How to Send Us Your Artwork — Any Format Works
Send vector files if you have them — AI, EPS, CDR, PDF or SVG. If you don't, a high-resolution PNG or JPG
works, and a phone photo of a hand-drawn sketch on notebook paper is genuinely enough to start. We redraw
it into a production vector for free and send a digital proof within 24 hours.
What file types actually work
| Format | Works? | What we do with it |
|---|---|---|
| AI / EPS / SVG / PDF (vector) | Best | Direct to die layout; fastest and most accurate |
| CDR (CorelDRAW) | Yes | Common in this industry; we convert and confirm |
| PSD (layered) | Yes | We rebuild flat elements as vector where needed |
| PNG / JPG at 300dpi+ | Usually | Traced and rebuilt; fine detail may simplify |
| JPG logo from a website | Often | Rebuilt; expect simplification of gradients and fine type |
| Photo of a hand-drawn sketch | Yes | Redrawn to your intent — this is a normal starting point |
| Photo of an existing medal you like | Yes | Used as a reference for structure, not copied as a design |
What to include in your message
- What it is — medal, coin, pin or gift. One line is enough.
- Size — or "not sure", in which case we recommend one based on your detail level.
- Quantity — a rough number is fine; 300 and 500 price differently and we will tell you.
- The date you need it — this decides whether we quote standard or rush.
- Any hard brand rules — exact colors, a logo that cannot be altered, a required font.
- Artwork — anything from a vector file to a photo of a sketch.
That is the whole brief. You do not need a spec sheet, a purchase order, or a design file in the right
format before we can talk.
Will my detail survive the mold?
This is the question that decides whether a design looks sharp or muddy, and it is worth checking
before anyone cuts steel. The rules of thumb below are what we apply on day one.
| Element | Minimum at 2" (50mm) | What happens below it |
|---|---|---|
| Line / border width | 0.6mm (0.024") | Lines fill in during plating or bend in the die |
| Character height | 1.5mm (0.06") | Type closes up; capitals survive better than lowercase |
| Gap between colors | 0.5mm | Enamel bleeds across the metal divider |
| Enamel colors | Up to 6 without a price bump | Each extra color is a separate hand-fill pass |
| Relief depth (3D) | 1.5–2mm for a readable crest | Under 1mm it reads as flat from a few feet away |
Scaling rule: at 1.25" (32mm) multiply the minimums by 1.6 — a line that works at 2"
may disappear at 1.25".
The 10-second phone check
Before you send anything, open your artwork on your phone and pinch it down until the whole design is
about the width of your thumb. That is roughly what a 2" medal looks like from arm's length.
- If you can still read the tagline, it will survive.
- If two colors merge into one, they will merge in metal too.
- If the crest becomes a blob, it needs a bigger size or less detail — not a better printer.
Color, and how close we can get
Send Pantone numbers if your brand has them. Otherwise we match from your file and send a proof with
the closest enamel chips we stock. Soft enamel color on metal is never a perfect CMYK match — it is
pigment in a recess, not ink on paper — so the proof is the reference, not the screen.
Confidentiality
Your artwork stays yours. We sign an NDA within 24 hours if you need one, we do not reuse your design
for another client, and we never publish a project without a signed release. You keep the die; the
intellectual property was never ours to begin with.
Key takeaways
- Vector files are ideal, but a JPG logo or a photo of a sketch is enough to start — redraw is free.
- Minimum line width is 0.6mm and minimum character height is 1.5mm at 2" (50mm); scale up by 1.6× at 1.25".
- Six enamel colors are included in the base price; beyond that, UV print is often cheaper.
- You never need a purchase order or a formal brief to get a quote — a photo and a date will do.
- NDA available within 24 hours; your design is never reused or published without a release.
Last updated: January 2026 · Published by MedalSmith.com
Frequently asked questions
What file formats can I send?
Vector is ideal: AI, EPS, CDR, PDF or SVG. PNG and JPG work if they are high resolution. A phone photo of a hand-drawn sketch is genuinely enough to start — we redraw it as production line art at no charge.
Do I need to prepare the artwork myself?
No. Send whatever you have — a sketch, a phone photo of a logo, a scan of an old patch. The redraw into production-ready line art is included, and you approve the result as a free digital proof within 24 hours.
What artwork details affect the price?
Color count and relief depth. Six enamel colors or fewer keeps the price in the standard band; each color above that is a separate hand-fill step. Text below 1.5 mm character height will fill in during plating and needs to be enlarged or moved.