Custom Pins 101: Sizing Custom Pins

When customizing your own special pins, creating the design is one of the most important parts of the process. In today's custom pins 101, we will tell you how to determine the right pin size that will complement your design and make it shine. 

Determining the Right Size for Your Custom Pins

Pin size is more important than people may realize, not only does it affect the final price of your order but also the visibility of your design, hence its appeal as an accessory. If you happen to order pins too small, you’ll practically need a magnifying glass to see those details. If you happen to order too big, your pin can appear gaudy and loud when worn.

A large pin size is usually anything larger than 1.5” while a small pin is anything below 0.75”, trying to find a happy medium for your specific pin design can be tricky, but here are a few factors to think about to get the perfect size for you.

The bigger your pin, the more it’s going to cost, but size matters for design.

However, pinching a penny with a smaller size isn’t always the best choice. Smaller pins are inherently harder to notice and intricate or complicated art designs lose a ton of detail when shrunk to a small size. A good rule of thumb is smaller pins look better with simpler designs, while more complicated designs show their details better in a big pin.

The standard size is typically 0.75” to 1”.

For classic lapel pins, we recommend you keep within that size range so it’s visible without becoming too gaudy when worn. However, very intricate designs involving more line detail or textures should aim for 1.25” or even 1.5” so those details are visible. Overall, try to fit the size of your pin to the complexity of your design.

The best pin size for a design varies depending on how it’s worn or displayed.

Ideal pin sizing can vary depending on where a pin is going to be worn or displayed. Pins intended to be worn on a bag or hat, for example, stand out the most when larger than standard lapel pins. If your pins are going to spend more time on a display board or bag, we recommend going with 1.5” to 2” for a more eye-catching effect.

How Pin Size Influences Practical Design 

Now that you’ve got a good idea of how pin sizing affects your pin’s artistic design, it’s time to look at how sizing affects your pin’s practical design. That is the effect of pin size on how your pin is worn or displayed and the sizing requirements needed for certain customizations.

Large Pins (1.5” and bigger)

• Larger pins typically often need additional pin posts to pin securely. If your pin is particularly long, then you should consider two pin posts on either end of the pin.
• If you want to include a light blinker as an element of the pin, you’ll need to upsize your pin to accommodate the battery pack.
• With a bigger pin, you gain much more space for back stamping your pin with either personal branding or sequential numbering.

Small Pins (0.75” and smaller)

• Any pin between 0.75” to 1.25” only needs a single pin attachment to keep secure, but their small size also means there’s not much space for the larger safety pin attachments.
• As small pins have inherently smaller space, they often don’t have room for big design cutouts in the center the pin.
• The smaller the pin, the fewer colors you’re probably going to be able to have on them. Remember, small pins can’t present as much line detail and that limits how we can apply paint to a pin.

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