Do you want to get your baseball trading pin design just right?
There are over 2 million little league baseball players in the U.S. It's a way to learn skills and lessons that will last a lifetime.
Baseball is about teamwork, community, and camaraderie.
A way to commemorate that community and the lessons learned are through trading pins. You want the pins to stay with the kids as long as the life lessons they learn.
That's where a good eye for design comes into play. A good baseball trading pin design will be remembered for years to come.
Keep reading to learn how to design a baseball pin that people will want for a long time.
When you're beginning the design process, you'll want to start out by brainstorming ideas. Ask yourself a few basic questions about the trading pins.
When you start to think about the end result, it becomes easier to decide how you want your trading pins to look.
You'll also want to think about how someone feels when they receive the pin. The reason why pins are traded and have such a long history is that the pin creates an emotional connection between players, teams, and events. Will they be excited to have a baseball trading pin from your club?
Start to jot down ideas and sketches on paper. Note if there are any elements you want in the design, such as a logo or a symbol.
You'll want to look at other trading pins for a couple of reasons. The first is that if you want your baseball pins to be a collectible, you need a baseball trading pin design that stands out.
The second reason is that you can draw inspiration from other pin designs.
Trading pins come in all sorts of shapes and designs, and it helps to know what you like about certain pins and what you don't like about other pins.
You can take that knowledge and apply it in your own design.
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When it comes to basic elements of design, there are a number of things to consider. Color, symbols, text, logos, and spacing all have an impact on the final product.
Symbols & Icons
In baseball, there are typical icons. There's the baseball diamond, bat, baseball, glove, and home plate, just to name a few.
If you want to have a pin that stands out, you can move beyond the typical imagery and have a pin shaped like your team's state instead. That's a great option if your little league team travels to tournaments all over the country.
Another symbol or icon to add to your design is a logo. You can add the logo of your team into the design for an added boost of recognition.
Colors
Did you know that colors have psychological meanings?
Before you automatically put your team's colors on the pin, think about the impact and connection you want your pin to make. Match that up with the colors in your pin.
Text
The main point of the text you use is to keep it easy to read and keep it to a minimum. You probably don't need a big fancy font if it's going to be difficult to read. A lot of teams like to add their team numbers, baseball team name, or team players first names. Get creative!
You can spice up your trading pin design by adding a little sparkle to it.
Trading pin enhancements include items such as crystals, sparkles, and glitter can attract attention and make your baseball pin design become an instant hit.
Good design is usually very simple. There are only a few elements and that's it. You don't need to add too much information because it will detract from the design.
Remember that first impressions are everything. People will look at your baseball pin very quickly. If they can't figure out immediately what the pin is about and who it's from, they'll quickly move on to something else.
If your design is simple, they'll be able to know what the pin is immediately and make that connection.
For a very simple pin, have the design feature the team's logo, name, and location. Another simple pin includes a tournament name, the year and location, and a little bling.
Now it's up to you to test your design. Mock up a few ideas on paper or by using trading pin design software.
Take your ideas and show them to other people for feedback. You can ask other coaches, players, and parents for their thoughts. Keep it to a few people so you don't get overwhelmed with feedback. Don't take it personally. Good design rarely happens on the first try.
Take the feedback and apply what you heard into a new design. You can take it for another round of feedback, or if you're happy with the design, go with it.
Now that you have your design down, you'll want to pick your material for your pin. There are two main types of pins to choose from for your custom design.
Soft enamel is the highest quality material that gives you the most options for your designs. This is a good fit if you have colors that you don't want to bleed together. You can get different types of metals such as silver or brass.
Offset printing is the best choice if your design has a lot of details or if you would prefer not to have colors separated by metal lines.
Baseball trading pins have a long history. They're a hit with collectors, players and parents alike.
Baseball trading pin design isn't difficult as long as you know what people are looking for in a trading pin and know the basic elements of good design.
If you'd like to get started with baseball pins for your team, we can help.
Contact us today if you have any questions or fill out the quote form below.