1 · What a pinback button actually is
A pinback button is five parts pressed into one: a printed paper disc, a clear protective film (mylar), a tin-plated steel shell, a steel collet ring on the back, and the pin itself. In the press, a few hundred pounds of force fold the paper and film over the rim of the shell and lock them under the collet. Nothing is glued, so nothing can peel, and the print sits sealed under the film for years.
The shell is tin-plated steel — it does not rust or tarnish — and the pin is a spring-steel safety pin that locks closed, the same fitting used on buttons for the last century. Because the paper wraps around the rim, your artwork has to run past the cut line: anything that stops at the face would leave a white ring around the edge. That extra band is the bleed, and the templates mark it for you.
2 · How fast we can make them
Standard production is ten working days. Five-day and two-day runs are available on most sizes and finishes — the configurator greys out any combination the press cannot turn around in time, so you can never buy a promise we cannot keep.
Production time is not delivery time. The clock starts when you approve your digital proof, and your courier's transit time is added on top.
3 · What the finishes actually do
Every button is printed in full colour and sealed under a laminate, and the laminate is what you feel and see. Glossy is the default: highest contrast, deepest blacks, most reflective. Matte kills glare, hides fingerprints and reads as more expensive under gallery lighting. Soft touch adds a velvety drag under the thumb that people notice immediately.
Metallic colours print over a shimmering base so the ink itself catches the light — pair them with glossy for maximum sparkle, or with matte or soft touch to keep the shimmer subtle. Soft touch with clear lacquer puts gloss spots on a matte body, so parts of the artwork jump forward. All finishes are the same price per button except where the configurator says otherwise.
4 · Your digital proof
Nothing goes on the press until you have seen it. After you order we place your artwork inside the real template geometry for your size — cut circle, face circle and safe area — and send you a proof.
The proof lives on your tracking page. Approve it there and production starts that moment; ask for a change and we redraw it. If you ordered without uploading artwork, the tracking page is also where you send it.
5 · Artwork, templates and file formats
Download the template for your size on the artwork step or from the Templates page. PDF, JPG and PNG upload straight through; AI, EPS and PSD are accepted too and get placed by hand. For a sharp print, supply at least 300 dpi at the cut size — a 2-1/4" button wants roughly 850 × 850 pixels — and keep text inside the safe area.
No artwork at all? Use the built-in designer, or order now and send files later — your tracking page keeps an upload slot open.