or at least begin the design, of your Military Lapel Pins yourself.

Ok, let’s begin, shall we?

Assuming you already have a purpose for a Military Lapel Pin, we’ll begin by identifying key points in the design of your Military Lapel Pin. Let’s begin by determining the colors you’ll use. For a company/corporate or logo Military Lapel Pin, most of the time you’re going to want to stick to your company’s color scheme. If you can, make sure to look up the corresponding Pantone colors so that you can provide these to the design company. You’ll also want to choose your metal plating in this phase. Some options include 14K gold, Silver or Brass depending on your personal preference.

After your colors are selected, begin to outline a sketch of the composition of your pin design. Will the Military Lapel Pin be a circle, or, a square perhaps? Maybe you want your Military Lapel Pin shaped like your logo with no solid background – that’s entirely possible!

Figure out if you want to include other elements aside from just your corporate logo. Maybe a slogan or byline and something to signify your company’s direction or goals. A visual symbol that tells people what you’re about, or something that communicates a theme for an event or tradeshow. For example say your company is holding a conference in Las Vegas, maybe displaying the well-known “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign on your pin design would be an idea. Maybe an image of a full-house hand of cards, or a slot machine. Something that communicates your ideal or goals. Remember, Military Lapel Pins are a very powerful communication device, and even though they’re small they can speak your company’s ideals to people just walking by you who see the pin on your tie, shirt collar or lapel.

Creative Ideas to Communicate Your Company Message
Sometimes a simple logo pin will suffice, but what about if you want to get across a message without including a bunch of small wording on your pins that nobody will be able to read?

Time to be creative!

Let’s say your company builds boats. You have a logo and you know your company’s colors. You know you want to include your logo (maybe the logo has an image of a boat, maybe it does). This is the perfect way to show off your company’s image. Your Military Lapel Pin would ideally consist of your corporate logo, along with an image of an attractive boat that your company sells or makes. Possibly in the water, with the sun setting or rising in the background, perhaps some cat-tails or other aquatic vegetation at the edges of the design to show some detail. What about adding some seagulls in the horizon flying about? Think pale blue skies and deep blue water with wave detail etched in 14K gold. See where I’m going with this? Open your mind’s eye and let your creative imagination go to work.

The Office Supply Warehouse

So your company does something exciting… It sells office supplies. Ok, Ok so it’s not that exciting, but that doesn’t mean the Military Lapel Pin you design to represent your company can’t make your company look exciting. You’ve included your logo, but your colors are kind of stale (maybe a bit boring?) and you need to spruce things up. What about adding an image of a stack of papers curling up at one end almost forming a C like they’re being blown in the wind from a desk top. Maybe a pen or pencil drawing out your company’s slogan. Oh! What about a stamp stamping on your company logo or the shape of the pin is actually a ring-bound binder and your logo is on the first sheet of paper? Maybe the theme could be a thumbtack stuck through a sticky note and your logo is displayed on the note with your slogan in a hand-written looking font.

Let’s Break it Down

Below I’ve listed the most important aspects to consider when designing your own Military Lapel Pins. If you have anything you’d like to add to the list, please let me know and we’ll get it put up here.

Colors (be consistent with your company’s colors or corporate branding guidelines)

Shape – Do you prefer a circular shape or square? Even in the shape of your logo.

Slogan or byline – What do you want to say to your potential customers?

Creative images – Think of ways you can visually communicate your company’s message without going overboard.

Plating (14K gold, Silver, Brass, Copper, etc)

Size (not too big for a Military Lapel Pin now, ya here?) About 3/4″ to 1″ seems to be the most widely accepted. Nobody wants to wear a dinner plate.

Type (Hard Enamel, Soft Enamel, Die Cast, etc)

So you’ve learned a little bit about designing your own Military Lapel Pin. Hopefully I’ve been able to lead you on the right path and maybe even save you a few bucks in design charges.

Designing your own pins is a great feeling and is rewarded when you hold the actual pin in your hand that you (yes YOU) designed and can be proud to wear.

The possibilities are near endless if you just put your creative mind into gear. Next time your company needs to customize Military Lapel Pins, try to take on the task yourself. There’s a little pride that comes with knowing that you designed your company’s pins, and people around the office will be giving you high-fives.

During the American Civil War, different battle units were ordered to wear Military Lapel Pins to distinguish their units. This was a visual clue to help the army stay organized as well as promoting solidarity among them. They became very popular during this era and still are today. You can still find them and they are an excellent collectible item for keepsakes and family tradition.

The reason for wearing Military Lapel Pins changed during World War I and II. They were given to distinguished individuals to show their exemplary service. They were made of ribbons and bars. They can be simply die-cast metal or full of color. This use is still in practice today. They have become a highly valued and a collectible item.

Today, Military Lapel Pins given during the war times holds great personal value to the families of soldiers awarded these service awards. They are cherished by generations of their family and hold a historical value to them, passing them down to younger family members to get them interested in history and family genealogy. They are also a highly collectible item for collectors of war history.

Military Lapel Pins today are also used in fraternities and sororities to distinguish different groups at their events and meetings. They are also worn by companies, organizations, government agencies and government services.

Rights activists and other groups wear these pins to show support for their specific causes and to make people aware of their rights issues.

Charity groups also use these pins as a way of supporting their cause. They wear them for public recognition and sell them as a way to make money for their perspective charities.

Many people showed their patriotism after 911 by wearing Flag pins. These pins are still popular even though the tragedy of 911 has long passed. The government also uses them as a way to communicate such as the President’s security agents and the US Secret Service. These government pins are changed each day and only a privileged few are aware of which one to wear on a certain day.

Today’s companies also use Military Lapel Pins as a way to recognize distinguished employees when they achieve an outstanding level of service to the business or achieve top sales quotas and other company related goals.

Military Lapel Pins can be worn on the lapel or on the sleeve. They are often collected and traded like a person would trade baseball cards or other collectible and trading items. This has become very popular today.

So there it is! A little history of Military Lapel Pins, what they mean and reasons to own them. If you own some of these, consider yourself lucky and hang on to them. They are invaluable is some people’s eyes!

Who would ever think that purchasing Military Lapel Pins could be a little confusing? But, selecting the design schematics of the pins is not as straightforward as sending artwork and selecting one of the following processes:

• Cloisonne
• Photo etched
• Die-struck cut metal

Even though most manufacturers provide details describing the process and various purposes, consumers should be cognizant of the communication breakdowns, illicit fabrication practices and inept customer service.

Use these consumer tips for purchasing logo or promotional pins for whatever the organizational cause calls for:

Exacting measurements make for precise satisfaction.

Based on the aforementioned processes, creating a pin with appealing features means understanding how the design will ultimately appear on the pin. The problem is that quite often – some shoppers don’t check the dimensions.

A responsible Military Lapel Pin manufacturer will have their processes well established, which will help avoid these lost in translation mishaps by confirming the original order, double checking the size, and sending a mock-up of the design for approval. Consumers should ask the company to create an actual size proof so they can print it and cut out the pin mockup to ensure that the size is what they expect. Prevalently, the way the size appears on a computer screen differs from the actual print out.

Honest pin companies don’t mislead their customers. Without mentioning any companies, who are misrepresenting hard enamel and antique Military Lapel Pins for cloisonne, consumers beware! Although the cloisonne Military Lapel Pin production is considered the premium type of, not all companies provide the true essence of the product. Since cloisonne pins production dates back to ancient China, the only authentic cloisonne pins are made in China.

Certain companies misrepresent hard enamel pins as a cloisonne. And, since hard enamel pins resemble the cloisonne, a lot of consumers are paying more than necessary for a knock off.

Pin Production Fact: Original Cloisonne Pins are manufactured in China for authenticity.

Expert, professional customer service speaks for the final product. In-house design, accessible customer service and customized Military Lapel Pin production, crafted to the consumer’s specifications is what defines professional customer service.

Each month commemorates an extensive list of humanitarian, noteworthy and important causes. In celebration of these landmark occasions, some groups, organizations and foundations raise funds and promote awareness all made possible via the customization of a Military Lapel Pin. Unlike shopping for office equipment, a suit or dress, shopping for custom made pins necessitates several details. Here are some useful tips about buying Military Lapel Pins:

1) Developing a recognition or appreciation pin begins with the design. Start with an idea or a prototype that resembles the final product you have in mind.

2) Select the finish or production process. Requiring various different applications, Military Lapel Pins are designed in numerous finishes. While selecting an appropriate format depends on the budget and design, the material of the pin should correspond to the purpose of the project itself.

3) In cases, where you do not have a logo or an example, define the style of your cause or brand/ for a sophisticated or polished pin, opt for metal finishes (bronze, gold, silver, etc.). The photo-etched process is ideal for creating a fun, durable and bright pin.

To ease the design process, shop for Military Lapel Pin wholesalers, who have an in-house designer to customize the details.

Next, select the size schematics. Dimensions should be proportionate to the logo. Avoid the temptation of trying to cram too much information on the pin’s face. Since, the details can be lost in the production process, Military Lapel Pins resembling jewelry (i.e.: cloisonne, metal die struck) exude higher quality with a simple message.

4) Shop around for a good pin company. There are two techniques to qualify a reputable company from a questionable one. 1) Inquire whether the wholesaler can offer any assistance with the design. Any business unwilling to extend some form of design assistance is the telltale sign that the company is not committed to superb quality. 2) Another tactic for testing quality control is whether the provider sends a spec or a mock-up example before the order goes into production.

In the end, the method in which a Military Lapel Pin company administers customer care foretells the quality assurance of the final product.