A button maker is a term that refers to both a button-making machine and a piece of computer software. Clothing and temporary buttons are the two main types of physical buttons. Clothing buttons are used to hold different pieces of material together or as a decorative accessory and are attached to materials or outfits by sewing with thread. Temporary buttons have a pin in the back and are self-contained. They can be attached to display a message or an image and removed. For program users, computer software buttons are built into graphical user interfaces (GUIs).
A metal press and a hole punch combine to make the physical button maker machine. The machine is usually found in a large production factory for clothing buttons. A fashion designer creates the actual button, including the material, hole placement, size, and any other design elements. Buttons are typically made of high-viscosity plastic, but they can also be made of bone, wood, or cloth.
The machine press is programmed with the details of the button design. If the button is made of plastic, the plastic is heated in a machine before being poured into molds. Once the buttons have cooled, they are placed in a machine press, which creates the holes. The rough edges are sanded away, and the surface is polished to a high sheen.
Buttons made of wood or bone are made in a different way. The source material is fed into a machine that produces as many buttons as possible, thus reducing waste. The holes, design changes, and sanding of the button all require additional steps. A varnish bath is used to give the button a high-gloss finish while also protecting it from damage.
A popular hobby is making temporary buttons with a hand-operated button press. On a piece of paper, the button maker creates a graphic or image inside a button template. A metal backing is added to the image, which is then placed inside a plastic button case. A safety pin can be inserted through the holes in the metal backing. The user places the entire item into the button press and presses the button to join the materials together.
Lines of computer code are commonly used as buttons in computer software. A button can be made from an image file or a graphic. When a user clicks a button on a computer mouse, the programming in the background determines what happens when the button is pressed. Pre-programmed buttons for commonly used functions are available on a variety of button maker websites.