Ironically, a badge’s finish is often the first thing people notice. Finish is what distinguishes one badge from another and immediately gives it character, shine and depth. When you’re ready to make your custom pin badges, the type of finish you select will be an important part of the design process. You should tie your choice of finish to how you intend the badge to be used, and by whom. Is it a special, high-end commemorative badge? Or do you want to make a more economical badge as a giveaway item? In this post, we look at some of the different finishes available and what makes each one special.
Shiny Finish
Our shiny finish is an all-around great choice for any badge! In fact, it’s so popular that we’ve made it our go-to standard finish at Rocket Badge. Are you designing an artistic badge or perhaps you’d like to reproduce a vibrant logo or entertainment character? This could be a great choice as our shiny finish comes in a tremendous range of colours, including gold, silver, copper, brass and chrome.
Another advantage of a shiny finish is that it’s a very economical choice. So, if you’re looking for a standard or more cost-effective product for a promotion or giveaway, a shiny finish is a great option.
If that’s not enough reasons, here’s one more: a shiny finish is durable! The bright tones don’t tarnish over time, which means your badge will retain its flash and lustre over the long term. As an example, here’s a cute little badge we made for Ben & Jerry’s in a lovely, shiny finish.
Misty Finish
Are you going for the most elegant badge possible? If so, a misty finish will do the trick! Our misty finish is one of our most tasteful and exquisite finishes, making it an ideal coating for distinguished designs and corporate use.
Traditionally, there isn’t any colour on a misty finish badge. Instead, the recessed areas are left with a matte finish or are sandblasted, which creates a more textured background. The result in either case is a delicate yet ornate badge. Because misty finish badges lend a bit of grandeur, this is a great choice for corporate badges or jewellery and staff recognition awards. Here’s an example of a recent badge we created for Amazon; even without colour, the misty finish is bold and elegant.
Antique Finish
Into vintage? Love retro styles? Do you think all that is old can be new again? Then look no further than our antique finish, which is the perfect choice for your distinguished, vintage badge designs. As with our misty finish, there is traditionally no colour on top of antique finished badges, although they do come in a wide range of finishing options, including antique gold, antique silver, copper, brass, tin and gun.
Remember, it’s important to think about the goal and audience of your badge and capture this in various design elements, like size, shape and finish. For example, do you represent a brand that seeks to convey a strong, sturdy character? Or perhaps your company is known for high-quality craftsmanship or for being in service for many decades. An antique finish will communicate this ethos to everyone who wears it.
Antique finish is ideal for special occasion badges, like commemorative or service badges. An antique finish is also a great choice if you intend to sell your badges online or at point of sale retail locations. Here’s an antique finish badge we created to promote the Harry Potter franchise.
Black Dye
Last but not least is black dye, one of our boldest finishes. This finish uses black enamel which adds a striking and unique twist to badges. It’s a perfect choice for cutting-edge, creative brands, like breweries and bands. A black dye badge will lend an instant “cool” factor to your badge. It’s not used as frequently as our standard shiny finish, which also helps your badge pop and stand apart from other collectable badges. Why not give it a shot on your next badge design?
Here’s an example of a posh Italian whiskey pin we just made for Montenegro Amaro. Isn’t the black dye unique and oh so striking? It certainly makes us want to rock this badge!
We hope this post helps you choose the perfect polish for your badge. Remember, you can make a great first impression with the right finish! Thinking about who you are designing the badge for, and for what goal, will also help you make a decision. And of course, so can we! We’re badge finish experts, so please get in touch with us at any time to talk about the many brilliant finishing options available for your custom badges, keyrings and so much more! With so much badge manufacturing experience behind us for UK brands of all shapes and sizes, we’ll help you choose the perfect finish to help you accomplish the goals of your next promotional badge campaign!
