ENAMEL PIN TRANSPARENT EFFECTS

Custom
Transparent Enamel
Pins

From recessed sandblast textures to hollow stained glass, bring your designs to life with rich, light-passing translucent enamel depth.

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What Is a Transparent Enamel Pin?

Many people use “transparent enamel pin” to describe both translucent enamel pins and stained glass enamel pins. Since these two styles are created differently, it is important to know which transparent enamel effect fits your design before production.

Translucent Enamel Pin

Transparent enamel pins use a colored transparent enamel layer over a metal base. Also known as translucent enamel, both terms are commonly used for this type of effect.

The metal surface can use sandblast texture to create more depth or stay smooth for a cleaner look. Translucent enamel works especially well for highlighting metal textures, backgrounds, and decorative areas. You can choose single colors, multiple colors, or even gradient transparent effects to create different visual styles.

Stained Glass Enamel Pin

Stained glass enamel pins are another type of transparent enamel pin. Unlike translucent enamel, this effect uses hollow metal areas filled with transparent resin, allowing light to pass through like a real stained glass window.

For smaller pins: Designs under 1.5 inches usually work well with one or two transparent colors.
For larger pins: Pins over 2 inches can use metal outlines to divide hollow areas into multiple sections with different transparent colors.
Add special effects: Glitter powder, pearl powder, or opal powder can be added into to create unique stained glass effects.

Craft Transparent Enamel Effect for Your Pins

Solid Translucent Enamel

Size: 3"
Plating: Gold
Base Finish: Recessed Sandblast

Combined with soft enamel and hard enamel. The wings feature translucent sandblast, and the pink petals include silk screen printing.

gradient translucent snadblast hard enamel pin

Gradient Translucent Enamel

Size: 2"
Plating: Silver
Base Finish: Recessed Sandblast

Combines deep night-sky gradient sandblast translucent enamel with a hard enamel dog. The moon, stars, and shadows are finely silk screen printed.

green stained glass cute dog and bottle enamel pin

Solid Stained Glass

Size: 1.5"
Plating: Gold
Base Finish: Die-Cut Hollow Frame

Crafted mainly in hard enamel, with stained glass translucent effects applied specifically to the bottle neck and base for a clear transparent look.

Gradient Stained Glass

Size: 2.5"
Plating: Silver
Base Finish: Die-Cut Hollow Frame

Features a deep purple gradient stained glass body, defined by raised metal fur lines and vibrant green silk screen printed overlay accents.

Pearl Stained Glass

Size: 2.5"
Plating: Silver
Base Finish: Die-Cut Hollow Frame

Combines pink stained glass mixed with sparkling pearl powder for a shimmering background, detailed with fine silk screen printed rabbit ears and stars.

Designing Custom Translucent Enamel Pins

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Consider the Design Area

Transparent enamel effects require enough space to show the color and details clearly. A minimum fill area of 3mm is recommended, while larger open areas usually create better results.

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Choose Colors Carefully

Transparent enamel colors are selected based on Pantone C color references. Higher-saturation colors usually create a more visible effect, while lighter colors may appear less noticeable. If color accuracy is important, we recommend making a sample before mass production.

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Ensure Structural Metal Borders

For translucent or hollow stained glass designs, maintain an outer metal border line of at least 0.8mm to ensure long-term durability and structural integrity.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Need more information? Check out our full FAQ page here.

Does transparent enamel add extra cost to enamel pins?

Yes. Transparent enamel requires additional manual processing, so it usually adds around $0.13 per color.

Please note that this refers to each color used in the transparent sections of your design, not the total number of enamel colors in the pin. For example, if your design has three different transparent areas with three translucent colors, the additional cost would be calculated based on those three transparent colors.

Will transparent enamel pins turn yellow over time?

Usually, no. The transparent paint used for most transparent enamel pins is not the same as clear resin, so it does not normally develop a noticeable yellow tint during regular use or collection. For normal use, transparent enamel pins can maintain their appearance for 3–5 years or even longer, so there is no need to worry about yellowing under everyday conditions.

Are transparent enamel pins easy to break or damage?

If the transparent enamel pin has a metal backing underneath, it is usually not affected by occasional drops. However, designs with hollow transparent sections may be more fragile and can break under strong impact.

To protect them during shipping, we pay extra attention to packaging. Each transparent enamel pin is individually packed and wrapped with bubble protection, so you don’t need to worry about damage during transportation.