Custom medals in Singapore: how they are made and what small runs cost

You do not need die-striking tooling or a thousand-piece minimum to get custom medals made in Singapore. At our workshop at 994 Bendemeer Road we build medals the same way we build bespoke trophies: design the form from your logo or theme, 3D print a master, finish it with electroplating or paint, then engrave or print each recipient’s details. There is no minimum order; we make single pieces and matched runs up to 500. Here is how the process works, what small runs cost, and how medals sit alongside the custom trophies made by the same team.

How is a custom medal actually made?

It starts as a brief: what is being recognised, how many recipients, and the ceremony date. We design the piece in CAD with the engraving or plate areas planned in, then print a master, SLA resin where fine relief matters. Finishing is what makes it read as a medal: electroplated chrome, gold, copper or brass over the printed master looks and feels like real metal, or we spray to Pantone-matched colours instead. Personalisation goes on last, laser-engraved or UV-printed, and the ribbon, stand or presentation case is decided at the design stage rather than bolted on at the end.

Why not just order die-struck medals?

Die-striking pays for tooling before the first medal exists, so it only makes economic sense at volume, and it limits the design to what a die can form. A printed master carries no tooling cost, which changes the economics of small runs: medal number one can carry as much sculptural relief, mascot character or brand geometry as medal number five hundred. When a run does grow, we change process rather than compromise the design: for 20 to 500 identical pieces we cast from a silicone mould, from S$300 per mould, which brings the unit cost right down.

What does a small run cost?

Medals are quoted per design, because size, finish and quantity all move the price. The published guides from our finishing menu: chrome or copper plating runs about S$60 to S$100 per hand-sized piece, and gold or antique finishes S$100 to S$180. Volume discounts start at 10 units, around 10% at 10 to 24, 20% at 25 to 99 and 30% at 100 to 499. Send the logo, theme and quantity and we return a concept direction with a price, usually within 24 hours.

Can each medal carry the winner’s name?

Yes, and this is where making medals this way earns its keep. For Workforce Singapore’s Workforce Resilience Awards we UV-printed every rose-gold plate individually with the winner and citation, turning one strong design into a personalised run for a full cohort of employers. Engraved plaques do the same job in metal. Hierarchy can be built into the pieces themselves too: for Red Hat’s CY25 APAC awards we printed the top region’s golden football larger than the rest, so the ranking reads the moment the set is on stage.

How long does a run of medals take?

A single piece with simple geometry runs 5 to 7 working days from design approval. A run of 20 to 50 with electroplating takes 2 to 3 weeks, and a volume run with bespoke presentation cases 4 to 6 weeks. We have turned trophies around in 48 hours when the alternative was no trophy at all, so if the ceremony is close, say so up front and we plan production backwards from the date.

Medal, trophy or award: which does your programme need?

Medals suit cohorts: every finisher, every graduate, every partner in a programme. Trophies and sculptural awards suit the single winner or the top tier, and the same studio makes both, so one design language can run across your medals and your trophies and awards. If you are weighing the formats, our guide to corporate awards vs trophies walks through it, and the crossover into gifting is covered in our bespoke corporate gifts guide.

Have a programme coming up? Send the logo, quantity and date and we propose a concept and a price, usually the same business day.