10 Questions To Ask Before Ordering Custom Pins

It may seem strange to begin answering "10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Ordering Custom Pins" with an example, but it helps people picture the process better. So here we go.

You're a corporate marketing manager for a mid-to-large public firm who has just returned from an annual planning conference. You've been assigned the responsibility of gathering information on the cost and timeline for making personalized pins for the entire company, including trade show pins, years of service pins, branding and promotion pins, executive-level pins, and giveaway pins. This may appear to be a huge undertaking, and it may be, but if you break it down into small portions, it will be pretty straightforward. Ordering bespoke pins should never be difficult, especially if you know exactly what you need.

The first step is to determine how many various types of pins you will require. Keeping them separate allows you to properly define each pin and avoid getting them mixed up. Based on the preceding example, you would have five distinct categories, as indicated below.

Pins for Trade Shows

Pins for Years of Service

Pins for Branding and Promotion

Pins for Executives

Pins for Giving

The second stage is to answer the ten questions for each category. Many of the solutions will be similar, but it is useful to evaluate each individually. If you are a small business or a person with only one category, that is fine; the process is the same, just simplified. The following are the ten questions you should ask before ordering custom pins.(Custom 30mm Hard Enamel Pins)

1. What are the functions of my personalized pins?

In theory, you have mostly answered this question by categorizing the pins. However, there is more to the goal than a broad application. The more specific you can be, the easier it will be to answer the other questions. A personalized pin, for example, might be used to thank benefactors, raise awareness, or identify individuals.

With just these three easy examples, you can see how the objective helps to define all of the pin's other aspects, such as the message, the budget, the quality, the quantity, the size, and the time. If it is a giveaway pin, there is no need to invest in the most expensive pin because you will distribute thousands, but the message you want to express may be critical.

2. How many special pins will I require?

Surprisingly, this is one of the more difficult questions to answer, yet it should be one of the simpler ones to answer because it comes down to fundamental math.

Here's how that estimate may look if you're a little league baseball team traveling to a tournament and each of your players will be exchanging with players from other teams. You have 14 players on your squad, and you want each one to be able to exchange 50 pins. 14 players time 50 pins equals 700 total pins.

If the pin is for years of service, all you have to do is look through the corporate records to see how many employees will reach a milestone year. Perhaps you have 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20-year milestones, with 100, 50, 20, 5, and 2 employees in each category for the future year. By summing the numbers, you discover that you require a total of 177 pins. Isn't it simple? The only other factor to consider with quantity is how quantity may affect pricing. The more bespoke pins you get, the lower the price, so ordering two or three years' worth of pins may make sense. Of course, this only works if the pins do not expire and there is a budget.

3. When do I need my personalized pins?

Sometimes you need a specific date, sometimes you need a range, and sometimes you don't need a date because the pins will be utilized continuously. The question is significant since creating personalized lapel pins takes time. Custom pins typically take 3 weeks from order to delivery. However, depending on the time of year or the volume, the time may be extended. Timing becomes an issue if you require 20,000 pins in two weeks or if it is Chinese New Year and the factories are closed. Most pin providers will try to meet your requests, but it is critical to have this established to avoid missing your event.

4. What size do I want my personalized pins to be?

This appears to be the most difficult issue for people to answer, which is understandable given the several aspects that go into selecting the appropriate size, including design, function, cost, and desire. The good news is that an expert pin manufacturer can help you make the optimal option. Because many people have difficulty visualizing size, providing direction is critical. Custom pins often range in size from.5 inches to 3 inches, with 1 and 1.25 inches being the most frequent. So, if someone requests a 3-inch pin, red flags go up. If a design contains a lot of little words, the font size may need to be increased for legibility. If a design is long and not particularly tall, it may need to be slightly larger to feel like a standard-sized pin. If a pin is intended for trading, it should unquestionably be larger. A pin for a professional setting should be smaller and less flashy. Finally, pins are measured by the longest dimension, which can be top to bottom or left to right. It is critical to measure it appropriately.

5. Do I already have an electronic design or logo that I can submit for my personalized pins?

Most pin companies do not demand a professional design, although it is beneficial if one is accessible. It is useful since it saves time and energy by giving them exactly what you want rather than them attempting to infer what you want. Professional graphic designers are used by all pin producers to adapt whatever you offer into manufacturable artwork. If all you have is a hazy linguistic concept, that's fantastic. If all you have is a napkin sketch, that's excellent. If you only have a logo and want other elements added, that's fine. To put it another way, we take what you have and graphically show you how the pin will look. You should never have to be concerned about the appearance of your pin.

6. Do I want personalized packaging for my handmade pins?

Custom packaging is NOT required unless you are reselling pins, displaying pins, or attempting to express deeper meaning or value for a pin. However, it is always available and does require money to make. The good news is that the pin manufacturer will build the pin, print the packaging, and assemble the pin on the package to ensure a finished product is sent to you. Packaging possibilities include backing cards, plastic-hinged boxes, velvet-hinged boxes, paper boxes, and other display-type packaging.

7. What kind of personalized pin do I want?

Now we're going into the most technical question, but don't worry if you can't answer it because most people don't understand the distinctions. The pin company will ask this question to ensure that if you do know what you want, you receive it. You'll recall that one dealt with purpose. The goal will go a long way toward answering this question. Pins come in a variety of styles, including hard enamel, soft enamel, die-struck, diecast, and picture dome. Hard enamel or die-struck pins would be a fantastic choice for executive or business branding. Soft enamel would be a wonderful choice for a trade or giveaway pin. Photodome may be the ideal option if you are creating 20,000 or more pins. To be explicit, if you know what type you want based on previous experience, just state it; otherwise, understand your goal and budget and allow the pin manufacturer to guide your decision.

8. What is my budget for personalized pins?

We've handled the difficult, easy, and significant questions, and now we've arrived at the final question. What is the financial situation? Everything is determined by the budget. Because most people, companies, and charities do not have an infinite budget, understanding the budget can assist guide the process. The good news is that artwork, shipment, and setup are all either free or already included in the pricing, so you won't have to pay anything additional.

9. How will I pay for my personalized pins?

Nothing in this life, including bespoke lapel pins, is free. So, if you're going to order personalized pins, hopefully, you've thought about how you'll pay for them. Because bespoke pins are unique, you must normally prepay for the entire order upfront. Credit cards, checks, cash, wire transfers, and electronic checks are all accepted modes of payment. Many pin resellers currently use crowd-funding and advance sales to support the acquisition of the pins. Most pin businesses stand behind their products and will work with you to resolve any issues you may have. It can be frightening to pay for something you haven't seen, but in this day and age of online shopping, it's almost the usual. Custom pins are no exception.

10. How do I select a manufacturer of pins?

How do I pick a manufacturer of pins? How can I find the best pin manufacturer? Can I put my faith in the pin company I choose? These are all excellent questions. You are aware that Custom Pins Now is the author of this blog post, thus we may have a biased viewpoint. But we also try to be honest and straightforward, so please allow us to answer this issue objectively.

The truth is that the majority of the world's pins, like everything else you use every day, are manufactured in China. The other reality is that there are now 10, 20, or 50 bespoke pin firms on the internet, all of which manufacture their pins in China. As a result, quality, pricing, and lead times are often quite similar across all businesses. Most businesses provide free artwork, shipment, and setup. So, one of the most important things to look for in a company is its service - this is where businesses begin to differentiate themselves. Do they pick up the phone? Do they answer emails quickly? Do they respond to your inquiries?

Do they offer direction and advice during the process? These characteristics, believe it or not, are where a corporation distinguishes itself. After dealing with a horrible firm, you will grasp the value of good service and will prioritize it over pricing the next time. If you are a frugal person, you will always be able to discover a cheaper firm if you look long enough. We can only say that you might receive exactly what you pay for. Customized Pins We've been in the custom pin business for a long time, and we aim to be honest, give feedback, and be responsive. In the end, we recognize that it is our customers that keep us in business. Our philosophy is not to be the cheapest pin company, but rather the most responsive pin company.

We hope this blog post has provided you with useful information on obtaining bespoke pins. There may be additional things to consider, but if you have answered these "10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Ordering Custom Pins," you will be well prepared to have a positive experience regardless of whatever pin manufacturer you work with.