Custom Die Struck Pins

What Is a Die Struck Pin?

A die struck pin is a bare metal pin stamped from a custom steel die under enormous pressure, with no enamel color filled into the design. The raised and recessed metal is the artwork — detail comes from how the light catches the sculpted surface rather than from paint. That is why die struck pins read as formal and understated where a colorful enamel pin reads as playful.

The name describes the process. Your artwork is machined into a die, and the die presses the design into sheets of iron, brass or copper. Because the metal is compressed rather than poured, a die struck pin is denser than a cast one, which is what makes it hold a crisp edge for decades of wear on a suit lapel or a uniform.

Die Struck vs Die Cast vs Die Cut Pins

These three terms get used interchangeably, and they don’t mean the same thing.

Die struck is the pressing process above. Die cast pins are made by pouring molten metal into a mold instead of striking it, which allows thicker three-dimensional shapes but produces a softer, more porous piece. We prefer die striking because the pressure yields a denser piece of metal and a more durable pin, and because struck detail stays sharp where cast detail tends to soften.

Die cut describes the outline, not the process. A die cut pin is simply one cut to a custom shape rather than a standard circle or rectangle — a state, a mascot, a logo silhouette. Any die struck pin can be die cut, and we don’t charge extra for a custom shape. If you have been quoted three different terms by three different suppliers, that is usually what is going on: one is describing how the pin is made and another is describing what it looks like.

Die Struck Lapel Pins With Sophisticated Styling and Elegant Design

Die struck pins are the perfect gift for employee recognition programs, to honor academic achievement, to show team pride and for all sorts of other occasions. Our art team has experience handcrafting unique artwork from scratch and recreating team logos, mottos and emblems with perfect accuracy. If you need a set of die struck lapel pins for your team, you’ve come to the right place.

How are Die Struck Pins Made?

Making a die struck pin starts with creating a unique design. We provide free artwork and revisions to all of our customers, so all you need to do is send us a few of your ideas to get started. Once artwork is finalized, your design is machined into a custom die, or mold. The die is then used to press the artwork onto sheets of iron, brass or copper. This process is known as die striking and is where this style of pin gets its name.

The dies created by our production team press incredibly detailed images into the metal sheets, resulting in beautifully precise impressions even on the smallest pins. Sculpted, fully three-dimensional artwork is struck the same way — a 3D die carries depth as well as outline, so a mascot or a crest can sit proud of the pin face instead of reading flat.

When the process of getting the general shape of the pins is completed, the real work of making the pins unique and individual starts in earnest.

Metal Plating Options for Die Struck Pins

Once all of the pins are struck, the pins are moved to the metal plating process to get a splash of color. We offer a wide assortment of different options for metal plating, each one adding to the character of the pins in different ways.

High polish gold and silver pins gleam under any light source and have an inherent sense of premium value. Because the metal surface is so reflective, high polish plating is best suited for designs with a focus on artwork over text. If you’re looking for a bright, high polished design with a lot of text, a great way to ensure your message is legible is to incorporate recessed sandblasting. This creates a textured surface that is more resistant to glare.

For a more subtle design, our antique metal plating options provide a classic aesthetic with darker hues of color. These types of pins are more glare resistant than our high polish pins and are perfect for designs that incorporate full 3D artwork. The natural contrast between raised and recessed portions of the design help sculpted artwork come alive with realistic detailing.

Gold and silver are two of our more popular plating options, but we also offer black nickel plating that has a shimmering charcoal color, bronze plating that has a classic hue of pale gold, and dual plating that mixes and matches different styles of metal plating together in the same design. Dual plating is one of the best ways to add a sense of contrast to a design and to help certain elements of the artwork stand out from the rest.

Die Struck Badges, Medals and Service Award Pins

“Die struck pin” covers more than a lapel pin on a suit jacket. The same die and the same press make name badges and staff badges, lodge and fraternal insignia, years of service pins and anniversary awards, and larger struck pieces like custom medals and medallions. One design can carry a whole program, because the die is the expensive part and it gets reused across every reorder.

Bare metal is a natural fit for recognition. There is no enamel to date the design, so a 5-year pin struck this year matches the 25-year pin struck a decade from now, and a graduated series in bronze, silver and gold reads as one family. Attachments adapt a single design to those different jobs — a butterfly or rubber clutch is included at no cost, and we also offer safety pin backs for badge holders, magnetic backs for uniforms that shouldn’t be pierced, and screw posts for heavier pieces.

Die Struck vs Soft Enamel and Hard Enamel Pins

If you’re looking for a pin with a more whimsical design, our soft enamel pins offer plenty of room to include different shades of colors throughout the artwork. In a similar way, cloisonné pins are well suited for brighter artwork with a glossy, jewelry quality finish, but for customers who want a more formal design with classic style, die struck pins are the best option.

Every one of those styles starts as a die struck pin. Soft enamel adds colored paint to the recessed areas and leaves the raised metal lines standing above it. Hard enamel fills the same recesses with a glass-like enamel and polishes it level with the metal. A die struck pin simply stops before that step, which is why it is usually the least expensive of the three and the fastest to produce. If you aren’t sure which of our custom enamel pins is right for your design, tell us what you’re making and our team will point you at the one that fits.

Get Started on Your Own Die Struck Lapel Pins Today

To get started on a custom pin design, all we need are a few ideas. Just fill out one of our free quote forms, and our art team will be able to begin crafting a unique design for you. The first proof will be ready within 48 hours. All artwork and revisions are free, so be sure to let us know how we can improve any aspect of the artwork.

The possibilities are endless for custom die struck pins, and our team is here to help you through every step of the design process. Give us a call today, and see what makes Signature Pins the best custom pin maker in the industry.