Published: 2018-05-15
Designing a custom medal is more than just creating something visually appealing—it’s about translating your idea into a manufacturable piece of metal art. Whether you’re organizing a marathon, corporate event, or sports competition, understanding artwork requirements ensures your medals turn out exactly as envisioned.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to prepare professional, production-ready medal artwork.
Artwork Requirements – Please be cooperative and provide artwork as requirement when placing order from us, Whether or not you just have a loose idea, or a hand drawn sketch of what you would like your medals to look like…
1. Vector art such as “EPS” or “AI” or “CDR” or “PDF”
2. Convert text to Curves, to avoid the font deformed
3. Except 4 color process printing, all the screen printing artwork require corresponding
Pantone number of each color.
4. JPG file is also essential as it guarantees the original design won’t be changed or deformed in any circumstance while we open it. The resolution of “JPG” file must be 300dpi when placed at 100%, otherwise objects will be vague while enlarging the arts.
5. Please specify the product full size in the artwork, if it is semi-cubic or 3 dimensional cubic, please specify thickness. Sometimes is it necessary to offer CNC artwork or physical sample for fully 3D designs.
Convert to Vector Graphic:
If conversion is not made, your specific font might be substituted by other types of font if we are not equipped the same one as yours. Substituted font sometimes distorts your original design.
A complete and formal artwork contains internal and external bleed as well as trim marks.
Internal bleed margin
Make sure all your text and logos are within the internal bleed margin, otherwise they may be trimmed off. (The magenta guide shows safety area.)
The black guide
The black guide is the trim edge. This is the line along which your products will be trimmed. (Artwork should be confined inward about 1/8” (3mm) from the black trim line)
External bleed margin
Make sure all background/ elements that meet the trim edge extend to the edge of the external bleed line so you won’t have any white edges. (Extend your artwork about 1/8” (3mm) from the black guide)
Conclusion
Creating custom medals is both an art and a technical process. By following proper artwork requirements, you ensure your design is not only beautiful but also ready for precise metal production.
A well-prepared file leads to:
✔ Better quality
✔ Faster turnaround
✔ Fewer revisions
