A high quality lapel pin that allows amazing detail and coloring in small places. This is accomplished because the negative of your logo is burned with acid onto the surface of the brass metal .
Custom photoetched lapel pins
Recommended for those very detailed designs. Your artwork is transfered onto the metal surface and washed away with an acid reaction, this leaves the indentation that will then be filled with soft enamel.
Best Results:
- Bold designs are recommended to avoid coloring caused by lines and figures that are too thin or too small. If your design have small detailed portions that need to be colored it will require and additional silk-screen printing process.
- Enamel coloring requires a surrounding metal space to ensure good quality painting. Therefore, it is necessary to allow for a blank metal rim (0.3mm minimum). If your design requires bleeding or full-piece coloring, a special process is necessary.
- The standard colors are based on the Pantone chart.
Custom Lapel Pins: Photoetched - How they are made?
Transfering
An image of the design is transferred from a photographic negative onto the metal surface through a sensitization process
Etching
An acid reaction process is then carried out to form the design indentation
Rinsing
Acids and impurities are then washed off
Coloring
Soft enamel is carefully inserted by hand, one color at a time, using different sized syringes
Drying
To prevent defects, a high degree of skill is required in order to keep each color and the correct amount of enamel in the proper area.
Baking
The metal piece is baked at approximately 450F for 12 to15 minutes
Stonning
After the metal board has cooled, the surface is finished by stoning with a carborundum stone until all excess color has been worn away.
Outline Cutting Cut the metal board in rows
Cut individual designs in custom outlines ( min. metal outline thickness: 0.8mm )
Attachment
Solder attachment onto the back of each piece
Plating
Plating now can be processed. The quality of plating varies with the length of time the metal is soaked in the plating liquid.
Epoxy Coating
Clear epoxy is then applied to the surface to protect the enamel from color fading and cracking. (Epoxy coating is optional and provided according to customer's requirements.)
Inspection & Packing
All items are strictly inspected before delivery. Customer's satisfaction is guaranteed!
