Enamel buttons are how you put colour onto metal: the red cross on a crest, the blue field of a club badge, the black monogram on a gold button. Metal on its own only has the colour of its plating, so every other coloured area has to be added. There are four main techniques, soft enamel, hard enamel (and its imitation), epoxy dome and printing, and each gives a different look, a different resistance to washing and dry cleaning, and a different price. Here's how to choose for a logo, a uniform or a fashion collection.
How colour goes onto metal
All enamel buttons start the same way: a metal button with raised walls that divide the colour fields. The logo is formed as small recessed pools, each filled with its own colour. The metal lines between them stay visible and draw the outline of the design. That is why the minimum metal line width, around 0.3 mm, is the first constraint on your artwork.
Gold metal buttons with black enamel 34027 Col 0220 – 22 mm designer model
Black enamel metal buttons 27-917445-34 Col 2520 – 20 mm
Gold metal buttons with enamel 60256 Col 0621 – 25 mmThe four techniques
Soft enamel
Coloured paste is filled into the recesses and baked at a low temperature. The enamel shrinks and sits below the metal ridges, so the surface is textured and you can feel the outline with a fingertip. Pros: bright colours, fine detail, lower cost, works on zinc alloy. Cons: dirt collects in the recesses, and the enamel edges are more vulnerable to knocks.
Hard enamel (cloisonné)
True hard enamel is a glassy compound fired at very high temperature, around 800–900 °C, on copper or brass, then ground perfectly flat, flush with the metal lines. Pros: the most durable option, a jewellery-grade look, no fading. Cons: the most expensive, a narrower palette, and it can't be used on zamak because zinc alloy can't take that heat.
Imitation hard enamel
A synthetic (epoxy-based) enamel is applied in several layers, cured and ground flush with the metal. It looks almost like hard enamel, works on zamak and costs less. It is the most common solution for buttons with a flat, smooth colour logo.
Epoxy dome and print
The logo is printed (pad, UV or offset) or done in soft enamel, and clear resin is poured on top to form a domed lens. This allows gradients, photos and fine colour transitions that enamel can't do. Downside: the resin can yellow over the years and is the most sensitive to solvents and heat.
Comparison
| Technique | Surface | 40 °C wash | Dry cleaning | Detail | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soft enamel | Textured | Good | Usually fine | Good | Low |
| Hard enamel | Smooth, glassy | Excellent | Excellent | Moderate | High |
| Imitation hard enamel | Smooth | Very good | Good | Good | Medium |
| Epoxy dome | Domed, glossy | Good | Risky | Excellent (gradients) | Low to medium |
| Print without resin | Flat | Fair, rubs off | Risky | Excellent | Low |
These ratings are a guide. Real durability depends on curing and plating quality, so always test a sample with your garment.
Which one, when
- Uniforms (hotels, security, schools, aviation): hard or imitation hard enamel. Uniforms are washed and cleaned often, worn for years and must look consistent.
- Blazer with a club or school crest: hard enamel, or soft enamel with deep relief for a traditional look.
- Fashion collection with a colour logo: imitation hard enamel, which is smooth, durable and reasonably priced.
- Limited editions, merch, details with gradients: epoxy dome or print, provided the garment won't be dry cleaned.
- Shirts: small 9–11 mm buttons in single-colour soft enamel. Complex logos simply don't read at that size.
Tip: on a 20 mm button, limit yourself to two or three colours. Each colour needs its own recess with a metal outline, and on a small area more colours make the logo illegible.
Artwork rules for a colour logo
- Outline everything: two adjacent colours are always separated by a metal line of at least 0.3 mm.
- Minimum field size: colour areas under about 0.8–1 mm are hard to fill evenly.
- A Pantone for each colour: enamel is mixed to Pantone, but on a small area next to metal it looks darker than on screen.
- White and pale colours: harder to cover and quicker to look dirty in soft enamel.
- Base metal colour: gold warms up warm colours; nickel and gunmetal suit cool ones.
The base metal: zamak, brass or copper
The choice of technique also depends on the metal under the enamel. Zinc alloy is the most common base for soft enamel and imitation hard enamel buttons, because it casts easily into complex shapes and keeps costs down. Brass costs more but is a more stable base over long use and allows true hard enamel. Copper is the classic base for cloisonné but is rarely used for buttons because of the price. If the button is for a uniform that will be worn for years and professionally cleaned, the pricier base usually pays for itself. For a fashion collection with a one- or two-season life, zamak with imitation hard enamel is the sensible compromise.
Care and testing
Enamel buttons handle normal washing but don't like knocks in the drum or a hot iron directly on them. Recommend washing inside out and pressing through a cloth. Before bulk production, test 5–10 buttons: five wash cycles at the care-label temperature and, if the garment is dry-clean only, one professional dry-cleaning cycle. Check for cracking, fading, resin lifting and yellowing.
FAQ
Does enamel contain lead?
Traditional glass enamels could contain lead; modern enamels for apparel must comply with REACH. Ask your supplier for a declaration, especially for kidswear.
Can the enamel match my brand colour exactly?
Yes, to Pantone, but approve a physical sample. Enamel next to metal reads differently from a screen.
How do enamel buttons compare on price with engraved ones?
They usually cost more, because each colour is a separate manual or semi-automatic step. Engraving or relief without colour is cheaper.
Bul-tex manufactures and supplies metal buttons, including enamel designs, and takes custom logo button orders from brands and uniform buyers. Browse our buttons and coat and jacket buttons, or send us your logo via our contact page.
