Good race medal artwork starts with a clean logo file, exact wording and your brand colors, and Customized Race Medals turns those into a free mockup within 24 hours. This guide explains which files work best for custom race medals, how color and detail translate into metal, how the proof process runs, and the artwork mistakes to catch before approval.
- Vector logo files (AI, EPS, SVG, PDF) give the sharpest medal lines
- Free mockup within 24 hours from your logo and wording
- Unlimited free revisions; pay nothing until you approve
- Minimum order 12 race medals
- Standard turnaround about 2 weeks after approval
What artwork do you need to send for custom race medals?
To start custom race medals you need only your race logo, the event name and date, and a rough idea of what should appear on the front and back. Customized Race Medals turns that into a free mockup within 24 hours, so you do not need a finished medal design or a professional designer before you ask for a quote.
The more of the following you can send, the closer the first mockup will be to what you want:
- Race logo: the cleanest version you have, ideally the original file your designer or printer used for shirts and bibs.
- Exact wording: race name, year, distance labels and any tagline, typed out rather than pasted as a screenshot, so spelling is never guessed.
- Brand colors: the color references from your race style guide, or a printed piece whose colors you want to match.
- Shape idea: round, shield, a local landmark, a course outline or a mascot silhouette.
- Sponsor marks: only the logos the sponsor contract actually requires on the medal itself.
If some of these are missing, send what you have. A sketch on paper, a photo of last year’s medal or a note such as “mountain outline with the finish arch” is enough for a first round.
Which logo file formats work best for race medal artwork?
Vector files work best for race medal artwork because a medal is built from crisp outlines, raised metal lines and recessed color areas rather than pixels. An AI, EPS, SVG or vector PDF lets the medal maker trace every edge exactly, which keeps small lettering and thin lines clean in the metal.
Raster files such as JPG and PNG can still be used. Customized Race Medals redraws simple raster logos as part of the mockup process, but the result is only as accurate as the source, so a large, sharp image beats a small screenshot from a social media post.
| File type | How it works for race medals | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| AI, EPS, SVG, vector PDF | Best choice; outlines map straight to metal lines | Convert fonts to outlines or send the font names |
| High-resolution PNG or JPG | Usable; the logo is redrawn for the mold | Fine details may be simplified |
| Screenshot or social image | Starting point only | Expect more redrawing and an extra review round |
| Word or slide file | Fine for wording, not for logos | Send the logo separately |
If you are not sure what you have, ask whoever printed your race shirts or bibs. They almost always hold the vector version of the logo.
How do brand colors translate onto a metal race medal?
Brand colors on race medals are filled in as enamel or printed color between raised metal lines, so every color area needs a metal border around it. Customized Race Medals matches your colors to enamel or print references and shows the result on the mockup, so you can judge contrast before anything is produced.
A few points make color work better on metal:
- Metal is a color too. Gold, silver, bronze, black or antique plating shows on every raised line and around the edge, so pick the plating alongside your palette, not after.
- Gradients and photo effects do not fill like flat color. A printed insert can carry a gradient, while enamel areas work best as solid fills.
- Light colors next to light plating can disappear. A dark ribbon of contrast between them keeps the design readable from a distance and in finish-line photos.
- Fewer colors usually look sharper. A limited palette with strong contrast reads better than a full rainbow squeezed into small areas.
If your race already has a ribbon color, match the medal colors to it. Our guide to sublimated vs. woven medal ribbons explains how ribbon color and medal color work together.
How much text and detail can fit on a race medal?
A race medal holds less text and detail than a shirt or poster, so the strongest race medal artwork keeps the front to a logo, the race name and the year, then moves everything else to the back. Customized Race Medals will flag lettering that is too small or lines that are too thin on the mockup before you approve anything.
The front is what finishers photograph and hang on the wall. The back is where supporting detail belongs:
- Front: race logo or hero image, event name, year, distance if you run several.
- Back: course name or city, a short tagline, sponsor marks, an engraving area for names or times.
- Ribbon: race name, hashtag or website, and repeated sponsor logos if the contract calls for them.
Thin script fonts, tiny copyright lines and dense sponsor rows are the elements most often simplified. If several sponsors must appear, the ribbon usually gives them more room and more visibility than the medal back. For multi-distance events, keep one shared front and change only the distance label, which the custom race finisher medals page covers in more detail.
How does the race medal mockup and proof process work?
The race medal proof process runs in rounds: you send artwork, Customized Race Medals returns a free mockup within 24 hours, you mark changes, and revisions continue until the design is right. Revisions are unlimited and free, and you pay nothing until you approve the design.
- Send the brief: logo, wording, colors, quantity and race date through the quote form.
- Review the mockup: front, back and ribbon shown together, with plating and colors called out.
- Mark changes in one list: collect comments from everyone who must sign off and send them together.
- Approve the final proof: check spelling, year, distance labels and sponsor marks line by line.
- Production: standard turnaround is about 2 weeks after approval, with faster turnaround available through express shipping.
The step that slows most race medal orders is not design; it is waiting for approvals from a committee, a title sponsor or a venue. Name one person who gives the final yes, and the proof cycle moves at the pace of the mockups rather than the pace of email threads. The how it works page shows the same steps from order to delivery.
What are the most common race medal artwork mistakes?
The most common race medal artwork mistakes are spelling and date errors, logos that are too detailed for metal, and sponsor marks added after approval. Each is easy to catch on the mockup, and each is expensive in time if it is found after production starts.
- Wrong year or distance label. Reused files from last year carry old dates. Check every number on the final proof.
- Misspelled race or city names. Type wording into the brief rather than relying on someone to read it off an old image.
- Overloaded fronts. Squeezing the full sponsor list, course map and tagline onto the front makes every element too small to read.
- Late sponsor changes. A sponsor added after approval means a new proof. Confirm sponsor commitments before you approve.
- Low-contrast colors. Pale enamel next to bright plating vanishes in photos.
- Ignoring the ribbon. A strong medal on a generic ribbon looks unfinished in finisher photos.
A short checklist taped to the proof review, with one line for each of these, catches most of them in minutes.
Should race medal artwork change for age-group, youth or virtual events?
Race medal artwork usually keeps the same core design across age-group awards, youth races and virtual events, with only the labels, plating or packaging changing. Keeping one design family makes the medals feel connected and keeps the proof process short because only small elements need review.
- Age-group and podium medals: the same front with gold, silver and bronze plating and a place or division label. See age-group and podium award medals.
- Youth and school runs: a simpler front with bigger shapes and the school or club name. The guide to custom race medals for schools and youth running programs covers mascots and school colors.
- Virtual races: the same artwork, planned with the mailer in mind. See virtual race medals and mailer packs.
- Multi-year series: artwork planned so each year’s medal connects to the last, covered on the multi-year and connector medal series page.
Because the minimum order is 12, even a small add-on such as volunteer or pacer medals can share the main artwork with a different label.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a designer to create race medal artwork?
Race medal artwork does not require a hired designer. Customized Race Medals builds the design from your race logo, wording and color notes and returns a free mockup within 24 hours. You can send a sketch, last year's shirt or a photo of a landmark, and revisions are unlimited until the medal looks right. You pay nothing until you approve the final design.
What is a vector file and why do race medal makers ask for one?
A vector file stores a race logo as mathematical outlines instead of pixels, so race medal makers can scale it to any size without blurring. Common vector formats are AI, EPS, SVG and vector PDF. Those outlines map directly to the raised metal lines and color areas on the medal, which keeps small lettering and fine edges sharp in production.
Can a race medal design use a photo of our course or city skyline?
Race medals can feature a course or skyline image, but a photo is usually redrawn as a line illustration so it reads clearly in metal and enamel. Customized Race Medals turns the photo into a simplified outline on the mockup. If you want photographic detail, a printed insert is an option, and the mockup shows how either approach will look.
How do I match race medal colors to our race brand guide?
Race medal colors are matched by sending the color references from your race brand guide, or a printed item whose colors you like. Customized Race Medals matches those references to enamel or print colors and shows them on the mockup. Review the colors next to the chosen plating, because gold, silver or black metal changes how each color reads.
Should sponsor logos go on the race medal or the ribbon?
Sponsor logos usually work better on the race medal ribbon than on the medal itself. A ribbon repeats each logo along its length and keeps the medal front clean for the race identity. If a title sponsor must appear on the medal, the back is the usual spot. Confirm sponsor requirements before approving the race medal proof to avoid a redo.
What fonts work best on custom race medals?
Bold, simple fonts work best on custom race medals because letters are formed by raised metal lines and small spaces between them. Thin scripts and very light weights tend to fill in or blur. Customized Race Medals will suggest a heavier version of your race font if needed, and you will see the result on the free mockup before approving.
Who should approve the final race medal proof?
The final race medal proof should be approved by one named person, usually the race director, after collecting comments from sponsors and committee members. One decision maker keeps the proof cycle fast and avoids conflicting edits. Customized Race Medals offers unlimited free revisions, but a single combined list of changes gets the race medals into production sooner.
What should we check on a race medal proof before approving it?
A race medal proof check should cover spelling of the race and city names, the year, every distance label, sponsor marks, plating color, enamel colors and the ribbon design. Read each line aloud and compare it with your event materials. Once approved, standard production for race medals at Customized Race Medals takes about 2 weeks.
Can we reuse last year's race medal artwork with a new date?
Race medal artwork from a previous year can be reused with an updated date, distance labels or plating. Send the earlier design or a photo of the medal, and Customized Race Medals returns an updated mockup within 24 hours. Check the year carefully on the proof, because old dates carried over from reused files are a frequent artwork error.
How do I send race medal artwork if my files are spread across volunteers?
Race medal artwork can arrive in pieces as long as it comes with one brief. Gather the logo, typed wording, color references and sponsor list in one email or one upload through the quote form. Customized Race Medals assembles the mockup from those parts, and a single point of contact keeps file versions from getting mixed up.
Can the back of a race medal hold different artwork from the front?
Race medals can carry entirely different artwork on the back, such as a course map outline, a tagline, sponsor marks or an open area for engraving. A two-sided design keeps the front clean for photos while giving supporting details room. Both sides appear on the free mockup, so you can balance them before approving the order.
Get a free mockup for your race medals
Send your logo or idea and the quantity you have in mind. Customized Race Medals returns a free mockup within 24 hours, you approve the design before anything is produced, and standard turnaround is about two weeks with faster options available. Get a custom quote.