Read About the Uses of Lapel Pins

Lapel pins are much cherished ornaments worn by both men and women from time immemorial. Noblemen wore lapels to show their social status. Lapel pins were worn on the left lapel of jackets and was designed with the emblem of the noblemen.

These days it is no longer an ornament to show the status of the wearer. Lapels are generally worn as promotional items. On Valentine's Day sweethearts gift each other lapels and wear them to express their love for each other. The designs are always arrows, hearts, "LOVE", roses and stars, in various colors, styles and designs. It is a subtle way of conveying a message. Lapels made for a particular purpose are called custom lapel pins

Custom lapels are cost effective promotional items of corporate identity. These pins can be crafted to specific designs for promoting certain events of both, small and large organizations. Generally corporate organizations get lapels manufactured to the design of their emblem. Employees are proud to wear their company lapels. They gain confidence and are committed to work for their company. Lapels make it easy to recognize members of prominent clubs and organizations such as protection of wild life, environment protection and sports clubs.

Lapel pins are made from methods and materials like enamel, offset printed, silkscreen, die struck and photo-etched. In the photo-etched lapels, the image is transferred from the negative of a photograph onto the surface of the metal. Using acid it is then etched, cleaned and then colored. If many colors are used on the emblem, the coloring is done one at a time by hand. It is then baked for 12-15 minutes at 450 F, after which it is cut into the required shape and polished. Of course custom made lapels are expensive, but when ordered in bulk will be less expensive. The photo-etched lapels are the best choice for intricate designs. They are highly polished with a smooth finish and the logo and text are clear.

Besides being used as showpieces, lapels pins have served several good causes like cancer awareness and for fund raising. They are given as awards to encourage employees in the quest for excellence. In educational institutions, top rankers and students holding important positions in their school wear lapels to show their identity. In the soccer fields, fans wear lapel pins on their shirt collars or caps to show their support to their favorite teams. Lapels pins are also great collectible items.

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