Alex Heberling

Today’s caricature is fellow ISCA member Rocky Sawyer.

These caricature sketches are so good for warm-up sketches. :D

This year’s martini party invitation.  I am amused by my parents’ heads as olives in the martini. XD

Another speedpaint from the other day, which I used as a vote incentive on Garanos.

I’ve been making buttons myself for a couple years now, and in the last few months I’ve had the concept for this guide kicking around in my head.  It occurs to me that I didn’t really know anything about buttons when I first started producing them, and taught myself a lot of things that might help others who are thinking about extending their products into buttons.

Getting Started With Buttons

First off, you will need a button making machine.  The brand I use is the most common one, Badge-A-Minit, though there are other brands out there if you search for them.  I’ve been very happy with my Badge-A-Minit machine, so I’ll be writing this guide with BAM products in mind.

There are 4 types of button machines:

Hand Press: This machine uses a set of assembly rings and a hand-operated press, and is the cheapest type of button maker available.  I recommend this type for beginners or for people who don’t intend or expect to sell a high volume of buttons.  This is the kind of machine I have.  I ordered the BAM 1 1/4″ Starter System, which came with the hand press, assembly rings, Cut-A-Circle, and parts for 100 buttons, which were essentially my practice buttons while I learned how to use the machine.  You will spend $60-125 on this machine.

Bench Press: Largely the same as the hand press, in that it uses assembly rings to press the buttons, but differs due to the press having a stand that sits on a tabletop, so you wont have nearly as much hand strain when making your buttons.  I recommend the bench press for people who sell a significant volume of buttons.  I’m probably at the point where I should upgrade to this type of machine.  If you find yourself spending hours making buttons for an upcoming convention and killing your hand with your hand press, then you probably should upgrade to a bench press.  You will spend $100-300 on this machine.

Semi-Automatic: This is a bench press on steroids.  It still has a hand-operated lever, but assembly rings are built into the machine, and you can buy machines that press either one or two buttons at one time.  Best for people who expect to do most of their business selling buttons, like PopCult Anime and Disjointed Images. You will spend at least $250 on this machine, and they go as high as $1000 in some cases.

Fully Automatic: As you suspected, this machine does all the work for you, and is commensurately expensive.  If you’re planning to open up a button manufacturing business such as Mod Buttons, I’d go this route.  You’ll spend $900-1000 on this machine.

What machine you need will be completely dependent on your volume.  I definitely suggest starting small with a hand press, since it’s not such a huge investment if you find that buttons aren’t really your thing.

Button Sizes

The most common (and pretty much industry standard) button sizes are 1″, 1 1/4″, 1 1/2″, 2 1/4, and 3″.  Badge-A-Minit sells machines for 1 1/4″, 2 1/4″, and 3″.  This is really up to personal preference.  The most common sizes I see at conventions are between 1″ and 2 1/2″, and are priced anywhere between 1 and 2 dollars.  I find that 1 1/4″ is a nice size that’s small, but not so tiny that graphics and phrases are crammed into a tiny, unreadable space.

Ordering Parts

I’m not going to lie: I think Badge-A-Minit is way overpriced.  But the fact remains that using non-BAM button parts with your BAM machine will void your warranty, so what is a frugal entrepreneur to do?

eBay comes to the rescue.  I buy all my button parts from 68mr, who sells official BAM parts (and machines) for WAY cheaper than BAM itself.  With 68mr, my cost per button is about 6 cents, before you include things like paper and printing of the actual designs.  I order parts in lots of 1000, which I then use for the whole year.

Designing Your Buttons

This is one of the things it took me a LONG time to get right.  I went through a lot of trial and error, things that I want to save others from the most.  I have a Photoshop template here (right click and choose “Save Link As…” to download) that you can use to make 1 1/4″ buttons, and I’ll go through a step-by-step guide on how to get perfect button images every time.  This howto assumes you are using Photoshop.  Which version doesn’t matter so much; the steps are pretty much the same in any iteration of PS.

Step 1: The Template

This template is made up of three layers. Guidelines, to show you the face vs. the bleed area of the button.  The bleed area is the parts of the image that will be curved over the edges of the button and clamped down inside when actually assembled.  The Mask layer is to help me see how the button will look face-on, so I’m not distracted by parts of the image in the bleed area.  The Button Cutout layer is a guide that is the exact size of the actual printable button image, which we will use in step 5.

Step 2: Artwork

For this tutorial, I’m going to use Pete’s Fairy.  Use the Marquee tool (keyboard shortcut M) to select all or part of the image, and copy it to the clipboard using CTRL+C or Edit > Copy.

Step 3: Paste Into Template

Paste the image into the template in between the Mask and Button Cutout layers. (CTRL+V or Edit > Paste.)  Since we’re working with a high-resolution image, only the top corner is visible.

Step 4: Resize Image

Now we need to shrink the image down to fit in the template.  I use the Free Transform tool (CTRL+T or Edit > Free Transform) to size the image down, using the dark mask as a visual guide to help me see what the button will look like.  When you’re satisfied, click on the check mark to the top of the window, or just hit Enter, to apply the changes.

Step 5: Select Button Outline

Next, you’re going to select the round button from the rest of the square image.  Stay on the image layer, but hold down CTRL and click the Button Cutout layer.  This loads the outline of your button as a new selection.  Now copy the image to the clipboard. (CTRL+C or Edit > Copy.)

Open a new document. (CTRL+N or File > New.)  The dimensions and resolution of the new document will automatically be filled in according to what’s on the clipboard, so click Enter when the dialog pops up.

Step 6: OH CRAP

Paste the image into your new document.  You’ll notice that when you copied to the clipboard in the last step, it only selected the solid pixels of the image layer, leaving the four square edges.  THIS IS BAD. If you leave your printable button image like this while you move onto the next steps, it will not be laid out correctly, and you’ll end up cutting out chunks of neighboring buttons when you get to the cutting stage.  To fix this, we’re going to discard this file and go back to the template.

If you have a button image that reaches all edges of the button outline and is perfectly round, disregard this and skip to Step 8.

Step 7: Fill Transparent Pixels

I turned off the Mask layer so you could see more clearly what I’m doing here.  On your image layer, use the Fill Bucket ( keyboard shortcut G) to fill in the transparent margins around the image.  Any color that works for you will do; I’ve used white here so I can illustrate some points in the coming steps.  But I also could’ve used a yellow or blue from the image, for example.

Step 8: Print Ready Button Image!

Now that you’ve done that, CTRL+Click the Button Outline layer again as in Step 5, and copy and paste it into a new document.  Here you have your print-ready image for this button!  SAVE THIS, preferably as a PSD to retain the transparency, just in case you lose the printer sheet we’re going to create in the next step and ever need to make a new one.

Step 9: New Document

Create a new document (CTRL+N or File > New) and choose the preset for US Paper in the dialog.  Make sure it has the settings above: 8.5 x 11 inches at 300 PPI.

Step 10: Paste Paste Paste

In the new document, paste the button image into rows like so.  I always butt them up right against each other, but if you want you can leave margins of a few pixels between each button.  You can fit 30 buttons onto one 8.5 x 11″ piece of paper.  When you’re done, merge all the layers that resulted from the pasting into a single layer, separate from the blank background layer.

As you can see, if I hadn’t filled in the transparent pixels in step 7, the buttons would have been spaced much more tightly, which would’ve totally messed up the cutting stage later on.

Step 11: Light Stroke

Since the edges of these buttons are white, we’re going to add a slight outline to all the buttons to aid in cutting later.  At the bottom of the Layers panel, click the Layer Effects menu and select Stroke.  I added a 1 pixel black stroke, as seen above.

This step is especially helpful if the buttons you’re making have a light or white background, such as my sushi buttons.  If your buttons are colorful and completely reach the edges and such, you can skip this step.

Step 12: Crop

This step simply trims away the extra space on your 8.5 x 11  page, to make sure your buttons print at the right size in Step 14.  Use the Crop tool (keyboard shortcut C) to crop the image so that only the buttons remain.

Step 13: Flatten

After you crop, flatten the image.  (Layer > Flatten Image.)  This is your print-ready button sheet!  SAVE THIS before moving on.

Step 14: Print!

Print the image. (CTRL+P or File > Print.)  The most important settings are the ones that are circled: make sure to check “Center Image” and UNcheck “Scale to Fit”.

Step 15: Finished Button Sheet

This is what your printed sheet should look like.  Now you’re ready to start putting together your buttons!  Keep in mind that you’ll get the best results from regular printer paper.  Anything thicker or heavier than printer paper will more likely result in imperfections.  Thick materials like cloth or Bristol board are right out.  Very thin papers, such as tissue paper or the like, wont work too well either since they’re very likely to tear in the cutting stage and ruin your button cutouts.

Assembling Buttons

This is another area that took some trial and error for me, but if you follow these instructions and tips, you’ll be off to a much better start than I was!

Step 16: Cutting

I recommend using a cutting pad for this step.  BAM provided me a tiny one with my starter kit, but I traded up for an Xacto cutting pad that I already had lying around.  But if you don’t have one, even a piece of cardstock will do, so you can protect your work surface and keep the cutting blade from getting dull.  Center your Cut-A-Circle over a button on the sheet, hold down the cutter, and carefully turn the blade to cut out the button.  To help myself center the Cut-A-Circle, I made a small dot in the middle of the window with a black marker.  If you slip and cut into the button slightly, don’t panic; most cuts are not fatal to a button, and the cutout can still be used.  Just reposition the Cut-A-Circle as best you can and continue turning the blade.

Step 17: Assembly Rings & Parts

The Assembly Rings are where the magic all happens.  My kit came with the rings as laid out above:  Red disc, Yellow ring, Blue ring, Green disc, Silver disc.

Buttons are comprised of three parts, apart from your paper cutout: the Pinback, the Button Cover, and the Plastic Cover.

Step 18: Assembling the Face of the Button

Place a Button Cover into the Blue ring, then insert a button cutout and a Plastic Cover.  You can straighten the image using the white vertical line on the blue ring if you wish, but it’s not that important at this step.  After that, insert the Yellow ring over all the rest of the stuff.

Step 19: The Button Take Shape

Turn over the Blue ring, so you’re looking at the back of the Button Cover.  Insert the Silver disc into the Green disc; you’ll see they fit together.  Now insert both Silver and Green into the back of the Blue ring.  Apply pressure to the Green disc until you feel the button snap forward; I use the actual hand press to press it down to relieve the strain on my hands.

This step shapes the paper and plastic over the Button Cover by pushing the Button Cover forward through the Blue and Yellow Discs.

Step 20: Straighten Up

Remove the Green and Silver discs from the assembly.  Turn the Blue ring over, so you’re seeing the button image again.  At this point, you can straighten the button using the white line as a guide.

Now take the Red disc and place it over the button inside the Yellow ring.  Make sure the indented circle is facing you.  Now press HARD, until the Red disc stops around halfway into the assembly, completely parallel to the Blue and Yellow rings.  This step pushes the button back into the assembly, curling the bleed area of the button image in a bit to get it ready for the pinback in the next step.  If the Red disc is crooked, you have not pushed it in far enough, and it will not completely seal the edges of the button when we get to the next step.

Step 21: Pinback Insertion

Turn the entire assembly over again, so the back of the button is facing you.  It should look like the picture above, with the edges of the bleed area visible on all sides.

Insert a Pinback into the assembly, using the lines on the sides of the Blue ring to straighten it.  Then insert the Green disc (without the Silver disc) over the pinback.  The button is now ready to be pressed!

Step 22: Pressing

Pick up the assembly and turn it over, so the Red disc is facing up.  Shake the assembly slightly; this will ensure that the pinback is not caught inside one of the holes in the pinback, and wont be damaged when you press the button.  Insert the assembly into the hand press, aligning the press’s stem with the indented hole in the Red disc.

Squeeze the lever slowly until the Red disc is completely flush with the Yellow and Blue rings.

Step 23: Finished Button

Release the lever and remove the assembly.  Take off the green and Red discs and let the finished button fall out!  That’s it!  You’ve made a perfect button.

I know this seems like a LOT of steps, and it is, but once you get the hang of it, it’ll become like second nature.

Storage

My storage system isn’t too fancy.  Far from it, actually.  I store individual button designs in individual Ziploc bags, as well as extra button cutouts.  I made the mistake early on in making tons and tons and TONS of buttons all at once, which left me with a lot of stock to carry around that wasn’t necessarily moving, such as in the case of the Naruto village symbols.  Since buttons are essentially a make-on-demand item, only make as much as you will need.  You can always make more later.  I generally make 10 of each design to start out.

If the buttons are part of a themed set, like the Sailor Moon buttons, I will roll up each bag of buttons and stick them all lengthwise into another Ziploc bag, to keep everything organized.  If I decide to put together pre-assembled sets of buttons, like my Pokemon gym badges, I will use separate Ziploc bags for each set, and roll them up into their own Ziploc bag of holding as well.

All of these bags of  button groups and sets go into a cardboard box that goes in my Artist Alley box.  That’s it!

There are lots of options to store buttons, so find something that works for you.  I prefer this method because it’s less bulky than big divided containers.

Making Buttons on the Road

You might find yourself at a convention with a need to restock some button designs quickly.  For times like this, I always keep a travel button-making kit with me.  The kit includes my hand press, assembly rings, Cut-A-Circle, cutting pad, bag of Plastic Covers, and a Ziploc bag each of Button Covers and Pinbacks.  This has always been plenty for whatever I need to replenish while on the road.  If I have extra printed button sheets that haven’t been cut out, I usually keep them in the same portfolio that I do my prints, but I usually pre-cut buttons and keep them in their bags instead of keeping full sheets around.

Selling and Displaying Buttons

When it comes to displaying your buttons, there are many options.  The most common way (and the method I use) is to use a cork bulletin board and pin one of each of your designs to the board, but other methods can also work well, too.  My friend Mike Beargie has had luck with a printed poster of all his button designs that customers at his table can browse over, then pick the buttons they want while Mike keeps his actual stock behind the table, for organization.

PopCult Anime has an elaborate table display that involves canvas panels hung up on a gridwall frame.  The panels already have all their buttons organized with numbered rows that correspond to storage compartments behind the table.  This way, they don’t have to remove all their buttons from the display after every convention, and their setup is a snap.

Others yet put divided containers down on the table, and every compartment has a few copies of a given button.  There are lots of creative possibilities for displaying your buttons, or anything on your table for that matter.

Prices

Most buttons sell for between 1 and 2 dollars, in my experience.  I personally would never pay more than one dollar for a button, so that’s the price I set for my buttons.  For sets like Pokemon, Sushi, and Sailor Moon, I offer a discount if people buy the whole set or a certain number of buttons.  The whole SM and Pokemon sets are $8, which is $1 lower than it would cost to buy all the buttons in those sets individually.  For sushi, if someone buys three buttons, they can have a Wasabi & Ginger button for free.  Along the same lines, many people have a general buy-[number]-get-one-free deal  for any and all of the buttons they sell.

Clearance Buttons

Sometimes, a design just doesn’t sell as well as you thought it would, and you end up with some stock that’s now just dead weight.  Rather than try to hang on to the buttons and hope that it will sell at the next con, I suggest putting them on clearance.  Here’s the thing:  it’s okay that some designs don’t sell.  You wont capture lightning in a bottle every time.  When this happens to me, I put buttons on clearance.

For clearance buttons, I lower the price to 25 cents, which is much lower than full price, but still above my materials cost.  (Always keep your materials costs in mind when deciding the price for clearance buttons.)  Instead of taking up valuable corkboard space with clearance buttons, I move them somewhere else to differentiate them.  At first, I just had all the clearance buttons scattered on the surface of the table so people could look through them, but I recently got a couple of nice clear plastic bowls to display them, which were themselves on clearance at Target!  For now, my clearance buttons are divided into Naruto and Everything Else, since I still have SO many Naruto buttons.  The Everything Else category has, in the past, included imperfect/damaged buttons, Prince Yuki Fan Club buttons, the old-style Pokemon buttons, and some of the more unpopular sushi.

The great thing about clearance is that people are always interested in the dirt-cheap prices.  You’ll lighten your load and still make a little profit, too, which will let you open up space for new button designs to sell.

Selling Online

If you’re like me and want to have an online store, you’ll want a way to include your buttons.  One way would be to use a camera to photograph each and every one of your buttons, like I did once, but that can result in inconsistent colors and and unprofessional-looking storefront, which we definitely want to avoid.

So here’s your answer:  a template to create a digital preview of your buttons for an online store.  This template is super easy to use; just copy and paste your printable button image into the template, and you will have an approximate graphical version of the actual button!

Conclusion

Buttons are a great way to bring in additional income, if you’re willing to put down a small investment.  The good part about that is that your button machine will pay for itself, given enough time.  The purpose of this guide is to set you up for success right from the start, by giving you all the tips and tricks I learned by myself, the hard way.

If you have any other questions, feel free to email me or leave a comment!

On the backburner is a caricature I’ve been working on of Lady Gaga.  I’m referencing a photo of her from her performance of Paparazzi during the Video Music Awards last year, which was the point where I started liking her music.  Every couple weeks or so, I poke at it for awhile.  I’m not entire sure what style of coloring I want to use… people at Ohayocon seemed to like the Elgin Bolling caricature I put in my portfolio binder, so I thought I might experiment with that style of coloring some more, but I’m also interested in doing some full-blown digital painting, too, with all the speedpainting I’ve been doing lately.