Hard Enamel vs Soft Enamel Badges: Which Is Right for Your Department?
Understanding the difference between enamel types and when to use each
Hard enamel (cloisonné) is fired at high temperatures and polished smooth—it’s more durable, scratch-resistant, and professional-looking. Soft enamel is applied at lower temperatures and sits recessed below the metal edges—it’s less expensive and allows for more colors. For duty badges worn daily, hard enamel is the clear choice. For commemorative pins, challenge coins, or budget-conscious projects, soft enamel works well.
What Is Enamel on a Badge?
Enamel provides the colored elements on police badges and other law enforcement insignia—the blue backgrounds, red accents, state seal colors, and other design elements that bring a badge to life.
When a badge is die-struck, the design creates raised metal areas and recessed areas. Enamel fills those recessed areas with color. The type of enamel used determines how that color looks, feels, and holds up over time.
There are three main categories: hard enamel (also called cloisonné), soft enamel, and synthetic enamel (epoxy-based). This guide focuses on hard and soft enamel, as synthetic is primarily used for lower-cost commemorative items rather than duty badges.
Hard Enamel (Cloisonné): The Premium Choice
Hard enamel is the gold standard for law enforcement badges, and there’s a reason departments have used it for over a century.
How It’s Made
The process is labor-intensive:
- The badge is die-struck from brass or nickel silver, creating raised metal lines and recessed areas
- Glass-based enamel powder is carefully applied to the recessed areas by hand
- The badge is fired in a kiln at 1400-1500°F, fusing the enamel to the metal
- After cooling, the surface is ground and polished until the enamel is perfectly flush with the metal edges
- Multiple firings may be needed if different colors cure at different temperatures
This process can take days to complete for a single badge, which explains the higher cost.
Characteristics of Hard Enamel
- Surface: Perfectly smooth and flat; enamel is flush with metal edges
- Durability: Extremely hard and scratch-resistant; colors don’t fade
- Appearance: Glass-like shine, jewelry-quality finish
- Lifespan: Can last 20-30+ years with proper care
- Color limits: Typically 6-8 colors maximum per badge
Here’s a quick test: run your fingernail across the surface of a badge. If everything feels smooth and level—enamel and metal at the same height—it’s hard enamel. If you can feel the metal lines raised above the colored areas, it’s soft enamel.
Soft Enamel: The Budget-Friendly Option
Soft enamel is a legitimate choice for many applications, though it’s not ideal for duty badges that see daily wear.
How It’s Made
The process is simpler and faster than hard enamel:
- The badge is die-struck, creating the design
- Liquid enamel is applied to the recessed areas
- The badge is baked at lower temperatures (around 400°F) to cure the enamel
- The surface is NOT polished flat—the enamel remains recessed
This faster process significantly reduces production time and cost.
Characteristics of Soft Enamel
- Surface: Textured; metal lines are raised above the enamel
- Durability: Less scratch-resistant; may chip or fade over time
- Appearance: Dimensional, tactile feel; distinct visual texture
- Lifespan: 5-10 years depending on use and care
- Color limits: 12+ colors possible; more flexibility
How to Tell Them Apart
Even without being a badge expert, you can quickly identify enamel type:
The Touch Test
Hard enamel: Running your finger across the surface feels completely smooth. You can’t feel where the metal ends and the enamel begins—they’re at the same level.
Soft enamel: You can clearly feel the raised metal lines separating the colored areas. There’s a noticeable texture as your finger passes over metal, then enamel, then metal again.
The Visual Test
Hard enamel: Viewed at an angle, the surface appears uniformly flat. Light reflects evenly across both metal and enamel areas.
Soft enamel: Viewed at an angle, you can see that the colored areas are slightly recessed. The metal lines cast tiny shadows on the enamel.
The Sound Test
This one’s less reliable but can help: tap the enamel surface with your fingernail.
Hard enamel: Glass-based, so it makes a slight “ting” sound, similar to tapping glass.
Soft enamel: More of a dull thud, as it’s essentially cured paint rather than glass.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | Hard Enamel | Soft Enamel |
|---|---|---|
| Surface Feel | Smooth, flat | Textured, dimensional |
| Durability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent | ⭐⭐⭐ Good |
| Scratch Resistance | Very high (glass-based) | Moderate (paint-like) |
| Color Retention | Excellent (decades) | Good (may fade with UV) |
| Max Colors | 6-8 colors | 12+ colors |
| Production Time | Longer (multiple firings) | Shorter |
| Cost | Higher ($$$) | Lower ($$) |
| Best For | Duty badges, long-term wear | Commemoratives, pins, coins |
When to Use Each Type
Choose Hard Enamel When:
- Duty badges: Any badge worn daily by police officers, sheriff’s deputies, or federal agents
- Long service life expected: When badges need to last 10-20+ years
- Professional appearance critical: Executive ranks, ceremonial use
- Harsh conditions: Outdoor use, humid climates, physical jobs
- Department image matters: When quality reflects on the agency
Choose Soft Enamel When:
- Commemorative items: Anniversary badges, event pins, memorial items
- Challenge coins: Unit coins, achievement recognition
- Tight budget: When cost is the primary constraint
- Complex color designs: When you need 10+ colors
- Short-term use: Temporary badges, training credentials
- Display pieces: Framed badges, shadow boxes, not daily wear
Don’t assume soft enamel is “bad”—it’s appropriate for many applications. The mistake is using soft enamel for duty badges to save money, then needing to replace them years earlier than you would have replaced hard enamel badges. You often end up spending more in the long run.
Some departments use both: hard enamel for duty badges and soft enamel for commemorative pins, unit coins, and civilian auxiliary badges. This balances quality where it matters most with cost savings where durability is less critical. When specifying your order, make your intended use clear so vendors can recommend appropriately. You can also experiment with designs using our badge design tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Can soft enamel be made to look like hard enamel?
Manufacturers can apply an epoxy dome over soft enamel to create a smooth surface, but this isn’t the same as hard enamel. The epoxy coating will eventually yellow, scratch, or peel. It’s a cosmetic approximation, not a quality equivalent. If you need the durability of hard enamel, there’s no substitute.
❓ Why can hard enamel only use limited colors?
Different enamel colors require different firing temperatures. When you fire a badge, all colors must survive that temperature without bleeding into each other or burning. This physical constraint limits how many different colors can coexist on one badge. Skilled craftspeople can work with 6-8 colors; more than that becomes very difficult.
❓ How do I specify enamel type when ordering badges?
Simply state “hard enamel” or “cloisonné” in your specifications. Reputable vendors will confirm this in writing. Be wary of any vendor who’s vague about enamel type or claims their soft enamel is “just as good.” For help with the ordering process, see our procurement guide.
❓ Can damaged enamel be repaired?
Soft enamel: Minor chips can sometimes be touched up with matching enamel paint, though it’s rarely a perfect match. Hard enamel: Repair requires refiring, which is typically not cost-effective. For both types, significant damage usually means replacement rather than repair.
❓ What’s “synthetic enamel” or “epoxy enamel”?
Synthetic enamel is essentially colored epoxy or resin—plastic, not glass. It allows for photographic-quality printing and unlimited colors but offers the least durability. It’s appropriate for promotional items and low-cost commemoratives but should never be used for duty badges. Some vendors use “enamel” loosely to describe synthetic products, so always clarify.
- Hard enamel (cloisonné) is glass-based, polished smooth, and built to last decades
- Soft enamel is paint-like, sits recessed below metal edges, and costs less
- The touch test works: smooth = hard enamel; textured = soft enamel
- Always specify hard enamel for duty badges worn daily
- Soft enamel is fine for commemorative items, pins, and coins
- Saving money with soft enamel on duty badges often costs more long-term
The Bottom Line
Enamel type is one of those details that doesn’t seem important until you’re replacing badges years earlier than expected—or proudly wearing the same badge you were issued decades ago. For duty badges, hard enamel is worth the investment. For commemoratives and budget items, soft enamel does the job.
When evaluating badge quotes, make sure you’re comparing the same enamel types. A soft enamel quote will always be lower than a hard enamel quote—that doesn’t mean it’s a better deal if you need long-term durability.
For more on badge materials and construction, see our guide to police badge materials or learn about the badge manufacturing process.