Not every award needs its own die. A stock medal is a finished 7 cm embossed metal medal that already exists in a warehouse, with a ring and a red neck ribbon attached — you add the details rather than commissioning the object. That single difference is what makes it available in days rather than weeks, and at 25 pieces rather than a hundred.
| Laser engraving | Applied sublimation print | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Marks the metal surface directly | Applies a printed full-colour disc to the smooth front panel |
| Colour | Monochrome, the tone of the metal | Full colour, including photographs |
| Durability | Permanent, part of the medal | Very good, but a surface layer |
| Right for | Names, dates, event titles, a simple logo | Club crests, sponsor logos, anything in brand colours |
The sublimation disc is priced separately from the medal, so a mixed order — engraved names on the back, a printed crest on the front — is a normal thing to ask for rather than an exception.
Three situations make a stock medal the correct choice rather than a compromise: the event is inside three weeks, the quantity is under a hundred, or the budget will not carry tooling. School sports days, club championships, internal recognition and one-off tournaments almost always sit in at least one of those. When none of them apply and the medal should carry your own shape, use custom medals with ribbons instead.
A custom medal starts with a new die cut to your shape, which is why it costs more, needs around a hundred pieces to make sense and takes three to four weeks. A stock medal already exists: you are adding your details to a finished object, so it ships in days and works at 25 pieces.
Laser engraving marks the metal itself. It is permanent, monochrome, and looks appropriate on a gold medal. Sublimation applies a full-colour printed disc to the smooth panel on the front, which is how you get a logo in brand colours or a photograph onto a stock medal. Note that the sublimation disc is priced separately from the medal.
The medal itself at 7 cm diameter with an embossed design and a gold finish, a matching metal ring, and a red polyester neck ribbon. It is ready to hand over as it arrives; nothing else needs to be ordered unless you want a different ribbon colour.
Yes. Gold, silver and bronze are the standard set for first, second and third place, and they can be combined in one order in any ratio. Most events order more bronze than gold, which is worth planning for rather than splitting the order in three.
The stock medal comes with a red ribbon. Other ribbon colours, other medal sizes and other finishes are available as a special order rather than from stock, which moves the lead time closer to a custom medal. If the ribbon colour matters more than the date, tell us and we will quote both routes.
Custom medals with ribbons for anything with a tooled shape, gold, silver and bronze stock medals when there is no time for tooling, wooden medals for outdoor and eco-led events, laser engraved glass trophies for corporate awards, and velvet presentation boxes when the award is handed over one at a time. Also worth pairing: button badges and printed lanyards.
Our EU-based production means we meet even the tightest event deadlines.
Each product is created specifically to meet your unique event needs and brand guidelines.
Sustainable materials are available, incl. recycled and biodegradable wristbands.
