Frequently Asked Questions
Design and ordering
Do I need a designer to order custom pins?
No. Describe the pin you want and our AI designer produces a photorealistic mockup and factory-direct pricing in the same screen.
Do I need to send you a design file?
No. Describe the pin you want and our AI designer will create it. If you already have artwork — a client's logo, for example — you can upload it, and we'll show you how it will look as a struck pin before you pay anything.
What if my client's logo can't be made into a pin?
Some artwork can't be reproduced in enamel. Gradients, halftones, and very fine detail don't survive the die. Our designer works within those limits from the start, and our design team reviews the file before we cut steel. If something needs adjusting, we tell you before production — not three weeks in.
Do I pay for design?
No. You see the price before you spend anything on artwork. There is no design fee and no account required to get a quote.
Does a human check my design before production?
Yes. Our design team reviews the file against die-striking rules before we cut steel. This takes approximately 2 business days after payment.
How fast can I get a design and a price?
Roughly 30 seconds in the AI designer. No account, no sales call.
Product and materials
What is cloisonné?
Cloisonné is a centuries-old enameling technique. Colored enamel is filled into recesses formed by raised metal walls, then fired at high temperature and polished flush with the metal. It is the same process used for heritage lapel pins, and it produces a hard, glass-smooth surface.
What is the difference between hard and soft enamel?
Hard enamel is fired and polished level with the metal lines, giving a smooth, flat surface. Soft enamel is filled to a lower level, so you can feel the raised metal outlines with your fingertip. Hard enamel reads as more premium; soft enamel holds finer surface detail.
How do I tell a real enamel pin from a printed one?
Run your fingertip across the face. A die-struck enamel pin has metal ridges separating each color, even when the surface is polished smooth. A printed pin is uniformly flat, because the image sits on top of a pre-made blank under a layer of resin.
What is the mold, and why does it matter?
A steel die is cut specifically for your artwork. It is what stamps the metal. Cutting a die is the main fixed cost of a pin order, and it is the reason custom pins have a minimum order quantity.
Who owns the die?
The die remains our property and is stored at our facility. We do not use your die to produce pins for any other customer. We retain dies for reorders for 24 months, so a repeat order does not pay for tooling again.
Quality
Will the enamel chip, fade, or peel?
Cloisonné enamel is fired at high temperature and polished flush with the metal, so there is no printed layer to peel and no resin coating to yellow. The color is pigment fired into glass, not ink on a surface.
How close will the finished pin be to the digital proof?
Screens display color differently from fired enamel. Minor variation in color tone, plating, or enamel fill between the approved proof and the finished pin is normal in die-struck manufacturing. Significant deviation from the approved design is a defect, and we remake it at no cost.
What if the pins arrive defective?
Contact us within 14 days of delivery with your order number and photos. Once verified, we remake and reship at no additional cost. If a replacement is not possible, we issue a full refund. See our Refund Policy for full terms.
Minimums and lead times
What is your minimum order?
200 units per design. Because a steel die is cut specifically for your artwork, the tooling cost is what sets the minimum.
What is the minimum pin size?
3 × 3 cm, or approximately 1.18 inches.
How long is production and shipping?
Approximately 45 days door to door, design review included.
For distributors
Can I resell these to my clients?
Yes. Our customers include promotional product distributors and merchandising agencies who resell to their own corporate clients.
Shipping
Where are the pins manufactured?
Our pins are die-struck and enameled at our manufacturing partner in China, using the traditional cloisonné process. Every design is reviewed by our own team before the die is cut, and every order is inspected before it ships. Pins Factory Now is a brand of Vértice SpA, based in Santiago, Chile.
Is shipping included?
Yes. Shipping is included in the quote generated when you design your order, so the price you see already covers delivery.
Do you ship worldwide?
Yes, with tracking. International orders may be subject to import duties or taxes set by the destination country. These charges are the customer's responsibility.
Have a question we haven't answered? Email contact@pinsfactorynow.ai and we'll respond within one business day.