Every Fiesta season, thousands of colorful medals appear across San Antonio on sashes, shirts, jackets, hats, and collector displays. Some feature business logos. Others celebrate nonprofits, schools, local landmarks, inside jokes, anniversaries, food pets, community organizations, or uniquely San Antonio traditions.
But how does an idea become a finished Fiesta medal?
Creating a custom Fiesta medal involves much more than placing a logo on a piece of metal. The process can include concept development, artwork preparation, selecting the size and shape, choosing metal finishes and enamel colors, adding interactive features, reviewing a proof, manufacturing the medal, attaching ribbon drapes, and completing final quality checks.
Monarch Trophy Studio has been serving San Antonio since 1972 and has helped local business, organizations, and individuals turn their ideas into custom Fiesta medals.
Here is a closer look at how a custom Fiesta medal goes from an idea to a finished collectible.
Step 1: Start With the Idea
Every custom Fiesta medal begins with a concept.
Sometimes that concept is already fully developed. A business may want its logo transformed into a medal. A nonprofit might have a specific campaign theme. A school may want to feature its mascot.
Other customers simply know they want a Fiesta medal but are not sure what it should look like yet.
A good starting point is to ask what you want the medal to represent.
Your concept might revolve around:
- Your business or organization
- A logo or mascot
- A San Antonio landmark
- An anniversary or milestone
- A Fiesta theme
- A product of service
- A fundraiser
- A local tradition
- A person or character
- A humorous idea
- A special event
The strongest Fiesta medal concepts are often easy to recognize and have a clear focal point.
You do not need to arrive with finished artwork. Even a rough sketch, photograph, logo, or written idea can help begin the design conversation.
Step 2: Determine How the Medal Will Be Used
Before designing the medal, consider what you want it to accomplish.
Are you giving medals away to customers? Selling them as a fundraiser? Trading them during Fiesta? Distributing them at an event? Using them to promote your business.
The purpose can influence decisions about quantity, size, complexity, and budget.
A nonprofit selling medals as a fundraiser may have different priorities than a company ordering medals as promotional giveaways.
Thinking about distribution early can help guide the rest of the project.
Step 3: Choose the Medal Size
The size of the medal affects both appearance and design possibilities.
A larger medal provides more room for text, logos, characters, and detailed artwork. It can also create greater visual impact when worn.
However, larger medals may also affect weight and cost.
A smaller medal can be easier to wear and may work perfectly for a simple, bold design.
The best size depends on the artwork rather than following a universal rule.
If your concept includes several words, multiple design elements, or an interactive feature, additional space may be helpful.
Step 4: Choose the Shape
Fiesta medals do not have to be round.
Custom shapes are one of the reasons Fiesta medals have become so creative and collectible.
A medal can follow the outline of a logo, building, animal, food item, vehicle, mascot, character, or almost any other recognizable object that can be translated effectively into metal.
Traditional shapes can also work beautifully.
Circles, squares, shields, stars, and other classic forms can provide a strong foundation for a design.
The shape should support the artwork rather than make it unnecessarily complicated.
Sometimes a simple silhouette creates a more recognizable medal than an extremely detailed outline.
Step 5: Prepare the Artwork
Once the general concept, size, and shape are established, the idea needs to become production-ready artwork.
This is an important step because a Fiesta medal is not printed exactly like an image on paper.
The design has to be translated into physical metal.
Lines may define different areas of the medal. Raised and recessed sections can create dimension. Enamel colors may fill specific areas. Very small details may need to be enlarged or simplified so they reproduce effectively.
Text also needs to remain readable at the finished medal size.
A design that looks great when enlarged on a computer monitor may need adjustments when it is reduced to a medal only a few inches across.
Step 6: Provide Your Logo or Design Files
If your medal includes a company logo, organization emblem, mascot, or other existing artwork, provide the best original file available.
Vector artwork is especially useful because it can generally be resized without becoming pixelated.
Common vector file formats include:
- AI (Adobe Illustrator)
- EPS
- SVG
Some PDF files may also contain vector artwork.
If vector artwork is unavailable, provide the largest and clearest original image you have.
Avoid using screenshots from websites or social media when original artwork is available. Screenshots can contain pixelation, compression, and other issues that make artwork preparation more difficult.
Step 7: Simplify Details When Necessary
One of the most important parts of Fiesta medal design is understanding what will translate well into metal.
Tiny lettering, extremely thin lines, complicated gradients, and very small details may not reproduce the way they appear on a screen.
Sometimes simplifying artwork actually makes the finished medal stronger.
A detailed illustration may need to become cleaner line art. Small lettering may need to be enlarged. Multiple tiny elements may need to be combined or removed.
This does not necessarily mean changing the concept. It means adapting the design to the manufacturing process.
Step 8: Select Your Metal Finish
The metal finish becomes an important part of the overall appearance.
Depending on the available manufacturing options, a medal may have a bright, polished, antique, or other metal finish.
The finish influences how the raised metal areas interact with the enamel colors and artwork.
A bright finish can create strong contrast and shine, while an antique-style finish can emphasize recessed details and give the design a more traditional appearance.
The best finish depends on the style of the artwork.
Step 9: Choose Your Colors
Color is one of the defining characteristics of many Fiesta medals.
Enamel colors can be used to highlight logos, lettering, clothing, backgrounds, decorative elements, and other portions of the design.
When selecting colors, think about contrast.
Colors that look different on a computer screen may appear more similar when placed next to each other on a small medal.
Strong contrast can help important elements remain visible.
If your medal represents a business or organization, brand colors can provide a natural starting point.
You can also incorporate traditional Fiesta-inspired colors to make the design feel energetic and celebratory.
Step 10: Understand Soft Enamel
Soft enamel is commonly used for colorful custom medals.
In a soft enamel design, colored enamel is placed within recessed areas of the metal. Raised metal lines separate the colored sections and remain physically higher than the enamel.Â
This creates a textured surface where you can see and feel the difference between the raised metal and recessed colors.
That dimensional quality works particularly well for many Fiesta medal designs because the metal itself becomes part of the artwork.
Step 11: Consider Interactive Features
One of the most recognizable trends in modern Fiesta medals is interactivity.
Medals can incorporate moving or attached elements that make them more engaging and collectible.
Depending on the design and available manufacturing options, features can include:
- Spinners
- Danglers
- Hinged components
- Multiple connected pieces
- Cutouts
- Other dimensional elements
A spinner incorporates a component that rotates.
A dangler is a smaller piece attached to the main medal that hangs and move independently.
These features can make a medal memorable, but they should have a purpose within the design.
Adding movement simply because it is available can make a medal unnecessarily complicated. The best interactive features reinforce the concept.
For example, a wheel might spin, a door might open, or a related object might hang beneath the main design.
Step 12: Select the Ribbon Drape
The ribbon is an important part of the finished Fiesta medal.
It allows the medal to be pinned, worn, displayed, or traded during Fiesta.
Ribbon color can complement the artwork, reinforce an organization's branding, or add another layer of Fiesta color.
When choosing a ribbon, consider the entire medal rather than treating the ribbon as an afterthought.
A carefully selected ribbon can help complete the design.
Step 13: Review the Digital Proof
Before manufacturing begins, a proof is typically used to show how the proposed medal will look.
This is one of the most important stages of the process. Review the proof carefully.
Check:
- Spelling
- Dates
- Organization names
- Logo accuracy
- Colors
- Medal shape
- Text placement
- Ribbon
- Interactive features
- Overall layout
Do not look only at whether the medal is visually attractive. Read every word.
If your organization name is misspelled or an anniversary year is incorrect, catching the mistake during proofing is much easier than discovering it after the medal have been manufacturer.
Step 14: Approve the Design for Production
Once the proof has been reviews and any necessary revisions have been completed. the design can be approved for manufacturing.
Approval is an important milestone.
Custom medals are manufactured specifically for the custom, so changes become much more difficult once production begins.
Makes sure all necessary decision-makers have reviewed the design before final approval.
If several people are involved in the project, determine who has final approval before before beginning the proofing projects; This can help prevent conflicting revisions and unnecessary delays.
Step 15: Create the Medal Tooling
The approved artwork is used to prepare the tooling or production components needed to create the metal design.
The exact manufacturing process depends on the type of medal and manufacturer, but custom medal production generally requires a way to reproduce the raised, recessed, shaped, and decorative elements shown in the approved artwork.
This is one of the major differences between a fully custom Fiesta medal and simply printing an image onto a stock product.
The physical medal is being manufactured around your design.
Step 16: Form the Metal Medal
The medal design is then reproduced in metal using the appropriate manufacturing process.
Raised and recessed areas begin to give the medal its physical form.
If the medal has a custom outer shape, that shape is also created as a part of production.
At this stage, the design begins transitioning from digital artwork into the actual physical piece.
Step 17: Apply the Metal Finish
After the metal components are produced, the selected finish can be applied as appropriate for the design.
This finish helps establish the final appearance of the exposed metal areas.
The relationship between metal and enamel is particularly important.
In many Fiesta medal designs, the exposed metal outlines the artwork, separates colors, defines lettering, and adds contrast.
Step 18: Add the Enamel Colors
For medals using colored enamel, the designated areas are filled according to the approved design.
Multiple colors may be used to reproduce logos, characters, backgrounds, decorative elements, and other details.
Color placement must correspond to the approved artwork.
Once completed, the combination of colored enamel and exposed metal begins to create the recognizable Fiesta medal appearance.
Step 19: Assemble Moving or Additional Components
If the medal includes a spinner, dangler, or other attached component, those pieces must be assembled.
This adds another production stage compared with a simple one-piece medal.
The components need to move or hang as intended while remaining securely connected to the main medal.
This is another reason more complicated Fiesta medals generally require additional planning.
Step 20: Attach the Ribbon
The selected ribbon drape is attached to the finished medal.
Once the ribbon and any interactive components are in place, the project finally begins to resemble the finished Fiesta medal that will be worn, traded, sold, or distributed.
Step 21: Quality Check the Finished Medals
Before medals are ready for customers, finished pieces should be inspected.
Quality checks can include reviewing the general appearance, colors, finish, attached components, ribbon, and overall consistency of the order.
Custom manufacturing can involve many individual steps, so final inspection is an important part of the process.
How Long Does It Take to Make Custom Fiesta Medals?
Custom Fiesta medals require more lead time than many standard engraved products because they involve design, proofing, manufacturing, shipping, and other production stages.
The exact turnaround time can vary based on the medal design, quantity, complexity, manufacturer, time of year, proof approval, shipping, and current production conditions.
For that reason, it is best to start early.
Do not wait until Fiesta is approaching to begin thinking about your medal.
Even if you do not have finished artwork, starting the conversation early gives you more time to develop the concept and make thoughtful decisions.
What Can Delay a Fiesta Medal Order?
Several things can add time to the process.
Common examples include delayed artwork approval, extensive design revisions, low-quality logo files, changing the concept after proofing has started, complicated interactive features, manufacturing schedules, shipping, and waiting too long to place the order.
One of the easiest ways to keep the project moving is to respond promptly during the proofing process.
Review carefully, gather feedback from everyone who needs to approve the medal, and submit revisions together whenever possible.
How Many Fiesta Medals Should You Order?
The right quantity depends on how you plan to use them.
Consider whether you are giving them away, selling them, trading them, using them for fundraising, distributing them to employees, or promoting your organization.
Think about your expected audience and how quickly previous promotional items have been distributed.
Businesses may also want to consider how many customers, employees, events, and community interactions they expect during Fiesta season.
Because custom medals are manufactured specifically for your project, quantity should be discussed early in the planning process.
How Much Do Custom Fiesta Medals Cost?
The cost of custom Fiesta medals varies based on several factors.
Quantity is one of the most important, but size, shape, number of colors, ribbon, and interactive features can also affect pricing.
A simple one-piece medal and a large multi-piece spinner medal should not be expected to cost the same amount.
The best way to establish a realistic budget is to determine your approximate quantity and share your design goals when requesting a quote.
Do You Need Finished Artwork to Order a Fiesta Medal?
Not necessarily.
Some customers arrive with complete artwork. Others have a logo, sketch, photograph, previous medal, or simply an idea.
The important thing is being able to explain what you want the medal to represent.
If you have brand standards, logos, specific colors, slogans, anniversary dates, or other required elements, gather those materials before the design process begins.
Our in-house artists will help bring your ideas to life.
What Makes a Good Fiesta Medal Design?
A good Fiesta medal should be recognizable at its finished size.
It should have a clear focal point, readable text, strong contrast, and an intentional relationship between shape, metal, and color.
The best designs also tend to tell a story.
They might represent a San Antonio tradition, celebrate an organization's anniversary, turn a recognizable product into a character, reference a local landmark, or incorporate a clever interactive feature.
Creativity matters, but clarity matters too.
A medal does not need to contain every possible idea to be memorable.
Should You Include Your Logo
For businesses and organizations, including a logo can help connect the medal to your brand.
However, the logo does not always need to dominate the entire design.
Sometimes the most collectible medals incorporate branding naturally into a larger concept.
A restaurant might create a medal around a recognizable menu item. A business might transform its mascot into a Fiesta character. An organization celebrating an anniversary might make the milestone the central theme while incorporating its logo elsewhere.
Think of the medal as both a collectible and a representation of your organization.
Why Fiesta Medals Are Different From Ordinary Promotional Products
A Fiesta medal is promotional, but it is also collectible.
That distinction matters.
A flyer may be discarded. A business card may end up in a drawer. A Fiesta medal can be worn, traded, photographed, collected, and displayed alongside medals from other organizations.
That gives businesses and nonprofits an opportunity to create something people genuinely want to receive.
The strongest medals do more than display a logo. They give people a reason to remember who created them.
From an Idea to a Piece of Fiesta San Antonio
One of the most interesting things about custom Fiesta medals is the transformation.
A project might begin as a sketch on paper, a company logo, a photograph, or a conversation.
After design, proofing, manufacturing, assembly, and ribbon attachment, that idea becomes a physical medal that can be worn and traded throughout San Antonio.
For businesses, nonprofits, schools, clubs, and organizations, the finished medal can become part of their Fiesta identity.
For collectors, it becomes another small piece of San Antonio history.
Order Custom Fiesta Medals in San Antonio
If you are thinking about creating a custom Fiesta medal, starting early gives you more time to develop the design, explore features, review artwork, and prepare for production.
Monarch Trophy Studio has been serving San Antonio since 1972 and helps businesses, nonprofits, schools, organizations, and individuals create custom Fiesta medals for promotion, fundraising, collecting, trading, and celebrating the city we call home.
Whether you already have finished artwork or are starting with an idea, our team can help you understand the options available for your project.
Visit mtsawards.com to see our Fiesta medal gallery. Call (210) 344-3777, email sales@mtsawards.com, or come by our showroom at 16227 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78232 to discuss your custom Fiesta medal order.