Which Size of Lapel Pins Do You Need?

How to Choose the Suitable Size for Your Pins?

We are often questioned about the size of lapel pins. People often ask how do I know what size pin I want? Our pins are measured from their longest dimension (top to bottom or left to right) to determine the actual size of the pin. The right size of the custom lapel pin can make the difference. If printed on a very small surface, a well-crafted design may lose its impact to accommodate all its important details. The same can be said about images that are printed to scale.  Enlarging these items may distort the graphic and prevent the custom lapel pins from being an exact match or your logo, mascot, or photograph.

So, in this article, I will talk about how to determine which size of lapel pins help you make a better-informed decision if you are designing your own lapel pin or thinking about a custom lapel pin in the future.

Service Pins, Recognition Pins, Award Pins and Years of Service Pins

Custom years of service pins allow you to reward your valued employees by recognizing them for their commitment to your business. Award pins can be used by businesses of any size. Our years of service pins can show employees you care- give them recognition pins for their tenure. We offer years of service pins with your company logo. You can even add synthetic jewels to give it a luxurious look.

What kind of years of service pin should you get? With few exceptions, soft enamel pins and hard enamel pins are the most popular choice for years of service pins. You want them to last. With a soft enamel pin, you can feel the design on the pin surface. With a hard enamel pin, you will get a smooth and durable finish.  Both soft and hard enamel pins have a high-quality look and feel.

What size to get? Not too big! The average service pin size is between 3/4″ and 1.25″. We suggest about 1.00″ (size of a quarter), but it definitely depends upon the design shape of your pin. A rectangular or oval service pin shape may need to be ordered a little larger.

Sports Trading Pins

Offset Print Pins are selected by two-thirds of the teams that purchase custom trading pins from us. Soft enamel pins are selected by the other third of the teams. These two types of trading pins account for over 99% of custom team trading pins.

What kind of pin to get? Offset print pins are ideal pins for complex logos, photos, and designs that incorporate gradients (color fading). Soft enamel pins are a great choice for team trading pins, especially if you have a less complex design and want to feel the design on the pin surface.

What size to get? The average team trading pin size is 1.75″. 90% of teams pick 1.50″, 1.75″ or 2.00″ pins. 9% get larger pins and less than 1% get smaller (we will try to talk you out of small size).

School & University Pins

With a school or university custom lapel pin, you can promote the pride of the school, show the appreciation of teachers or professors, recognize the achievements, and indicate the departments or program and so on. What makes school lapel pins such a great way to celebrate these events and milestones? You can create a completely customized lapel pin as your needs.

What kind of pin to get? All of our styles will make beautiful made to order school pins, but the most suitable for you depends on your project, artwork, and budget. We recommend printed pins for an exact reproduction of a logo, which will also reduce the costs in a custom design. Hard enamel pins cost more, but the result is a heavier and more substantial lapel pin. Choosing an antique or two-tone finish will provide a lapel pin that looks elegant and has a higher perceived value.

What size to get? The average School & University Pins size is 3/4″ or 1″. It is small, professional looking and classy. A long horizontal corporate logo or design requires a longer pin.

Company & Organization Pins

A company or organization pin is an excellent way to promote your business. Imagine your employees wearing a beautifully customized lapel pin at a conference, event, or dinner. What a great way to build brand awareness and show business loyalty. A company pin can be powerful marketing.

What kind of pin to get? All of our styles will make beautiful made to order school pins, but the most suitable for you depends on your project, artwork, and budget. We recommend printed pins for an exact reproduction of a logo, which will also reduce the costs in a custom design. Hard enamel pins cost more, but the result is a heavier and more substantial lapel pin. Choosing an antique or two-tone finish will provide a lapel pin that looks elegant and has a higher perceived value.

What size to get? Not too big! Most average company and organization pin sizes are between 3/4″ and 1″. A long horizontal corporate logo or design requires a longer pin. Designs that are long, but not very tall require longer pins to ensure that the design is large enough to be legible. Generally, we see a logo that contains a company name. For example, if Bank of America wants to spell its entire name on a 1-inch size pin, the words will be so small and it will not look very good. So in this case, we would recommend 1.25 to 1.5-inch long to try to get the words as big possible. The pin will be 1.5-inch long but may only be 0.125 to 0.25 –inch-tall, so it still gives the appearance of a smaller pin that could be worn.

Personalized Lapel Pins

GS-JJ has the largest options of personalized lapel pins available anywhere. Personalized pins are a good way to represent your personality, your team, club, organization, or event. These personalized lapel pins have a wide variety of uses for all activities.

What kind of Personalized Lapel Pins should you get? All of our styles will make beautiful made to order school pins, but the most suitable for you depends on your project, artwork, and budget. We recommend printed pins for an exact reproduction of a logo, which will also reduce the costs in a custom design. Hard enamel pins cost more, but the result is a heavier and more substantial lapel pin. Choosing an antique or two-tone finish will provide a lapel pin that looks elegant and has a higher perceived value.

What size to get? Personalized Lapel Pins on average are 3/4” to 2”. Smaller pins can be created for those customers who want to achieve a more subtle look.