When you’re trying to make enamel pins and your design includes gradients, most manufacturers will tell you that gradients can’t be done with traditional enamel. They’ll usually ask you to revise the artwork and replace the gradient areas with solid colors.
Here comes a question: Is there any manufacturer that can do gradients? The answer is yes.
Fortunately, there are alternative methods that allow for gradients, and we’re able to provide both solutions.
Why Enamel Pins Can’t Have Gradient Colors
That’s because custom enamel pins use solid color fills, same for both soft and hard enamel.
Each color area, represented by a specific Pantone color code, is separated by raised metal lines (also called metal borders), and the enamel is filled in as solid colors, one by one.
This makes it impossible to smoothly blend colors like you would in a digital illustration or a painting.
However, are gradients completely impossible?
Not at all. At our company, we provide two great options that allow you to bring gradients and photo-like effects into your custom pin designs: Offset printed pins and UV printed pins.
The Solutions: Printing Methods That Allow Gradients
If your pin design includes gradients, printing is the best solution.
Here are two reliable methods we use, each with its own advantages depending on your design and project needs. We’ve helped many clients turn their complex artwork into beautiful printed pins with stunning gradients.
Offset Printed Pins
Offset printing allows us to print your full design, including smooth gradients, shadows, and photo-level detail directly onto the metal pin surface.
After printing, we add a layer of clear epoxy coating on top to protect the artwork.
Ideal for: detailed artwork, logos, illustrations, and designs with soft gradients
Material: bronze, stainless iron
Finish: glossy surface with clear epoxy, with metal edge or without
Pros: vivid color reproduction, professional look, cost less than enamel pins
Limitations: metal line detailing (as seen in enamel pins) is not present
You can learn more about printed pins here.
UV Printed Pins
UV printing uses ultraviolet light to cure ink directly onto the pin surface. It’s fast, flexible, and works great for small to medium production runs.
Ideal for: smaller batches, modern or digital-style artwork
Finish: gold, silver, bronze, black nickel, etc.
Pros: cost-effective, good for fast turnaround
Limitations: may have slightly lower resolution than offset in complex color blending
UV printing can create effects that closely resemble both soft enamel and hard enamel. It’s a flexible method for designs that require tiny detail or gradient effects.
Some pins or badges use a combination of enamel and UV printing. The parts divided by metal lines can be filled with hard enamel, while areas without metal borders or with gradients can be created using UV printing.
Enamel Pins vs. Printed Pins: What’s the Difference?
| Feature | Enamel Pins | Printed Pins |
|---|---|---|
| Color Style | Solid colors only | Full-color, gradients, shadows |
| Texture | raised metal lines | raised metal lines(UV), Smooth, flat surface |
| Durability | Very durable | Protected by epoxy or UV top layer |
| Best for | Simple logos, bold designs | Detailed art, photography, gradients |
| Price | Costs more | Less expensive |
Our Recommendation: Which Option Should You Choose?
- If gradient colors are not essential to your design, but you prefer the look and feel of traditional enamel pins, we recommend modifying your artwork. Try adjusting the color scheme so that each section has a single solid color, separated by clean lines.
This way, your design can be produced using enamel, and you’ll get that polished, high-quality finish enamel pins are known for. - However, if gradients are a key part of your design, such as in sunsets, character shading, or artistic backgrounds, then Offset Printed Pins or UV Printed Pins will be your best choice.
If you’re not sure which option fits your design, feel free to send us your artwork. We’re happy to give advice and show you examples we’ve made before.
