FAQ about the heart button machine
Long before our heart button machine was even ready for market, you repeatedly asked us the sameâand absolutely legitimateâquestions.
That's why we've collected and answered the most frequently asked questions here for you. Perhaps your question is among them:
First of all:
Believe usâwe would have loved nothing more than to simply develop an additional heart-shaped attachment for the Flexi (heart buttons for everyone!). That would have been better for us, too, since we surely would have sold more heart buttons that way compared to the current setup, which requires a separate machine. Unfortunately, itâs technically not feasibleâfor solid reasons weâd like to explain here:
1. The system thing.
Our Flexi is based on a simple, clever principle: all diesâboth the upper and lower onesâcan be swapped quickly and easily without tools. To make this possible, the components need a bit of "play" or clearance so everything runs smoothly.
This works beautifully for round buttons. A circle is a circle, after allâno matter how you turn the button, everything stays the same. No corners, no points, no sharp angles.
A heart shape is a bit more temperamental. It has curves, a point, and an indentation. Ensuring the upper die meets the two lower dies exactly requires extremely precise alignment. Even the slightest shift means the button won't be formed correctly.
Unfortunately, that simply doesn't work with the Flexiâs flexible, tool-free design. As much as we might wish otherwise, a heart attachment just wouldn't function reliably in this system.
2. Size is a question.
The dies required for heart buttons are significantly larger than the standard Flexi versions. They simply don't fit into the Flexiâs base frameâjust like the rectangular buttons or the 75 mm ones.
Building a completely new, larger Flexi frame is theoretically conceivableâbut it would not only be bulkier and significantly more expensive, it also wouldn't be compatible with existing Flexi units.
And then it wouldn't be the Flexi that we (and you) know and love. We know itâs a shame.
We, too, would have liked a simple solution for heart-shaped buttons in the Flexi range. But given the current technical constraints, unfortunately, that is not possible.
A fair and important questionâand the short answer is: quality, development effort, and small production runs.
Our heart-shaped button machine is made almost entirely of high-quality aluminum and stainless steelânot just for the premium look, but for durability, stability, and precision. The materials alone account for a significant portion of the value.
On top of that, the machineâs engineering is highly complex. Unlike round buttons, where many elements are standardized, the heart shape requires specialized molds, dies, and mechanismsâall custom-made and perfectly coordinated.
Then there is the fact that the initial batches are small-scale production runs. We intentionally limit the quantity produced because we want to work closely with the product and user feedback during the launch phaseâand because small runs allow for further optimization before moving to mass production. However, small-batch production is unfortunately much more expensive due to custom manufacturing, high per-unit costs, and more complex processes.
In short:
A lot of manual craftsmanship, extensive development, premium materialsâand absolutely no compromises.
What's the best way to cut the paper insert for the heart buttons?
The honest answer: Itâs a bit trickier than with round buttons.
The heart shape has more curves and cornersâsomething you notice the moment you pick up the scissors.
If you cut them out by hand (which we really donât recommend, as the perfect shape is crucial here), make sure to use small, precise scissorsâideally nail scissors or something similarly fine-tipped. These allow for much cleaner cuts along the curves than standard craft scissors. And you really need to cut with extreme precision and neatness.
Of course, the easiest and most convenient method is using our matching heart-shaped punch. It gives you perfectly cut inserts in secondsâthough, naturally, that does require a small investment.
Alternatively:
If you own a cutting plotter, you can use that instead. Itâs a very precise and practical solution, especially if youâre making large quantities. You can download the template here.
In principle, it would be possible to produce heart-shaped buttons using "standard" polyester film. That might sound practical at first, but unfortunately, it really isn't.
In short: the result simply wouldn't meet our standards. The small indentation at the top of the heartâcharming in shape but tricky to work withâcauses unsightly creases or distortions to form at that exact spot when using standard film.
The way light reflects off it makes the heart look less smooth and uniform, and more like something that has seen better days. And since we believe a heart should be nothing less than flawlessly beautiful, that isn't an option for us.
That is why we deliberately use the adhesive films specifically designed for our heart-shaped buttons: our "Make it Matt" film, the glossy film, orâfor something truly specialâour holographic films.
Not only do they ensure a refined, uniform appearance, but they also mask those tricky areas much more effectively.
Yes, it involves a small extra stepâthe film has to be cut to size and applied. But you have to cut the paper insert to fit anyway, so the extra effort is manageable.
In return, you get a result you can be proud of: a perfect, high-quality heartâexactly as it should be.
Yes, we actually have a few quick tips and tricks to help your heart-shaped badges turn out beautifully:
- Our hearts like a gentle touch. When pressing the badge together during step apply only as much pressure as is absolutely necessaryâkeep it as gentle as possible. This has a very positive effect on the heart's tip, and itâs less strenuous for you, too. Always aim for the "minimal effort" approach.
- Use a paper punch or a cutting plotter: The paper insert for heart-shaped badges must be cut to the exact right size. Unlike round badges, the shape is a bit tricky. We therefore recommend using either our dedicated heart-shaped paper punch or a cutting plotter. We also have a suitable template for the paper insert that you can use with your plotter. You can download it here (link coming soon; in the meantime, please check the "Featured" section of the Badgematic Facebook group).
- Feel free to use slightly thicker paperâfor a change: With our other badge sizes, we always emphasize that they are designed for standard 80â90g copy paper. While thicker paper might work, if it doesn't, the thickness is likely the culprit, and youâll need to switch to thinner paper. However, with heart-shaped badges, weâve found that they actually turn out even better with slightly thicker paper. We get the best results using 110â115g matte photo paper. Just experiment to see what works best for you.
Well... it is possible, but itâs very tricky. Itâs similar to making round buttons, only much more challenging. As mentioned, the point and the indentation (the "notch") are the weak spots of heart-shaped buttons, and this is where using fabric makes things difficult.
Our test team did manage to create good heart-shaped buttons using fabric. It works best with high-quality jersey fabric. Thin cotton fabric also yielded the desired results. Of course, the fabric shouldn't be too thick and should be relatively fray-resistant; the more it frays to begin with, the more it will fray at the top notch of the heart later on.
Our test team also achieved good results by backing the fabric with "Make it Matt" film before processing it; this helps prevent fraying even more effectively.
Just experiment to see what works and what doesn't, and feel free to share your results with us. You won't damage the machine by trying out different fabrics. The worst-case scenario is simply that the button doesn't turn out rightâin which case, you'll know that particular type of fabric doesn't work ;)
If you want to cut the fabric into the right shape using a cutting plotter, remember that you'll need a special rotary blade.