types of metal badges
The presence of a beautifully crafted metal badge makes the bearer highly presentable and puts a smile on people's face. Whether it is on a military uniform or on the boy scouts, these shiny metals carry numerous kinds of messages and are highly beloved by many, dating back to hundreds of years. There are different kinds of metal badges many of which are classified based either on their mode of manufactures, their uses, or other features. Metal badges include the enamel badges, which comes in hard enamel or soft enamel. There is also the die struck badge, and off course the print badges that displays multiple colors and is more useful for companies who have complex logos.
Hard enamel badges also known as cloisonné badges come in fine quality. These badges are manufactured by stamping the preferred design and then filling it with enamel and powdered glass. After this, they are kiln fired to bond the glass and the pin together. This is followed by the polishing of the surface of the badge to give it an appealing appearance. Their is also the imitation hard enamel badges which has enamels that are smooth and well polished to give them a very gorgeous look similar to jewelry. Soft enamel badges however are just a copy-cat of the hard enamel ones. The difference is that their surface is covered with a clear epoxy dome and they are cheaper. Both soft and hard enamel metal badges are use by charity organization during fund raising, martial arts and sports clubs, and companies and corporate organizations.
The idea of a badge having a design, logo, image or emblem carved on the metal surface and giving a bold appearance makes die struck metal badges a unique range. The design gives an impression of sculptured jewelry. It is manufactured with intention to provide a bulged 2D effect. To create this piece of metal, a die, corresponding with the image of a preferred badge pin design is first cut. After that, the image is carefully stamped on an iron or copper sheet. Die struck relief badges can also have a partial fill of enamel or a sandblasted background to give it a finish of high quality.
The printing metal badges are of two types. These include the silkscreen printing and offset printing badge. The silkscreen badge has each of its colors premixed by the paint manufacturer; this is known as spot color. The color comes in a resolution of up to 300dpi and is suitable for people who want to produce a very good artwork that requires a result that is precise and of high resolution. E.g. logo. Offset printing on the other hand has to do with colors that are mixed with 4 colors of CYMK of varying percentages with a resolution 200dpi. Each of the etched plates carrying the design is made to go through all of the 4 tinted rollers on the machine so as to give a beautiful final artwork. Metal badges generally have silent features like brand identity carving, dimensional accuracy and extreme durability, and they can be made to commemorate special events of any kind.
