A button maker machine makes exactly one size. The die set is machined for a single dimension, the parts are size-specific, and the graphic punch only fits the size it was built for. Choosing wrong means buying a second machine.
So it is worth twenty minutes of thought. This guide walks through every size we sell, what each one is actually used for, and the three questions that settle the decision.
Three questions that decide it
1. What are you making, a button or a photo magnet?
This matters more than anything else. Buttons, badges and pins want circles. Round is the shape people expect on a campaign button or a convention badge, and round parts are the cheapest in the trade.
Photo magnets want rectangles. A photograph is not square, and cropping a face into a circle throws away the composition. If your product is somebody's wedding photo on a fridge, a rectangle press produces something a round press cannot.
Squares sit in between and have become popular for a contemporary look, particularly for pet portraits and modern branding.
2. What will you charge?
Bigger units sell for more, but not proportionally more. A 2-1/4 inch round magnet retails for a few dollars. A 2-1/2 x 3-1/2 inch rectangle photo magnet retails for three or four times that, because it reads as a keepsake rather than a giveaway.
The machines are priced the same way. Round presses start around $280. The large rectangle and square presses run past $2,000. The question is not which is cheaper, it is which one your market will pay for.
3. How many will you make?
At low volume the machine is the cost. At high volume the parts are the cost, and round parts are meaningfully cheaper per unit than rectangle parts. If you are pressing thousands of promotional buttons a year, that difference compounds. The numbers are worked through in magnet business startup costs.
Every size compared
| Size | Model | Machine | Punch | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1" round | 100 | ~$280 | ~$180 | Pins, party favours, high-volume giveaways |
| 1-1/4" round | 125 | ~$280 | ~$180 | Badges, campaign pins, small magnets |
| 2-1/4" round | 225 | ~$280 | ~$180 | The industry standard. Start here if unsure |
| 3-1/2" round | 350 | ~$385 | ~$228 | Coasters, statement magnets, large art |
| 2" square | 2020 | ~$1,590 | ~$309 | Modern branding, pet portraits, Instagram crops |
| 2-1/2" square | 2525 | ~$1,895 | ~$423 | Larger square photo magnets |
| 3" square | 3030 | ~$2,280 | ~$485 | Premium square keepsakes |
| 1-3/4" x 2-3/4" | 1727 | ~$1,705 | ~$380 | Compact photo magnets, name badges |
| 2" x 3" | 2030 | ~$1,705 | ~$380 | The classic photo magnet size |
| 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" | 2535 | ~$2,090 | ~$451 | Save the dates, premium photo magnets |
Prices are approximate and change. Check the product page for the current figure. Buying the machine and punch together as a bundle costs less than buying them separately. For how Tecre numbers its models and what the list prices are, see Tecre button machines explained.
The recommendation, if you want one
Selling buttons, pins or merch: the 2-1/4 inch round. It is the most common size in the industry, which means the cheapest parts, the widest template availability and the easiest resale if you ever change direction.
Selling photo magnets: the 2 x 3 inch rectangle. It fits a standard photo crop without cutting anyone's head off, it is the size customers picture when they say photo magnet, and very few small sellers own one, which is exactly why it is worth owning.
Testing whether you want to do this at all: do not buy a machine yet. Buy magnetic sheets and photo paper, make a hundred magnets by hand, and find out whether people buy them. The press is an efficiency purchase, not a starting purchase.
Do I really need the graphic punch?
Yes, and this is the most common thing people try to save money on.
The punch cuts your artwork to the exact size the die needs. Cut by hand and you get slight variations on every piece. Those variations show up as white slivers at the rim, artwork that sits off-centre under the mylar, and occasionally a piece that will not seat and jams the press.
It also roughly halves your production time. Hand-cutting a hundred circles is an evening. Punching a hundred circles is a few minutes.
A punch fits one size, matching its machine. The 2-1/4 inch press needs the 2625 punch, which cuts a 2.625 inch circle. The 2 x 3 inch press needs the R2030. Exact artwork dimensions for every size are listed in our template size guide.
What the parts are
Every pressed unit is four pieces: a metal shell on the front, your printed artwork, a clear mylar film that seals and protects it, and a back. The back determines the product.
- Magnet back makes a fridge magnet.
- Pinback makes a badge.
- Keychain, mirror and bottle opener backs make exactly what they sound like, in the 2-1/4 inch size.
- Coaster parts turn the 3-1/2 inch machine into a coaster press with a coaster insert.
This is the underrated argument for a press: one machine and one printed circle can become several different products just by changing the back. We stock them in 1,000-piece packs under button making supplies.
Will one machine do more than one size?
No. The die set is machined for a single size and cannot be converted. A 1 inch press will never make a 1-1/4 inch button. The one insert people ask about, the coaster insert for the 3-1/2 inch machine, changes the product from a button to a coaster, not the size.
Plan for the size you will sell most of. Many established makers eventually run two presses, typically one round for volume work and one rectangle for photo work, but that is a decision to make after you know what sells, not before.
A note on rectangle corners
On a manual rectangle press, the back of the finished button has open corners. Fully closed corners need a separate die cutting press and cutting die. Most photo magnet customers never notice, because the back sits against the fridge, but it is worth knowing before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Are these machines made in the USA?
Yes. Every machine and punch we sell is Tecre, manufactured in Wisconsin, in all-metal construction.
How long does a machine last?
These are not consumer tools. With normal use a Tecre press outlasts the business that bought it. There is no motor, no electronics and nothing to burn out.
Do I need any other equipment?
A printer, paper, the parts, and a sturdy table. That is the whole list.
Can I make magnets and pins on the same machine?
Yes, if they are the same size. Swap the magnet back for a pinback and press exactly the same way.
What if I pick wrong?
Talk to us before you order. Tell us what you plan to sell and we will tell you which press fits, including when the answer is that you do not need one yet.
Browse every size on the button maker machine page, or read how to start a photo magnet business if you are still working out whether this is for you.