During the process of customizing metal products such as badges and challenge coins, Maxemblem often encounters situations where clients struggle to distinguish between electroplating colors and fill colors based on their design drafts, leading to discrepancies between the final product and the design.

To save you time on back-and-forth communication, this guide will help you understand this common misconception and learn how to correctly choose your electroplating colors.

What is Electroplating?

Electroplating is a common surface treatment process for custom metal products, used to alter the color and visual effect of exposed metal surfaces. Depending on your design requirements, challenge coins can feature various effects such as gold, silver, copper, brass, antique gold, antique silver, antique bronze, shiny black nickel, and dual-plating.

It is important to note that electroplating color and fill color are two distinct design elements. Electroplating determines the color of the exposed metal areas, while fill color is used to represent patterns, text, or other areas that require coloring. Therefore, a single challenge coin can feature one electroplating color combined with multiple fill colors.

Common Misconception: Choosing Electroplating Based on the Coin's Dominant Color

Many clients make the mistake of choosing their electroplating color based on the dominant color of the design draft. For example, if most of the coin is blue, they might request a "blue electroplating." However, the colors on the coin are often enamel fills or substrate colors rather than the electroplating color.

The Correct Way to Choose:

1. Distinguish Between Electroplating Colors and Fill Colors

Electroplating typically retains the original metal color and features a glossy, metallic sheen.

Fill colors are primarily applied using methods such as soft enamel, hard enamel, glitter, or printing.

2. Base Your Choice on the Metal Edge Color

To ensure the physical product accurately matches your design draft, the electroplating color should be selected according to the metal edge color in your design.