CUSTOM MEDAL ARTWORK GUIDE
iTrophy Malaysia
Last updated: 2026-06-28

Use this checklist before sending a custom medal brief. It is written for race organisers, schools, sports committees, designers and corporate teams preparing medal artwork, ribbon direction, proof approval and delivery handoff.

1. Accepted artwork files

Best source files:
- Vector PDF
- AI
- EPS
- SVG

Useful support files:
- High-resolution PNG with transparent background
- High-resolution JPG for visual reference
- Brand guideline PDF
- Previous medal proof or event artwork

Avoid as final artwork:
- WhatsApp-compressed images
- Screenshots from Instagram, Canva preview, PowerPoint or email
- Low-resolution sponsor logos copied from a website
- Photos of a printed logo

If only PNG or JPG is available, send the largest original file and say whether the logo can be simplified or vectorised.

2. Vector and resolution guidance

For logos:
- Vector is preferred because medal artwork is small and sponsor marks need clean edges.
- If using bitmap artwork, send at least 300 dpi at the final print size where possible.
- Do not stretch a small logo to fill a large medal face.
- Keep one approved logo version for the medal, ribbon and packing label.

For shapes and outlines:
- Send medal shape references separately from the logo.
- Mark any cut-out area clearly.
- Keep thin lines, tiny gaps and small icons realistic for the medal size.

For colours:
- Provide brand colours if exact matching matters.
- Screen colours can look different from metal finish, acrylic print or ribbon print.
- Approve colour direction on the proof before production starts.

3. Text limits

Medal face text should usually stay short:
- Event name
- Year or date
- Distance, age group, category or placing
- Short finisher line if needed

Be careful with:
- Full recipient names on every medal
- Long sponsor lists
- Long bilingual copy
- Small scripts or thin fonts
- Too many lines around the medal edge

If wording is long, move secondary copy to:
- Certificate
- Insert card
- Event programme
- Plaque
- Trophy nameplate

4. Ribbon notes

Decide these before proof approval:
- Plain ribbon or custom printed ribbon
- Ribbon colour
- Ribbon width
- One-sided or repeated print
- Logo order and sponsor priority
- Whether the ribbon carries event name, year, distance or organiser name

Common ribbon mistakes:
- Too many sponsor logos in one repeat
- Light logo on light ribbon
- Text direction not checked
- Medal category depends on ribbon colour but cartons are not labelled
- Ribbon approved separately from medal artwork

5. Proofing checklist

Before approving the medal proof, check:
- Event name spelling
- Year and event date
- Logo placement and hierarchy
- Sponsor order
- Medal material and finish
- Gold, silver, bronze, finisher and VIP variants
- Front face and back face if both are used
- Ribbon colour and print direction
- Text size at real medal scale
- Quantity by category
- Packing label wording
- Delivery city and required arrival date

Approval should be in writing. Voice approval is risky when names, dates, sponsor marks or ribbon colours are involved.

6. Quantity and packing checklist

Count medals by use:
- Finisher medals
- Podium medals
- Age group medals
- School house or class medals
- Sponsor or VIP sets
- Volunteer or committee sets
- Spare buffer

Packing should follow distribution:
- By distance
- By age group
- By class or house
- By department
- By podium placing
- By collection counter

Ask for carton labels that match the event team's workflow.

7. Common mistakes that delay custom medal orders

- Artwork is sent as screenshots only
- Sponsor logos arrive after proof approval
- Medal text is too long for the chosen size
- Ribbon direction is not approved
- Quantity changes after production has started
- Gold, silver and bronze variants are not checked separately
- Delivery date is treated as event date with no buffer
- No single person owns final proof approval

8. Quote-ready handoff checklist

Send these together:
- Event name
- Event date
- Latest safe arrival date
- Delivery city and postcode
- Medal quantity by category
- Spare buffer
- Medal material preference
- Logo files
- Brand colours
- Ribbon direction
- Medal text
- Sponsor priority order
- Packing method
- Final approver name

Related iTrophy links:
- Custom medals Malaysia: /custom-medals-malaysia/
- Medals catalogue: /shop/medals/
- Metal medals: /shop/metal-medals/
- Acrylic medals: /shop/acrylic-medals/
- Crystal medals: /shop/crystal-medals/
- Medal quantity calculator: /tools/medal-quantity-calculator/
- Award lead-time planner: /tools/award-lead-time-planner/
- Award wording templates: /resources/award-wording-templates/