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Custom Silk Screen Pins

Silk screen pins are custom lapel pins created through a screen-printing process that deposits bold, flat ink directly onto the plated metal surface. The result is a completely smooth pin face — no raised borders, no recessed areas — making silk screen the ideal choice for intricate logos, small text, and designs with multiple layered colors. With free artwork assistance, a 100-unit minimum, and 10 business day production, silk screen pins are a versatile option for organizations, schools, awareness campaigns, and more.
Artwork and revisions are always free. Fill out a free quote form to send descriptions, logos, and other design ideas to our team, and we’ll send you a digital proof in 24-48 hours.
Production generally takes between 7-10 business days, but will vary depending on the complexity of the design.
We include free priority air shipping for all orders to the United States. Shipping usually takes two business days, depending on weather and holidays. Ask your sales rep for details on APO and international shipping.
We do not accept returns, but all of our customers receive a 100% quality guarantee. If you receive defective products, please let us know, and we’ll begin the process of replacing them for you.
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Silk screen pins are custom lapel pins created through a screen-printing process that deposits bold, flat ink directly onto the plated metal surface. The result is a completely smooth pin face — no raised borders, no recessed areas — making silk screen the ideal choice for intricate logos, small text, and designs with multiple layered colors. With free artwork assistance, a 100-unit minimum, and 10 business day production, silk screen pins are a versatile option for organizations, schools, awareness campaigns, and more.
Artwork and revisions are always free. Fill out a free quote form to send descriptions, logos, and other design ideas to our team, and we’ll send you a digital proof in 24-48 hours.
Production generally takes between 7-10 business days, but will vary depending on the complexity of the design.
We include free priority air shipping for all orders to the United States. Shipping usually takes two business days, depending on weather and holidays. Ask your sales rep for details on APO and international shipping.
We do not accept returns, but all of our customers receive a 100% quality guarantee. If you receive defective products, please let us know, and we’ll begin the process of replacing them for you.

Estimated Total*

$0.00

*This is a price estimate! Formal quotation requires a production-ready design!

Price estimate includes a Offset Printed Setup Fee. Actual price may vary based on your design.

Pin Features

High Polished Gold
High Polished Silver
Copper
Black Nickel
Black Metal
Antique Gold
Antique Silver
Antique Copper
Dual Plating
Rubber Clutch
Butterfly Clutch
Deluxe Clutch
Jewelry Clutch
Cufflinks
Magnetic Back
Safety Pin
Individual Poly Bags
Custom Printed Cards
Acrylic Case
Velvet Box
Velvet Bag

What Are Custom Silk Screen Pins?

Custom silk screen pins are lapel pins created by pressing ink through a fine mesh screen directly onto a plated metal surface. Unlike soft enamel pins — where colored enamel fills recessed areas separated by raised metal borders — silk screen pins have a completely flat, smooth face with no dimensional texture. The printed design sits flush with the metal, giving the pin a clean, graphic look.

This smooth surface is what makes silk screen pins the right choice for certain artwork. Intricate logos with fine lines, small text that would get lost in an enamel fill, and designs with multiple overlapping colors all reproduce with excellent clarity on a screen-printed surface. The printing process lays down bold, flat ink layers that pop against the polished or plated metal background.

Organizations, schools, fraternities and sororities, awareness campaigns, military units, and law enforcement agencies are among the most common customers for silk screen pins — anywhere a design demands precision and a smooth, professional finish. The plating options (gold, silver, antique, black metal, and more) frame the printed artwork with a metallic border that adds visual weight to even simple designs.

Starting at 100 units with 10 business day production and free priority air shipping to the US, silk screen pins deliver crisp detail at a competitive price. If your design has large filled color areas and you want a dimensional, textured feel, soft enamel pins are the more popular choice. For photographic-quality artwork with unlimited colors, consider our offset printed pins.

How Silk Screen Pins Are Made

Every custom silk screen pin goes through a precise five-step process to produce sharp detail and lasting color on a smooth metal surface.

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1

Artwork & Screen Prep

Your artwork is color-separated and a fine mesh screen is prepared for each ink layer to be printed.

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2

Metal Cutting & Shaping

Iron or brass blanks are cut and pressed into your pin's shape — the smooth face is left flat for printing.

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3

Plating

Your chosen metal plating — gold, silver, antique, or black — is applied to the shaped blank before printing begins.

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Screen Printing

Ink is pushed through the mesh screen onto the plated metal surface, layer by layer, to build up your full design.

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Clear Coat & Inspection

A protective clear coat is applied over the printed design to seal the ink, then each pin is inspected and packaged for shipping.

Silk Screen vs Soft Enamel vs Offset Printed Pins

Silk Screen
Current
Soft Enamel
Most Popular
Offset Printed
Feature Silk Screen
Current		 Soft Enamel
Most Popular		 Offset Printed
Color Flat, bold colors Up to 7 free colors Unlimited — full-color printing
Surface Smooth — screened surface Textured — raised metal lines Smooth — flat printed surface
Look Bold, graphic Vibrant, dimensional Photographic, detailed
Cost Low Low Moderate
Production Time 7-10 business days 7-10 business days 7-10 business days
Best For Simple bold designs, text-heavy artwork Events, trading pins, promotional Photos, gradients, full-color artwork

Want a different style? Check out our soft enamel pins or offset printed pins.

Specifications

Available Sizes 0.75" to 2" (custom sizes available)
Base Material Iron or brass
Plating Options High polished gold, high polished silver, copper, black nickel, black metal, antique gold, antique silver, antique copper, dual plating
Color Bold flat colors via screen printing
Surface Smooth — no raised metal borders or recessed areas
Minimum Order 100 units
Production Time 7–10 business days
Shipping Free priority air shipping to the US
Attachment Options Rubber clutch, butterfly clutch, deluxe clutch, jewelry clutch, cufflinks, magnetic back, safety pin

Silk Screen Pin FAQs

  • Answer

    Silk screen pins are custom lapel pins made by pressing ink through a fine mesh screen directly onto a plated metal surface. Unlike soft enamel or cloisonné pins — which use colored enamel fill in recessed areas — silk screen pins have a completely smooth, flat face with no raised metal borders. This makes them ideal for designs with intricate logos, small text, and bold flat colors that need to reproduce with precision.

  • Answer

    The key difference is the surface and production method. Soft enamel pins are die-struck with raised metal borders and recessed areas filled with colored enamel, creating a textured, dimensional feel. Silk screen pins skip the die-strike and enamel fill entirely — the design is screen-printed directly onto the plated metal, leaving the surface completely smooth. Choose silk screen when your artwork has fine text, intricate line detail, or layered flat colors that would be difficult to reproduce with enamel.

  • Answer

    The minimum order for custom silk screen pins is 100 units. Larger quantities lower your per-unit cost — check our pricing page for volume pricing. Production takes 10 business days after artwork approval, and all orders include free priority air shipping to the US.

  • Answer

    Silk screen pins are available with the same plating options as our other custom pin styles: high polished gold, high polished silver, copper, black nickel, black metal, antique gold, antique silver, antique copper, and dual plating. The plating forms the metallic border around your screen-printed design, so the choice of plating color has a significant impact on the overall look of the finished pin.

  • Answer

    Both types have a smooth, flat surface — but the printing method and color capability are very different.

    Silk screen pins use traditional screen printing: thick, opaque ink is pushed through a fine mesh screen onto the plated metal, one color at a time. This produces bold, solid colors with crisp edges. It works best when your design has clearly defined color areas — logos, text, emblems, and icons where each color is distinct. If you can look at your artwork and count the solid colors, it’s probably a good fit for silk screen.

    Offset printed pins use full-color CMYK printing — the same process used in magazine printing. This supports unlimited colors, gradients, shadows, color blends, and photographs of people. If your artwork has gradients, fades, or photographic elements that don’t have clean color boundaries, offset printed is the right choice.

    Quick guide:

    • Clean vector logo with solid colors → Silk screen
    • Photo, gradient, or complex blended artwork → Offset printed
    • Both have smooth surfaces and the same 100-unit minimum and 7–10 business day production time

  • Answer

    You can fill out a quote form on any of our product pages or while looking at photos in the gallery! This allows you to choose your favorite design features, leave notes for our designers, and upload any reference images you may have. Alternatively, our team would be happy to help by phone or email using the contact methods below.

    We can also assist you via phone, text, or email.

    Email: info@lapelpinsplus.com
    Phone: +1-800-252-0904
    Text: +1-800-252-0904

  • Answer

    Minimums vary by product:

    • Lapel pins, keychains, medals, lanyards, and patches: 100 units
    • Trading pins (standard and USA Rush): 200 units
    • Challenge coins: 50 units
    • Belt buckles: 25 units

    Larger orders lower your per-unit price. Check out our pricing page to learn more.

  • Answer

    Production times will vary depending on the type of custom product you order, and the complexity of your design. For the most accurate information, ask your sales representative for an estimated turnaround time. The details listed below should be used as a general rule of thumb for production times and do not include shipping time:

    • Lapel Pins: 7-10 business days
    • Lanyards: 7-10 business days
    • Patches: 14 business days
    • Keychains: 12-14 business days
    • Belt Buckles: 14-18 business days
    • Challenge Coins: 14-18 business days
    • Domestic Rush Pins: 3-5 business days
    • Domestic Rush Challenge Coins: 3-5 business days

  • Answer

    You can place your order over the phone or online through our secure payment portal. Have your Quote Number ready and double-check that the proof assigned to that Quote Number matches the proof you would like to purchase.

    Click here to find your quote and pay online, or follow the “Order This Quote” link sent to your email with your proof.

    To pay by phone, call +1-800-252-0904.

  • Answer

    We offer discounted pricing based on the number of custom products in your order. The more you order, the less you will pay per unit. Check out our pricing page for more detailed information on pricing for all of our custom products!

View More FAQs

Explore Other Pin Styles

Not sure silk screen is the right fit? Compare our other custom pin styles.

Soft Enamel Pins

Textured, dimensional surface — the most popular pin style

Die Struck Pins

Classic all-metal finish, no enamel or printing

Cloisonné Pins

Smooth, jewelry-quality surface with vibrant colors

Offset Printed Pins

Photographic detail and unlimited colors

Popular Uses for Silk Screen Pins

The smooth, printed surface of silk screen pins makes them a natural fit for designs where precision and clarity matter most.

Corporate & Employee Recognition

Company logos, branded giveaways, and employee milestone pins often have clean vector artwork with defined color areas — exactly what silk screen printing handles best. The bold, flat ink sits sharply against the plated metal, making logos look crisp and professional on lanyards, lapels, or onboarding kits. With a 100-unit minimum, even smaller companies can order a full team's worth of pins.

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Organizations & Award Pins

Clubs, societies, honor organizations, and award programs need pins that carry their identity clearly — often with a crest, emblem, or text-heavy design. Silk screen printing handles multi-element organizational artwork with precision: each color stays within its boundary, text stays legible at small sizes, and the smooth finish gives finished pins a clean, official look.

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Awareness & Cause Pins

Charity fundraisers, healthcare organizations, and awareness campaigns need pins that communicate a clear message — often with a logo, slogan, or bold graphic. Silk screen pins handle text-heavy and flat-color designs cleanly, making them a cost-effective choice for nonprofits distributing pins at events or including them in donor packages.

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School & Greek Organization Pins

Graduation pins, fraternity and sorority crests, and honor society pins demand crisp lettering and sharp emblem reproduction — exactly what silk screen printing delivers. Greek letters, school seals, and chapter emblems print cleanly on the smooth metal surface. Order as few as 100 for a graduating class, a chapter, or a school-wide recognition program.

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