Metal Accessory
Metal accessories are the visible hardware that is not a button or a zipper: brand plates on a bag, decorative trims on a garment, buckles and rings on a strap. They are usually the most expensive trim on the product and the one customers judge the quality by.
Why Buyers Specify This
- Brand plates and decorative trims made from your own artwork
- Plating matched across every hardware component on a product
- Casting, stamping and etching depending on the detail required
- Backing and fixing method specified for the application
Who It Is For
- Bag and leather goods makers branding a panel
- Fashion brands adding decorative metal detail
- Footwear brands specifying buckles and trims
- Brands wanting one consistent hardware finish
Problems It Solves
- Hardware finishes that do not match across a product
- Logo detail lost because the die was cut too shallow
- Plating that tarnishes before the product wears out
- Fixings that loosen with use
Where It Is Used
- Brand plates on bags and luggage
- Decorative trims on garments and accessories
- Buckles, rings and sliders on straps
- Limited edition hardware for a capsule
Features
- Casting, stamping and etching processes
- Plating and antique finishing
- Enamel fill for colour detail
- Rivet, screw and sew-on fixings
Materials
- Zinc alloy
- Brass
- Stainless steel
- Enamel
What We Confirm With You
| Process | Cast, stamped or etched to suit the detail |
|---|---|
| Finish | Plating or antique treatment to your reference |
| Colour | Enamel fill where specified |
| Fixing | Rivet, screw, prong or sew-on |
| Artwork | Vector preferred, but photographs, sketches and physical samples are enough |
| Minimum order | Quoted per item, confirmed before you commit |
| Sampling | Available before bulk on most products, once order details are confirmed |
Dimensions, weights and quantities are set against your own product and confirmed in writing before production, rather than published as fixed figures.
Production Steps For Metal Accessory
Tooling prepared from your artwork
Metal formed, stamped or cast
Plating and surface finishing
Assembly and function testing
Packed to protect the finish in transit
Quality Control
- Plating adhesion and colour consistency inspected
- Function tested on the moving parts
- Photographs and video sent for your approval before shipment
Customisation Options
- Shape and logo from your artwork
- Plating matched to buttons and zippers
- Enamel colour fill
- Fixing method set for the material it mounts on
How It Compares With The Alternatives
Compared With Leather patch
A patch is soft and warm. A metal plate is hard and reads as more expensive on a bag or a strap.
Compared With Printed branding
Print is cheap and flat. Metal adds weight and depth, which is what a premium accessory is usually buying.
How To Order This Well
- Send vector artwork and the finished size of the part
- Tell us what the part mounts onto so the fixing is right
- Post samples of any hardware you need it to match
- Check plating tone on the sample in daylight
Metal Accessory Questions
How fine can the engraved detail be?
Send the artwork at the finished size and we will tell you what will hold in metal. Simplifying a mark is better than losing it.
Can you match our existing hardware tone?
Send physical samples of every part that has to match, not photographs.
Which fixing should we use?
Tell us the material it mounts on and how the product is used, and we will specify rivet, screw, prong or sew-on.
Can enamel colour be matched to our brand?
Yes. Give us the colour reference and we will match it on the sample.
Ordered Together With This
Custom Button
Buttons are handled more than any other trim on a garment and washed as often as the fabric.
View Product →
Custom Zipper
A zipper is the one trim on a garment that has to keep working mechanically for the product's whole life.
View Product →
Leather Patch
A leather patch gives a brand mark depth that print cannot.
View Product →Read Before You Specify
Get A Price For Metal Accessory
Send your artwork, a reference photograph or a physical sample. We will confirm the minimum order quantity, quote the job and arrange a sample before bulk.