No one can say no to a high-quality and creative race medal. In particular, the more brilliant the design of your medals, the easier to attract sponsors and gain the support of participants. While these effects are obvious, some people unfamiliar with how to custom awards feel overwhelmed because of the endless options and details involved in the award design process.
We have no common checklist for “what makes a perfect custom medal”. However, it has been proven time and time again – that there are some general parameters that, if used properly, can result in some of the best and most unique race medals ever created. Working with a veteran medal supplier like Global Art Gift can save you a lot of hassle. Our team of skilled designers will assist you with designing eye-catching customized medals.
Essential Considerations for Customized Medals: Base Parameters of the Medal
Custom race medals involve many parameters and details, and a great holiday running medal requires an ever-improving design that showcases perfection and balance in every aspect. Here are some of the basic parameters that are key to making a medal:
Material
Traditional medals are very textured, which is why most people prefer metal medals. Zinc alloy medals, brass medals, and iron medals are the common metal materials used to customize awards.
Zinc Alloy Medals
Being the most common metal material, it makes the most styles of awards. Not surprisingly, based on the fabrication process (alloy solution die casting), zinc alloy medals can be molded into a vast majority of shapes, whether you need a 3D effect or a skeleton shape, or even a non-traditional round medal in any shape of customized medals.
Brass Medals
It should be the heaviest of the traditional metal medals. This material is generally suitable for stamping to create customized awards. Since it is stamped and molded through sheets, brass is usually no thicker than 3mm.
Iron Medals
The best feature of iron medals is that they are magnetic. This is a viable option if you need to make your medals magnetic on all sides. However, medals made from iron are simultaneously more prone to rust.
Acrylic
Acrylic medals have a very high degree of transparency. It is lighter than glass and, above all, is not as fragile as glass and does not form sharp shards even when damaged. Not surprisingly, acrylic medals are currently very popular for events like virtual running races.
Wooden medals
Considering the overall picture, wooden medals should be among the lightest. This original race medal has a long history and is the most environmentally friendly material. However, wooden medals have very strict preservation requirements and are prone to rotting in humid conditions.
Dual material
In contrast, more and more race directors are seeking a medal design that utilizes dual materials. Single material race medals are no longer sufficient for race organizers and participants. Customized medals of multiple materials allow for a more diverse and unique design.
Size
A primary consideration, the size of the customized awards determines the workspace of the design. Generally speaking, the larger the award, the more attractive it is. The overall size of the award also determines its perceived value, with more elements and complex features requiring more play on a larger award.
Of course, smaller medals are equally desirable. However, our professional team is well aware of the limited display space for small medals, which are preferred for interscholastic competitions, such as interscholastic basketball and soccer.
Thickness
Yes, the thickness of the medals is not fixed. The thickness of the medals varies depending on the creative ideas they carry. After serving thousands of events, we have concluded that 5mm thickness medals are the most popular.
Upgrading Custom Awards: Important Elements of Award Designs
The best designs create the best competition medals! Indeed, when you complete the basic parameters of a customized medal, these are just the beginning. Stunning medals can meet the different goals of race organizers, sponsors, and participants, however, this can make designing custom medals tricky.
Design Type
When we mention the shape of medals, the first impression is inevitably the round medal. Due to the demands of event organizers and the continuous innovation of designers, a wide variety of medals have emerged to challenge people’s imagination.
Single-sided Design
The single-sided design is the simplest of all, naturally because it only requires one side of the medal to be designed and produced. However, more than single-sided medals are needed to raise the enthusiasm of event participants, who are clearly looking for something new.
Both Side Design
Not surprisingly, we have learned that more and more race directors are looking for double-sided and even multi-sided race medal designs. A two-sided design allows more elements to be placed on the medal, giving medal designers more room to maneuver.
Three-dimensional Design
Three-dimensional objects will always be more popular than flat ones, and so are medals. Three-dimensional medals have a more sophisticated look that both event organizers and participants especially appreciate. And the entire customized medal design is unique, taking the entire event to the next level.
Combination Design
There is no doubt that this is an interesting custom medal design. It’s very popular in many race series, such as the Gryffindor Bike Race. If you want to collect the whole set of medals combined together, you need to participate in the whole series of races.
Designing Colors
Please pay attention to the color design, whether it is the metal color of the medal itself, or the color of the pattern on the medal. There are all kinds of color choices, and every option can be difficult for those who need to become more familiar with medal design.
We should not overlook the material color of the medals. The truth is that there are more than 10 choices for this option alone, and it’s not simply just gold, silver, or bronze. Instead of that, you can even choose one metal color or two metal colors for your custom medals.
On the other hand, other elements on the award need to have more colors highlighted. Custom medals exhibiting a wide variety of colors are possible. We have been designing different types of medals for various large events, and while there is still a large market for non-colorful or single-color medals, the best and most impressive responses have been for double-sided medals with five or more colors.
Theoretically, one holiday medal can hold unlimited CMYK or Pantone. A skilled colorist will mix up matching paints based on the color codes on the design and fill in the colors or print on the custom medals according to the design.
Customized Medal Components: Indispensable Customized Accessories
Customized medals and accessories should be synergistic; they should stay on the same channel. For example, a 5-inch football medal with a pen-thin ribbon looks clashing.
Quality accessories should complement the competition medals and work together to make your event memorable. Flexible ribbon designs and great packaging are more likely to make your event stand out in the minds of attendees.
Ribbons on Awards
Ribbons are the most important accessory for customized medals. You can design unique custom ribbons to make a single standard colorful and become an extra creative space for custom medals. Obviously, ask who can say no. No one can say no to a customized award medal that even has a custom ribbon.
Custom Color Printed Ribbons
If you are an award designer, would you wish more room for creative play? If you are a sponsor or event organizer, would you give up any promotional position? If you were an event attendee, would you prefer a colorful medal or a standard one that is monotonous and traditional?
There is no doubt that no one can resist the temptation. Custom color printed ribbons allow for greater flexibility, as you can invite sponsors to co-print their logos on the ribbons, or you can design the ribbons with information that includes details about the event, such as the theme, text, date, and location, as well as logo graphics.
Screen Printed Ribbons
Screen-printed ribbons can be printed with simple text or logos. However, there are limitations in terms of ribbon color, fine detail, and printing gradients.
Plain Medal Ribbon
This is the simplest ribbon. With limited colors and no content, plain medal ribbons have low perceived value and offer no promotional effect.
In fact, standard ribbons of a single color and screen-printed ribbons are becoming things of the past. More event decision-makers are willing to invest a nominal amount of money in exchange for a higher level of visual enjoyment and more publicity. At the same time, the soft and silky touch of the ribbon material enhances the value of the medals.
Carefully Selected Packaging
The best customized medals should be matched with the best packaging! Just as no Michelin restaurant would use plastic bags to pack their dishes, award winners prefer good packaging to match the value of the award. We have approached event planners and determined that velvet boxes and kraft cardboard boxes are more recognized and supported.
Conclusion
As an event decision-maker, your goal is to make your event stand out in the minds of all attendees, whether they are participants, sponsors, or the community. Given the actual needs of the event, investing time and effort into designing customized awards is a great way to stand out.
By determining these parameters, you can easily identify unique custom award medals specifically for your event! Give us your theme and idea, and we’ll give you a customized award plaque design in no time.
We have good reason to believe that with the look, texture, weight, and uniquely accomplished competition medals, your event will surely impress the participants.
