If you're wondering how to design a medal for your event or organisation, you're in the right place. Whether you've got a polished logo, a rough sketch, or just a great idea floating around in your head, we're here to help turn it into a stunning custom medal or award.
At MedalStudio, we work with all kinds of starting points. You don’t need to be a designer or have everything figured out. Our friendly, in-house team is here to guide you through every step. From refining your artwork to making design suggestions, and showing you exactly how your medal will look before production begins.
Got Artwork? Great—Send It Over
If you already have a logo, sketch, or digital design reay, that makes things easy. It's a perfect starting point. One of the most common questions we get when people are learning how to design a medal is: "Is my artwork good enough?" And the answer is usually yes.
We accept a wide range of file types, including:
- Vector files (AI, EPS, SVG)
- High-resolution PNGs or JPEGs
- PDFs
Whether it's a professional logo or something you’ve mocked up in Canva, don’t worry about making it medal-ready, that’s our job. We’ll take your artwork and adjust it to suit the unique shape, size, and depth of a medal. That might mean simplifying small details, adjusting text for legibility, or turning flat graphics into 3D designs.
In short: if you’ve got something, send it our way. The sooner we see it, the sooner we can start crafting a medal design that works beautifully in real life.
No Artwork Yet? Here’s What to Think About
No artwork? No problem. Many of our customers come to us with just a theme or an idea, and generally, that’s all we need to get started.
When you're thinking about how to design a medal from scratch, the key is to focus on what your medal represents. Ask yourself:
- What’s the occasion? (A marathon? A school sports day? A corporate achievement?)
- Who is receiving it? (Kids, adults, elite athletes, employees?)
- Where is it happening? (City landmarks, outdoor trails, beach, forest?)
These details help us design something that feels personal and meaningful. For example, if your event takes place in the Lake District, maybe we feature a mountain silhouette. If it's a charity walk, maybe we weave in heart motifs or the cause's colors.
Here are a few elements to brainstorm or jot down:
- Key symbols or icons (trees, waves, stars, mascots)
- Buildings or landmarks (local bridges, towers, stadiums)
- Text (event name, date, location, slogans)
- Colors or fonts that match your brand or theme
- Any preferred or custom medal shapes or sizes (round, custom-cut, oversized)
Not sure which medal shape or size is right for your idea? Check out our guide to Medal Shapes: Which One Is Best For Your Medals?
Even a Pinterest board or screenshots of medals you like can help. Our design team can then take your ideas and turn them into a professional medal design that’s ready for approval.
What to Share with Our Designers
The more information you can give us upfront, the smoother (and quicker) the design process will be. When you're figuring out how to design a medal that feels just right for your event, it's not just about graphics.
Here’s what really helps us bring your vision to life:
Tell us about the event:
- Name and type: Is it a race, a tournament, a school award, or something else entirely?
- Date and location: We can incorporate seasonal elements or local icons.
- Audience: Are you giving these to children, teens, adults, or professionals? Each group tends to respond to different design styles.
Let us know the vibe:
- Is it fun and festive, like a community fun run?
- Or serious and prestigious, like an academic or military award?
- Is there a theme, like “jungle adventure,” “space race,” or “vintage retro”?
Share your ideas, big or small:
- Do you have a specific medal shape in mind?
- Want the ribbon to match a team’s colors?
- Are there any design elements you must include, or things you’d prefer to avoid?
Even if you’re not 100% sure about any of this, just give us a brain dump, we’ll take it from there. Our designers are experts at turning raw ideas into polished medal designs that not only look good, but feel meaningful.
Our Design Process (And What You’ll Get)
Once we've got your ideas, or your artwork, we’ll get to work on creating a custom design just for you. If you're still wondering how to design a medal when you're not a designer yourself, don’t worry. That’s exactly what our in-house team is here for.
Here’s how the process works:
We start with a concept sketch or digital mockup.
Based on what you’ve shared, we’ll send over an initial design that brings your vision to life. It might be a hand-drawn draft or a polished 3D render, depending on where we are in the process.
You review and give feedback.
We want you to love your medal, so this is your chance to suggest edits—whether it’s changing the text, tweaking a shape, or adjusting the colors. We’ll make revisions until you’re happy.
Final artwork approval.
Once everything looks perfect, you’ll get a final artwork proof for approval. This is the version that goes to production—so you know exactly what to expect.
And the best part? This design process is completely included with your medal order. No extra fees. No hidden charges. Just great service and great design.
Once Approved, We Get to Work
Once you’ve signed off on the final artwork, it’s go time. We move your custom medal design straight into production, and because everything is done in-house, we can move fast without compromising on quality.
Here’s what happens next:
- Your medals are precision-crafted using your approved design, with careful attention to detail at every step.
- We manufacture locally in both the UK and USA, which means shorter lead times and no international delays.
- We keep you updated throughout the process, from production to dispatch.
At MedalStudio, we pride ourselves on fast turnaround times, ethical production practices, and delivering medals that look as good in your hand as they did in the artwork. Whether you need 50 or 5,000, we’ll make sure every medal is something to be proud of.
Conclusion: Your Idea, Our Expertise
Designing a custom medal might seem like a big task, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you have finished artwork, a rough sketch, or just a few ideas jotted down, we’re here to help you figure out how to design a medal that’s memorable, meaningful, and completely yours.
Get in touch today or request a free quote—let’s make something amazing together.
Updated: 14/07/2025