Custom Medals for Businesses with Your Logo and Ribbon
Custom medals for businesses serve two very different purposes: to conclude a charity run or sports day, and to recognise someone internally, for an anniversary or a project. The material, diameter, and ribbon completely change the price and feel when held: a stamped iron piece is around €1, and a cast zamak with enamel can reach €9. Here are the variants that are actually manufactured, with indicative prices per unit and approximate lead times in weeks.
A Medal is Remembered for Its Weight, Not Its Size
The first decision is not the diameter, it's the material. A stamped iron medal of 50 mm and 1.5-2 mm thickness weighs between 25 and 30 grams and costs from €1 to €2.50 depending on quantity: it's the right choice for distributing 800 units at the end of a company race. A cast zamak medal of 65 mm weighs between 50 and 80 grams, has real relief and coloured enamel, and is noticeable as soon as you pick it up; that's the one that makes sense to present in front of the whole team, and costs from €4 to €9. Increasing the diameter without increasing the material only makes the piece larger and more hollow.
The second decision is the ribbon, and it's always underestimated. A sublimated polyester ribbon of 22 mm with the event name costs between €0.40 and €1.20 and is what people see while wearing it. If your brand is already on the ribbon, the centre of the medal can remain clean, with the year and the reason, and is much easier to read. It's the same principle we apply in custom lanyards: small logo, sober colours, and the information that truly matters at a readable size.
What Can Be Customised on a Medal
- The front: embossed or cast relief with your symbol, or full-colour printed centre if the logo includes gradients or photographs.
- The back: almost always used for the year, event name, position or a dedication; in zamak, wood and acrylic, it's done with laser engraving and allows a different name per person at no tooling cost.
- The metal finish: gold, silver, bronze, black nickel or aged copper, with or without coloured enamel in the recessed areas.
- The ribbon: full-colour sublimated, usual width of 20 to 25 mm and length of 80 to 90 cm, with sewn closure or metal carabiner to change it.
- The packaging: individual bag, cardboard case or the medal inside a box with a band and card, as part of a welcome pack for employees or a recognition gift set.
Variants, Materials and Indicative Prices
| Variant | Material and Usual Size | Marking Technique | Indicative Price per Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stamped Iron Medal | Iron with gold, silver or bronze plating, Ø 50 mm, 1.5-2 mm, 25-30 g | Embossed relief or printed centre | €1-2.50 |
| Medal with Resin Centre | Aluminium or iron base Ø 50-70 mm, centre 25-50 mm | Digital print and resin dome | €1.50-4 |
| Wooden Medal | Birch plywood 3-4 mm, Ø 50-70 mm, 15-25 g | Laser engraving or UV colour printing | €2-5 |
| Acrylic Medal | Acrylic 4-5 mm, custom cut 60-80 mm | Laser cut and full-colour UV printing | €3-8 |
| Cast Zamak Medal | Injected zamak, Ø 60-70 mm, 3 mm thickness, 50-80 g | Custom mould, galvanic plating and coloured enamel | €4-9 |
| Medal Ribbon | Sublimated polyester, 20-25 mm wide and 80-90 cm long | Full-colour sublimation, sewn closure or carabiner | €0.40-1.20 |
Indicative prices per unit, with the logo already applied and excluding VAT. Prices improve with volume: in zamak and stamped pieces, the mould or die cost is spread across the units produced, so the unit price for 100 medals and 1,000 is not comparable.
How a Medal with Your Logo is Made
- Design and preview. You send us the logo in vector format (SVG, PDF or AI); if you only have a PNG, we vectorise it. We finalise diameter, material, metal finish and ribbon colours, and show you the assembled medal on screen, front, back and ribbon, before producing anything.
- Production and marking. For iron and zamak, the die or mould is created, then stamped or injected, enamelled, and colour-coated. For wood, acrylic, and reverse engravings, laser or UV printing is used, without tooling. Allow about three to four weeks for zamak and around two weeks for the others, depending on factory load.
- Delivery. To the office, event venue, or each person's home, across Europe. If individuals choose materials or engravings with their name, they do so on Pekata's portal in their language, and HR doesn't manually collect data. A single invoice at the end, with a breakdown of benefits in kind if needed.
When a medal works and what to pair it with
The three most common uses: corporate sports events, where a 50 mm iron medal with a sublimated ribbon concludes a charity run or tournament for €1.40-3.70 per piece and ribbon; internal recognition for years of service or projects, with zamak or acrylic and the name engraved on the back; and convention or hackathon awards, where three zamak medals with ribbons cost about the same as a single 15 to 22 cm acrylic trophy. In any of these cases, it fits with the rest of the promotional gifts for companies at the same event.
As a standalone piece, a medal is a nice object that ends up in a drawer. Given in a box, with a card explaining why it's awarded, it changes category: that's why we often pair it with customised boxes for companies and, for an anniversary, alongside something gourmet. At trade shows and conferences, it works better as a prize for a raffle or stand challenge than as a general giveaway: for distributing to hundreds of visitors, there are cheaper options in event, trade show, and conference merchandise.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a customised medal with my company logo cost?
It depends on the material. A stamped iron medal of 50 mm costs between €1 and €2.50 per unit, a wooden one between €2 and €5, an acrylic one between €3 and €8, and a cast zamak with enamel between €4 and €9. The sublimated ribbon is extra, between €0.40 and €1.20. These are indicative prices, excluding VAT, with the logo already applied.
What is the minimum order for customised medals?
The minimum order is 25 units: we produce from 25 units, so you can order three medals for an internal award. What changes with quantity is the unit price, because in iron and zamak, the die or mould cost is spread across the manufactured pieces, and below about 50 units, it weighs heavily on each medal. For small orders, wood and acrylic are more cost-effective as they don't require tooling.
How long does an order of medals for a corporate race take?
For zamak medals with a custom mould, allow about three to four weeks from artwork approval. Stamped iron, wood, or acrylic medals usually take around two weeks, and sublimated ribbons are within the same timeframe. These are approximate times, and transport is added depending on the destination, so it's advisable to finalise the design a month before the event date.
What marking technique is best for a medal?
If your logo has clean shapes and solid colours, embossed or cast relief with enamel on a 1.5 mm or thicker plate is the most durable: the metal is part of the design and won't peel off. If the logo includes gradients or a photo, it's better to have a printed centre with a resin dome or UV printing on 4 to 5 mm acrylic. For names and dates on the reverse, laser engraving is best, allowing text changes piece by piece.
Can each person's name be put on their medal?
Yes. The front is produced the same for all, and the back is laser engraved with the name, position, or date; in zamak, wood, and acrylic, this is common from Ø 50 mm and doesn't increase the unit cost. Each person enters their details on Pekata's portal, in their language, and receives the medal at the office or their home. You can also change the ribbon colour by team or category.