Custom medal buyer guide
Custom Medal Samples: What to Check Before Bulk Production
A medal can look right on screen yet feel too small, lose its relief under venue lighting, or hang unevenly. Use the sample to check the whole combination before bulk production.
Check the assembled medal, not only the artwork. Decide early whether to ship a physical sample or agree on remote review. New designs and complex combinations benefit from hands-on checks; unchanged repeat orders can start with the previous approved reference.
From artwork to a second sample
A swimming-club medal needed more than a size change.
A Belgian children’s swimming club ordered medals for its summer points competition. The artwork, blue-and-white colors and woven ribbon had been approved before we made and shipped the pre-production sample.
Handling the sample revealed three differences between the drawing and the club’s expectations for the award presentation.
Size and feel: the 60 mm diameter looked suitable on the drawing, but the client found the medal too small and light in hand, with less presence in award photographs.
Wave relief: the shallow wave pattern did not stand out as intended under the venue’s overhead lighting.
Ribbon fit: the narrow woven ribbon moved sideways in the opening, leaving the medal hanging at an angle.
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| What the sample revealed | The agreed revision |
|---|---|
| The 60 mm medal did not deliver the intended size and feel. | Increase the diameter to 70 mm and make the body slightly thicker. |
| The wave texture was not clear enough under the venue lighting. | Increase the height difference in the wave relief. |
| The ribbon was too narrow for a balanced hanging result. | Use a wider ribbon in the same color family and adjust the ribbon opening to suit it. |
We also rechecked the blue-and-white color references. The client approved the second sample, and the bulk order was delivered on time. Feedback was positive on the revised size and feel, clearer relief, straight hanging and award photographs.
The 70 mm size was a choice for this project, not a standard for every children’s medal. The drawing and the assembled item needed separate checks.
Plan tooling and re-sampling together.
For metal medals made with dedicated forming tools, changes to the outline, base thickness, relief or ribbon opening may require tool modification or new tooling. Review what can be reused, the associated charges, revised sample approval and the bulk schedule before making the change.
Three different checkpoints
Give each approval a clear purpose.
Production artwork
Check wording, year, logos, stated dimensions, front-and-back orientation, process requirements and fittings.
Physical sample
Check actual size, feel, relief, finish and the way the medal, ribbon and packaging work together.
Bulk production
Check the new batch against the final approved files, sample and accessory specifications. A sample approval is not approval of the entire batch.
Before tooling: compare actual-size paper cutouts.
Print the artwork at 100% / actual size, with “fit to page” switched off. Check the printed dimensions with a ruler, cut around the outline, and hold it in your hand or against the chest. If you are choosing between 60 mm and 70 mm, print both. Paper helps you compare visual proportions; the physical sample still needs to establish thickness, weight and relief.
Decide during quotation
When is a physical sample worth the time?
Choose the approval method around what the project needs to verify.
Allow time to handle the item before an unverified detail is repeated across the batch.
Agree on the reference and inspect the actual result under the agreed conditions.
Review the assembled combination, not only the medal body.
Compare the previous approved sample and files with this purchase order, then agree how to confirm the new batch.
Agree what photos, video and measurement records can confirm, and what still needs hands-on review.
Include the sample scope, shipping arrangements, approval deadline and bulk-production release point in the quotation discussion. Confirm sampling, revision and courier costs with the schedule.
Look at both sides
One medal, two surfaces to inspect.
These are two views of the same product. Identifying artwork was altered for privacy; the images are product references, not records of this item's sampling stage.
A practical inspection
Six checks when the sample arrives.
- 01
Measure, weigh and try it on
Use calipers for width or diameter and thickness. State whether thickness means the base or the overall height including relief. Record weight in grams, then fit the ribbon and check the worn proportions in a photograph.
- 02
Look at relief and finish
Inspect from the front and an angle, including lighting close to the intended setting. Compare color with the agreed physical reference under agreed viewing conditions.
- 03
Read both sides, word by word
Compare names, years, groups, sponsors and numbers with the final file. Check the actual item even if the wording was approved on the drawing.
- 04
Fit the actual ribbon
Check ribbon width, slot or loop, stitching and attachment direction. Let the medal hang naturally, check whether it tilts, and inspect the connection and edges.
- 05
Pack and unpack it
Put the medal and ribbon into the actual bag, insert or box. Check fit, removal and any preparation needed before the ceremony.
- 06
Record accepted and open points
Identify the sample and photographs. Say what stays, what changes and what needs another review, so an accepted detail is not changed unnecessarily.
Different reference projects
Images can support a check. They cannot replace the approved specification.
The artwork example shows the kind of front, back and ribbon details that belong in a brief. The medal photograph above shows how finish and ribbon combinations can vary in reality.
These references are from different projects. They are not an artwork-to-finished-product comparison.
Make the revision useful
Describe the problem before choosing the fix.
“The medal does not stand out in award photographs” gives the supplier more to work with than “make it bigger.” It opens up a review of dimensions, base thickness, artwork proportions and hanging, rather than changing one dimension while leaving the fitting problem in place.
Link each revised drawing to its sample version. Identify what needs re-sampling and what can retain the existing approval, then review the price and schedule together.
The same check applies to repeat orders: identical artwork does not make an order unchanged if thickness, plating, ribbon or packaging has changed.
Written approval
Make the production release explicit.
A message such as “Looks good—make the text bigger and start production” leaves the approval state unclear. Record the accepted features, the open changes and whether another review is needed.
Avoid ambiguous conditional approvals. Select one release state in the template. If changes remain open, identify how they will be approved before the revised version goes into bulk production.
Copy and complete
Order / artwork revision: [ ] Sample ID and date: [ ] Accepted features: [front/back, dimensions, relief, color, ribbon, packaging] Changes still required: [list, or “None”] Re-approval method: [revised physical sample / photos and video / other agreed method] Bulk production release — select ONE: [ ] Hold until the changes above are completed and approved. [ ] Proceed with this fully approved version.
You can also select the template and copy it manually.
From the sample to the batch
Keep one agreed reference for production.
Keep the final artwork, sample record, color and finish requirements, ribbon and packaging under the same order revision.
Agree how the first pieces, work in progress and finished shipment will be checked. When a difference appears, compare it with the approved standard, record the issue and affected quantity, and agree on the next action.
Photo / video sample approval
Make remote approval specific.
Share the event date, delivery location and the effects that matter most before deciding whether to ship a sample or combine photographs, video and measurements.
For remote review, ask for the following records of the same pre-production sample and revision:
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| Record to request | What it should show |
|---|---|
| Dimensions and weight | Legible caliper readings for width or diameter and thickness, plus a scale reading in grams. State whether the ribbon and fittings are included. |
| Sample and color reference together | The item and agreed physical color reference under the same light, with reference codes and details visible. Avoid filters and heavy retouching. |
| A slow turning video | Slowly tilt and turn the medal under stable light to show the relief, lettering, plating reflections and both sides. |
| The actual ribbon fitted | Let the medal hang naturally and move it gently to show fit, direction and any tilt. Add packing and removal views when the order includes a box. |
These records make remote review more useful, but lighting, capture and display conditions still affect photographs. A color reference in the same photograph does not replace controlled physical color comparison. For color-critical or feel-sensitive projects, consider allowing time for hands-on approval.
You can also agree that the supplier will retain the approved sample, identified by order and revision, alongside the final files and measurement records for bulk checks. Confirm the scope, method and duration of sample retention.
Plan the sample and production together
Tell us what your medal sample needs to prove.
Send your design, target size, quantity, ribbon requirements and latest arrival date, plus the two or three things you most want to check.
Whether the priority is relief, feel in hand or a straight-hanging medal in award photographs, we can review the sampling priorities, revision checkpoints and bulk schedule with you.
Send your medal project briefCommon questions
Before you approve the sample.
Do I need a physical sample after approving a 3D rendering or production artwork?
Artwork confirms wording, stated dimensions, color requirements and proportions. A physical sample helps check actual relief, size, feel, ribbon fit and packaging. A first order, new design or complex accessory combination is a good reason to allow for physical approval. Agree on the sampling method during quotation, based on the project priorities and deadline.
Will changing the size or relief after sampling affect cost and delivery?
Usually. Changing the metal outline, thickness, relief or ribbon opening after tooling may require tool modification or new tooling, followed by another sample and approval. The approach depends on the existing tool and the affected features. Printed text and ribbon changes also need a cost and timing review. If size is still undecided, compare actual-size paper cutouts before tooling.
Can photos and video replace a shipped physical sample?
The method can be agreed for the project. Clear measurement and weight photographs, turning views and a ribbon-hanging video support remote approval. They do not fully convey feel, wearing or packing, or guarantee that screen colors match the item. Record the approval scope and agree which sample the supplier will retain as the bulk reference.
Do repeat medal orders need another sample?
If the design, material, tooling, thickness, finish, ribbon and packaging are unchanged, compare the previous approved sample with the new purchase order and agree how to confirm the new batch. Recheck changed features such as the year, finish, ribbon width or box insert rather than relying only on “same as last time.”