We often get asked by our customers to make buttons for them. We decline every time, and there is one very simple reason why: we don’t want to compete with our customers!

So many of the wonderful people who purchase button machines and supplies from ABM are in the custom button making business. And many of these people are really, really, really, ridiculously good at making custom buttons.

As far as we’re concerned, it’s a perfect relationship: we sell the machines and raw materials; our enterprising customers take and fill custom orders; and you get exactly what you want at the best possible price!

Our question now is this: how do we get the word about our fabulous customers who make and sell custom buttons?

One way we are going to do this is by starting a list of ABM customers that we can relay business to when we get calls for people looking for buttons. It happens all the time, and we want to have a quick and easy reference guide ready for such situations.

Send please, if you are an ABM customer and welcoming of custom button making business, send your info along with the button sizes you make and we will add you to the list. The best way to contact us is via email: sales [at] americanbuttonmachines [dot] com.

Hello once again from your button blogging friends at American Button Machines. We are thrilled to have you back for the 10th and final lesson of Button University. (Please, take moment if you need to go grab tissues so you can wipe away the tears.)

Yesterday, we talked about fabric button machines and systems. Today, we are going to talk about Badge-a-Minit Supplies. For some of you, you are asking, “What in the world are Badge-a-Minit supplies?” Let me explain.

There are basically two kinds of button making supplies in the USA.

1. Industry standard button-sized supplies. These supplies fit 99% of all standard-sized button machines. Yes, we are in that 99.9%.

2. Badge-a-Minit sized button supplies. These supplies are slightly larger than the industry standard. They are designed specifically to fit Badge-a-Minit machines. People who are not aware that Badge-a-Minit machines don’t work with the US industry standards can end up wasting a lot of money when they buy the wrong sized button supplies.

To help out our customers, we also offer Badge-a-Minit supplies for a lower price at. Our BAM Supplies are Certified and Guaranteed and Badge-a-Minit “sized”. They will work…hassle-free.

Not only are they less expensive when purchased from us, but our same standard of excellence applies. Here are the differences between their supplies and our BAM Supplies.

Difference #1
Badge-a-Minit buttons have large round holes where the pin is inserted. Our supplies have a small, oval pinhole, which is more appealing visually and reduces what is known as “pin rattle”.

Difference # 2
Badge-a-Minit places their name and phone number on the back of their parts. Every button you sell is free advertising for Badge-a-Minit. When your customers need more supplies, they could call Badge a Minit instead of you! We don’t do that.

Difference # 3
We take the worry and frustration out of using Badge-a-Minit button supplies. All of our Badge-a-Minit-sized button parts have been designed specifically to fit Badge-a-Minit button machines. Certified and Guaranteed to work with your Badge-a-Minit Machine. In fact, our customers tell us when they bought their Badge-a-Minit parts from Badge-a-Minit, they experienced unacceptable failure rates. Once they switched over to BAM parts from American Button Machines, it was like getting a new machine!

You can rest easy knowing you are covered by our money back guarantee. We are so confident you will love our supplies, if you think our BAM parts do not work better than Badge-a-Minit’s, simply return them for a refund.

So there you have it. Button University has concluded! We’ve enjoyed having you as a part of the lessons. And we’ll continue to educate and inform you about the wonderful world of buttons here at The Button Blog.

Welcome back to another installment of Button University Lessons! In Lesson 8, we showed you some quick videos and outlined step-by-step button making guidelines, reconfirming the simplicity and speed of our machines. Today, we are going to talk a little bit about fabric covered buttons.

Our Fabric Button Machine allows you to make your own fabric buttons or ponytail holders! In fact, Using our large eyelet two-piece button sets, fabric covered buttons can be attached to shoe laces, flip flops, shoe charms, hair ties & more!

There are a couple of machines that we have that will cater to whatever needs you have. Here are the details on those machines.

The Workhorse Series: Our Black-n-Red Z-Series Machines can make 1 1/2″, 2 1/4″, 3″, or 3 1/2″ fabric covered buttons. The dies are not interchangeable, each Black-n-Red fabric covered button machine makes a specific button size. One major benefit to the Z-Series is that you can make classic button options. The Black-n-Red Z Series machines allow you to make monogrammed buttons, fabric covered buttons, pin back buttons, ponytail holders, pocket mirrors, refrigerator magnets, key chains, necklaces, shoe charms, tie tacs, earrings, rosettes, drink coasters, bulldog clips and flip flop accessories.

Specialty Series: The Green Machine can make 3/4″, 1″ and 1 1/2″ fabric covered buttons. Simply swap out the dies and you are making a different button size in seconds. The PT-150 Green Machine uses our exclusive large “wire eyelet” button back. This strong eyelet can be used to make great ponytail holders. We offer several accessories made specifically for fabric buttons. Simply snip off the eyelet back and glue your favorite option to the back of the button. Accessories include badge reels, button bracelets, button rings, shoe charms, bobby pins and cell phone charms.

For more informaiton on how to make a fabric button, check out the Fabric Button Series here at The Button Blog. And join us tomorrow for Lesson 10 of Button University where we talk about working with Badge-a-Minit machines and parts.

Yesterday, in Lesson 7 of Button University, we talked about ways for you to create your templates for your buttons. Today, we are going to show you how easy it is to make a button when using our easy to use, quality button machines.

Watch it happen. Check out the videos of the process. The longest one is only 24 seconds! It really is that easy to make a button!

• Button Machine Video
  
• Adjustable Rotary Cutter Video
• High Volume Die Cutting Press

Here are some more simple step-by-step guidelines on how to make a button using products from American Button Machines.

Button Machine Step-by-Step

Step 1: Place the button components in the Pickup Die and the Crimp Die.
Step 2: Rotate the Pickup Die clockwise until it is underneath the Upper Die.
Step 3: Pull the handle down, easily crimping the shell, graphic, and mylar in the Upper Die.

Punch Cutter Step-by-Step

Step 1: Insert the paper strip into the punch cutter and center the graphic in the hole.
Step 2: Push the handle down until the punch goes all the way through the paper.
Step 3: Remove the cut graphic and place to the side.
Step 4: Pull the paper strip through, center the next graphic, and repeat steps 2 and 3.

As you can quickly tell, it doesn’t take long to make a button. And it’s certainly not very difficult! Join us tomorrow as we talk a little more about Fabric Buttons.

Good afternoon! In yesterday’s Button University lesson, we let you in on the small differences between the beginner button making system and the professional button making system. Our hope is that the information is helpful for you as you decide the best system for your needs. Today we are going to be talking about Button Templates and Guidelines for using them. Let’s get started.

As you can imagine, the last thing any of us wants is to spend a lot of time designing a button, only to find out that all the dimensions are off and the photograph of Uncle Larry seems to have him missing an arm once you put the poor guy in the button. So, in order to help you avoid unnecessary frustration and to help Uncle Larry keep his arm, here are the tools for your templates.

• Pick a software program. We recommend using Corel Draw or Button Builder. Button Builder is our economical option that allows you to design buttons for 1 ¼”, 2 ¼” and 3” button sizes. The biggest benefit to using Button Builder is that you do not have to make your own templates because the software does it for you! You can also design buttons with other software packages such as Adobe and Microsoft products.  In a previous post here at The Button Blog we discussed button making software in more depth.

Update: You can also now use the Build-a-Button Online Design Center, developed by ABM!

• Use a guide. Utilize our Button Template Guide to create a master template for your buttons.

Once you’ve picked the best software program for your button creations, you are well on your way to a worry free day in the world of button making!

I’ll look forward to your visit tomorrow in Button University‘s Lesson 8, where we answer the question, “How easy is it to make buttons?”

Glad you’re back as another week begins to visit The Button Blog and increase your button making success! On Friday, in the fifth installment of our Button University series, we discussed button paper — specifically, how to choose the right kind. Today, we are going to show you the elements of beginner and professional button making systems.

The readership of this blog varies between both beginners and professionals, and with that come natural questions. Although it may seem like a beginner will need a completely different system than a seasoned professional, that’s not completely true. In fact, the only difference between a beginner button making system and a professional button making system is the type of paper cutter you’ll receive. Our Beginner Systems include the Adjustable Rotary Cutter while our Professional Systems include a Punch Cutter.

Once you order the appropriate system you can begin making buttons in minutes… literally.

Below I’ve listed a complete list of what you’ll get in both the Beginner Button Making System and the Professional Button Making System.

Professional Button Making System

1. Your choice of any size Professional Button Machine
2. Graphic or Photo Punch
3. 250 Free Pin Back Buttons!
4. Button Essentials Design CD
5. Complete instructions on how to make buttons
6. Free technical support for the life of the machine
7. Our “Lifetime Warranty” against defects!

Note: The price will vary based on the size of the button machine desired.

Beginner Button Making System

1. Your choice of any size Professional Button Machine
2. Adjustable Rotary Cutter
3. 250 Free Pin Back Buttons!
4. Button Essentials Design CD
5. Complete instructions on how to make buttons
6. Free technical support for the life of the machine
7. Our “Lifetime Warranty” against defects!

Note: The price will vary based on the size of the button machine desired.

So, there you have it: today’s lesson from Button University. Stay tuned for more from your friends at American Button Machines as tomorrow we will discuss button templates. Until then, enjoy your button making!

Welcome back!

In our last Button University post, about cutters, I promised you we’d talk about paper button makers, and I am here to deliver on that promise. Friday is half over now, and weekend plans are underway. If it’s as rainy in your city as it is in mine, then it may very well be the perfect time to start creating those buttons! In order to do that, let’s talk about button paper.

A common mistake when buying button paper for use in a button making project is spending too much money and making it too complicated. We’re going to simplify the process for you today.

Unlike the paper cutters of other manufacturers, our cutters have been designed to make your paper-buying experience less expensive and hopefully a bit more fun!

Here are some simple tips on how to choose the right kind of button paper:

Make sure you choose button paper that is the right weight. We suggest a 24lb. bond (that’s the weight of the paper). If you use thinner paper, then you may be able to see through the paper (no one likes that). If you go thicker, it could jam in the smaller sized button machines and it’s usually more expensive anyway.

Make it bright. Make sure that the brightness of the paper is at least 100. This will give you a good crisp white. Why is this important? If you are making a button that has ink covering the entire face of the button then you do not have to worry about it. If you ware printing photos and someone is wearing a white shirt, you do not want the shirt to  look yellow.

Mylar makes it shine. Our complete button sets have everything you need for the buttons, including Mylar. Mylar is the plastic covering for your graphic that will protect it from soiling and make the colors “Pop!” The mylar will make the button shine, saving you from having to use expensive paper.

Photo paper solution. Heavier paper will jam smaller sized machines, however, for many photographers premium paper is a requirement for business. In order to accommodate our many ‘happy snappers’, we offer Photo Button Machines and Punches. Yes, we do offer you the best of both worlds. Our Photo Series equipment is designed specifically to accept standard printer paper or heavier photo paper. Our photo button series includes the 3 Inch -Model 300, 3.5 Inch-Model 350, 2”x3”-Model 2030 and the Model 2225 Photo Punch for making 2 1/4″ Photo Buttons.

InkJet Printer vs. Laser Printer. If you have an InkJet Printer, buy InkJet Paper. If you have a Laser Printer, buy Laser Printer Paper. It really is just as simple as that.

That, my friends, is Friday’s tip on paper for the button maker. Have a great weekend and we’ll talk next week about much, much more in the world of buttons!

Cheers!

Sorry for the late posting time on today’s Button University lesson. Sometimes the phone just rings and rings and rings and our duty as gatekeepers to the wonderful world of buttons beckons from sunrise to sundown. After a moment to catch my breath, it is now time for some late afternoon fun here at The Button Blog.

Yesterday, in lesson 4 of our ongoing Button University series, we discussed design standards for button machines and gave you the reasons why ours have the best button machine design available on the market. Today, we are going to dive feet first into cutters. And if you are a graduate of Indiana University, no, this post does not have anything to do with the Cutters race team or the Little 500.

(Raise your hand if you understood that reference? The movie Breaking Away? Anyone? Okay, not many hands up. I hear crickets. Let’s just move along now, shall we?)

So, let’s say that you are getting ready to start a button project. You have your button machine, you have all of your button supplies, and you even have sheets of neatly printed circular graphics ready to go. Are you ready to start making buttons?

Not so fast. Your gorgeous and beautiful graphics must be cut out!

How are you going to accomplish this?

A lot of people to whom I pose that question instantly respond by saying, “Scissors!” To which I reply, “Scissors? Really? You want to make 250 pinback buttons and you are going to try and cut out 250 circular graphics with scissors?” Not only will scissor cutting be laborious and tedious work, but it will undoubtedly lead to defective buttons if your precision is not spot on with each cut.

Quite frankly, trying to make any more than 5 or 10 buttons using scissors to cut your graphics will not only be woefully inefficient, it very well may drive you crazy. And in the wonderful world of buttons, the only crazy we allow is you being crazy in love with your buttons at the end of a project!

Well guess what? We help you avoid driving yourself crazy with scissors because we have three specifically designed cutter products that will allow you to simply and efficiently prepare your graphics for the button machine. The three types are:

1. The adjustable rotary circle cutter (included with our beginner button system)
2. The professional punch cutter (included with our professional button systems)
3. The high volume die-cutting press (the newest addition to our line of cutters)

In a previous blog post, we provided detailed instructions for how to use adjustable circle cutter. No need to recreate that info here, just follow the link to learn all you need to know about this simple process. Fortunately, using a punch cutter or a high volume die-cutting press is just as easy. Here are two videos that show you just how easy our punch cutters and high volume die-cutting presses are to use:

Video: How to Use a Punch Cutter

Video: How to Use a High Volume Die-Cutting Press

So, just make sure that when you are planning your next button making project that the thought, “Hey, let’s use scissors!” never pops into your head. With three perfect cutter options like these to choose from, you can put the scissors back in the drawer and never think about them again when you’re making buttons.

As always, thanks for stopping by for today’s Button University lesson. What’s in store for tomorrow? We’re going to talk about button paper and give you some helpful hints regarding what types of paper make the best buttons. See you tomorrow!

Welcome to the third edition of our continuing daily Button University series. In previous posts, we tackled issues related to button making instructions and button sizes, and today we look at button machine designs; and specifically, how ABM products incorporate the best button machine design standards in the ever burgeoning button maker market.

Let’s make one thing clear right off the bat: we believe that our button makers incorporate the finest materials and technology to consistently produce quality buttons time and time again. In no way is this meant to disparage our competition. Rather, it is a simple proclamation to our customers that you can completely trust that the products you receive from American Button Machines will be the best. Period.

Why are we so confident that our products employ the best button machine design standards? Let’s count out a few of the reasons:

Our button makers employ a patented two-step button making process that allows you to make a button in less than 5 seconds. This allows you to:

• Easily create several hundred buttons an hour.
• Exert little physical force to operate the machine, thanks to our Cam-on-roller design.
• Be confident that even school children can effectively and safely operate our machines.

Specific design elements offer the most efficient and versatile button making possible.

• Low center of gravity prevents machine from tipping over.
• Mounting holes enable easy mounting.
• Each machine is made from steel, not plastic or composite material for durability; yet the machines are designed to be lightweight and easily portable.
• The ingenious center pivot design increases production speed. Unlike our competition, the metal dies have no compression rings to wear out, fall off, or misalign.

And, of course:

Our button makers are rugged and dependable, but also carry our Lifetime Warranty against defects.

So now that you now how we employ the best button machine design standards possible, isn’t time to figure out which of the many available models is right for you? If you think so, follow the link to browse our button machine product line. If you have any questions, use the comment section below. That’s why we have this blog in the first place, so never hesitate!

Thanks for stopping by The Button Blog today. Keep us in mind tomorrow as well, as we embark on Button University Lesson 4 about paper cutters.

On Friday, we introduced you to our new series of posts that highlight some of the information available at the Button University resource of our main website. The first post in the series provided step-by-step instructions for any button making project. Today, we delve into an important decision that must be made when you are making buttons: with all of the different button sizes available, which one should you use for your project?

Over at our main website, we have a handy-dandy table that you can use for quick reference regarding decisions on button sizes. While we could simply repost that table here, what would be the fun in that? Plus, we know that some people don’t always like looking at tables and charts. So we will use our space here to outline, in a little more detailed fashion, which button sizes and button machine options work best for producing different button types and styles.

Button Sizes for Promotional & Novelty Buttons

1″ button sizes, made with our 1 inch button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons
• magnets
• tie tacks
• earrings
• medallions

1.25″ button sizes, made with our 1.25 inch button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons
• magnets
• keychains

1.50″ button sizes, made with our 1.5 inch button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons
• magnets
• keychains

1.75″ button sizes, made with our 1.75 inch button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons
• magnets
• keychains

Most Popular and Versatile Button Size

2.25″ button sizes, made with our 2.25 inch button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons
• magnets
• keychains
• photo buttons
• mirrors
• bulldog clips
• rosettes
• medallions

Best Button Sizes for Photo Buttons and Campaign Buttons

3.0″ button sizes, made with our 3.0 inch button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons
• magnets
• keychains
• photo buttons
• mirrors
• bulldog clips

3.5″ button sizes, made with our 3.5 inch button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons
• magnets
• photo buttons
• mirrors
• coasters
• bulldog clips

Button Sizes for Rectangle Buttons and Square Buttons

1.75″ x 2.75″ button sizes, made with our 1.75 inch x 2.75 inch button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons
• magnets
• keychains
• bulldog clips

2″ x 3″ button sizes, made with our 2 inch x 3 inch button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons
• magnets
• keychains
• photo buttons
• mirrors
• bulldog clips

2″ x 2″ button sizes, made with our 2 inch x 2 inch square button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons
• magnets
• keychains

Large Button Sizes

And last, but certainly not least, 6″ button sizes, made with our 6 inch button machines, are the right button size for:

• pinback buttons

If you feel a chart would be an easier way to digest the information provided above, please jump over to the button sizes page at the American Button Machines website. Thanks for stopping by to read the second post in our continuing Button University series. Check back tomorrow for our next lesson, which provides additional insight on why the button machine products sold by American Button Machines are truly the best and easiest to use on the market.