If you are planning an awards banquet, sports tournament, retirement celebration, school ceremony, corporate event, or another special occasion, one of the first questions you may have is: How long does it take to make a custom trophy or award?
There is no single turnaround time that applies to every award.
Some awards can be personalized relatively quickly when the product is readily available and the engraving is straightforward. Others require additional time for ordering, artwork preparation, proofs, assembly, engraving, or custom manufacturing.
The safest approach is to begin planning as soon as you know your event date.
Monarch Trophy Studio has been helping San Antonio recognize achievements since 1972. After more than 50 years in the awards industry, we know that understanding what affects production time can make the ordering process much easier.
Here is what you should know when planning your next custom award order.
How Long Do Custom Awards Usually Take?
Turnaround time for custom awards depends on the specific project.
A single in-stock plaque with straightforward engraving may require much less production time than 100 personalized trophies for an awards banquet. A fully custom medal or specialty award may require an entirely different production process.
Consider the individual components of your project when estimating the time it will take to receive the finished product.
The product, quantity, personalization, artwork, availability, proofing process, and event deadline can all affect how quickly an order can be completed.
For the most accurate estimate contact your salesperson with the details of your project.
What Affects Custom Award Turnaround Time?
1. The Type of Award You Choose
Different awards require different production processes.
A traditional trophy may need to be assembled from several components before an engraved plate is added. A plaque may require engraving or personalization of a plate before final assembly.
Crystal, glass, and acrylic awards may be customized directly on the award itself depending on the product.
Medals can range from stock designs that require relatively simple personalization to completely custom medals that must be manufactured specifically for the event.
The more specialized the product, the more important it becomes to start the ordering process early.
2. Whether the Award Is in Stock
Product availability can have a major effect on turnaround time.
If an award is already available locally, the personalization process may be able to begin sooner.
If the product needs to be ordered from a supplier, shipping time becomes part of the schedule.
Availability can also change throughout the year. Popular awards may sell quickly during busy recognition seasons.
If your first choice is unavailable, starting early gives you more time to select an alternative without compromising your event deadline.
3. The Number of Awards You Need
Quantity matters.
Personalizing one award is different from producing 10, 50, 100, or several hundred pieces. Large orders require additional production time because every recipient's information may need to be prepared, reviewing, engraved, assembled, and checked.
Large orders require additional production time because every recipient's information may need to be prepared, reviewed, engraved, assembled, and checked.
The complexity of the order matters as well.
One hundred identical awards with only the recipient names changing may be more straightforward than an order containing multiple award styles, categories, logos, messages, and engraving layouts.
When requesting a turnaround estimate, provide your approximate quantity as early as possible.
4. How Much Personalization Is Required
A simple name and date may require less preparation than an award containing a logo, several lines of text, a custom message, and other design elements.
Personalization can include:
- Recipient names
- Award titles
- Dates
- Company or organization names
- Logos
- School mascots
- Years of service
- Placement or rankings
- Custom messages
- Event information
If every award contains different wording, make sure you account for the additional complexity when planning your order.
5. Whether Your Artwork Is Ready
Logos and custom graphics can add another step to the production process.
Whenever possible, provide high-quality artwork when placing your order.
Vector files such as .AI (Adobe Illustrator), .EPS, and .SVG are often preferred for logos because they can generally be resized without becoming pixelated.
If you only have a .JPG or .PNG, provide the highest-quality original file available.
A small screenshot, blurry logo, or low-resolution image may require additional artwork preparation before it can be used.
If your organization has official brand files, locate them before you begin the awards order.
6. Whether a Proof Is Required
Depending on the project, you may receive a proof showing how the personalization will be arranged.
Proofing is valuable because it gives you an opportunity to verify names, dates, logos, award titles, and layout before production.
However, the proofing process can also affect the schedule.
If a proof is sent on Monday but it is not approved until Friday, several days may have been added to the project.
Review proofs promptly and carefully.
Fast approval does not mean careless approval. Names, dates, titles, spelling, punctuation, and other details should be checked before production begins.
7. Changes After Approval
Last-minute changes can affect turnaround time significantly.
A recipient may be added. Someone's title may change. A name may have been submitted incorrectly. The event organizer may decide to change the wording.
Some changes are unavoidable, but organized information can reduce unnecessary revisions.
Before submitting your order, confirm recipient names and personalization whenever possible.
For large orders, keeping the information in a clear spreadsheet or organized document can make the process easier for everyone involved.
8. Custom Manufacturing
There is an important difference between personalizing an existing award and manufacturing a custom product,
A stock award already exists and primarily needs personalization.
A fully custom product may need to be designed and manufactured specifically for your organization or event.
Custom shapes, specialty medals, unique components, custom colors, or products manufactured specifically for your project can require considerably more planning.
If you are considering a fully custom award or medal, begin the process much earlier than you would for a standard in-stock product.
9. Shipping and Supplier Lead Times
Not every component of an award is necessarily produced at the local awards shop.
Products, components, and materials may need to arrive from manufacturers or distributors before personalization can begin.
Shipping delays, supplier availability, and discontinued products can therefore affect the timeline.
This is another reason it is helpful to choose your awards early.
If a specific product cannot arrive in time, your awards provider may be able to recommend an alternative that can meet your deadline.
10. The Time of Year
The awards business has busy seasons.
Graduations, end-of-year school events, sports banquets, corporate recognition programs, holidays, and other seasonal events can create periods of higher demand. During busy periods, production schedules may fill more quickly.
If your event falls during a traditionally busy recognition season, ordering early is especially important.
How Far in Advance Should You Order Awards?
The best answer is simple: as early as reasonably possible.
You do not need to wait until every detail is finalized before beginning.
If your event is several months away, you can start comparing awards styles, establishing a budget, determining quantities, and preparing artwork.
Final recipient names can sometimes be provided later in the process, depending on the project.
Starting early gives you flexibility.
It allows more time to handle product availability, artwork issues, proof revisions, shipping, and unexpected changes.
Can You Order Awards Before You Know the Winners?
Often, yes.
This is common for tournaments, competitions, school events, corporate programs, and other situations where recipients are not known until shortly before the presentation.
You may be able to choose the award style, order the products, prepare common artwork, and finalize the general layout before the winners are determined.
The, once the recipient information becomes available, the remaining personalization can be completed.
The exact process will depend on the award, so discuss the situation with your salesperson early.
Waiting until the winners are announced to begin thinking about the awards can unnecessarily shorten your available production window.
What Information Should You Have Ready?
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Try to have the following information available:
- The date of your event
- The date you actually need the awards in hand
- Approximate quantity
- Type of award you are considering
- Budget range
- Recipient names, if available
- Award categories
- Engraving wording
- Company, school, team, or organization game
- Logo or artwork files
- Any special personalization requirements
Tell your salesperson the event date and the date you need the awards are not always the same.
Event Date vs. Pickup Date
Your event date and the date you need the awards are not always the same.
If an awards banquet is Saturday evening, waiting until Saturday afternoon to receive the awards leaves very little room for unexpected problems.
Whenever possible, plan to have the finished aways before the actual event.
This gives you time to inspect the order, organize the awards, verify recipient names, and prepare them for presentation.
If you are traveling to the event, your real deadline may be the day you leave town rather than the day of the ceremony.
Communicating the correct deadline helps everyone plan appropriately.
Can Custom Awards Be Made at the Last Minute?
Sometimes we can accommodate a short deadline, but availability depends on the specific project and current production schedule.
The most important thing is to ask.
Please do not assume an award cannot be completed because your event is approaching.
An experienced awards shop like ours may be able to suggest in-stock products or simpler personalization options that fit the available timeline.
At the same time, a rush deadline can limit your choices.
The exact crystal award, trophy, or plaque you originally wanted may not be available quickly enough, while another option could be completed in time.
Flexibility becomes particularly valuable with last-minute orders.
Does a Larger Order Always Take Longer?
Generally, quantity adds production work, but order complexity is also important.
Consider two hypothetical orders.
The first contains 100 identical medals with the same event information.
The second contains 30 awards divided among 10 categories, with different recipient names, titles, messages, and layouts.
Although the second order has fewer pieces, it may require more individual preparation and review.
When estimating production time, consider both quantity and complexity.
How Can You Help Speed Up Your Award Order?
One of the best ways to keep an order moving is to provide complete and accurate information from the beginning.
Choose your awards early, submit clean recipient lists, provide high-quality artwork, and respond promptly when questions or proofs require your attention.
Proofread your information before submitting it.
Correcting a misspelled name before production is much easier than correcting a finished award.
If you have a firm deadline, communicate it immediately.
Most importantly, avoid waiting until the last minute simply because the award recipients have no yet been announced. There may be plenty of preparation that can happen beforehand.
What Can Cause an Award Order to Be Delayed?
Some delays are outside anyone's control, but others can often be prevented.
Common causes can include incomplete recipient lists, incorrect engraving information, delayed proof approval, artwork that needs to be recreated, product availability, shipping delays, last-minute changes, and adding recipients after production has started.
Communication is important.
If something changes after you place the order, contact your awards provider as soon as possible.
Should You Order Extra Awards?
For certain events, ordering an extra award can be worth considering.
This may be useful when you have uncertain attendance, changing team rosters, or the possibility of an additional recipient.
However, an extra personalized award may not be useful if every piece contains a specific recipient's name.
For recurring events, ask whether ordering a non-personalized spare makes sense for the product you have selected.
The answer will depend on how the award is constructed and personalized.
When Should You Start Planning a Large Awards Banquet?
Large recognition events should generally be planned earlier than small award orders.
A banquet may involve dozens or hundreds of recipients, several award categories, multiple award styles, company logos, custom wording, and presentation requirements.
Begin by determining your approximate number of recipients and award categories.
Then establish your budget and select the products.
While the final recipient list is being prepared, you can work on artwork, standard wording, award titles, and other details that will remain consistent across the order.
Breaking the project into stages can make a large awards program much easier to manage.
The Best Way to Know Your Actual Turnaround Time
Online estimates can provide general guidance, but they cannot account for every detail of your specific project.
The best way to determine how long your custom trophies or awards will take is to contact your salesperson with your quantity, product preferences, personalization requirements, and deadline.
An experienced awards professional can evaluate those details and tell you what options are realistic within your timeframe.
If your deadline is tight, being upfront about it from the beginning makes it easier to identify suitable products.
Custom Trophies and Awards in San Antonio
Custom award turnaround times vary because custom awards vary.
A straightforward engraving project and a fully custom recognition program should not be expected to follow the same production schedule. The key is planning ahead.
Monarch Trophy Studio has been serving San Antonio since 1972. We provide custom trophies, plaques, crystal, glass, and acrylic awards, medals, engraving, and personalized recognition. For businesses, schools, sports teams, nonprofits, military organizations, clubs, and individuals.
If you have an upcoming banquet, tournament, graduation, retirement, ceremony, or recognition event, contact us. Our team can help you determine which award options fit your needs, budget, and available timeline.
Visit mtsawards.com, 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 upcoming award order.