Zinc Alloy Vs. Brass For Custom Medals: Which Material To Choose?

The type of metal you choose for making the medals will influence their looks, weight, durability, and therefore their production price. There are two materials that can be used to make beautiful medals: zinc alloy and brass. Each material is well suited to specific designs and business needs, and you must consult all the important factors with your custom medals manufacturer beforehand.

How Zinc Alloy And Brass Are Compared?

When you are choosing materials, the starting point is the medal, not choosing one metal in particular. These can all affect the final decision as to design, intended use, finish, and the amount expected to be used.

Compare Their Weight And Overall Feel

Brass tends to have a good overall "feel" and will suit medals with a more traditional appearance. Another advantage of its weight is that it adds to the look of an award.

Zinc alloy is a material that can provide greater flexibility in the event that a business is some sort of custom shape, but the medal shouldn't be unnecessarily heavy. Still, the final weight is dependent upon the culminating measurement, thickness, and design of the medal.

If your medals are made by a custom medals manufacturer, let them know your preferred size and weight in advance. This will facilitate the production team in recommending a suitable material and construction.

Examine Design Detail And Shape

Logos, text, symbols, borders, patterns, and raised and recessed elements are commonly found on medals. The material should help to convey these features and look neat after casting and finishing.

Zinc alloy can be helpful for designs that have peculiar shapes and several surface details. Brass is also a good choice for finer medals, especially if the design requires a more traditional metal finish.

What really matters in the artwork is the difficulty of the artwork. A custom medals manufacturer can inspect the design before manufacture and determine whether there are elements that require improvement.

Think About Surface Finish And Appearance

It's not just based on base metal. The overall appearance of a medal can change dramatically based on various polishing, plating, coloring, antique, brushing, and other finishes.

Businesses need to decide whether they wish to have a modern look or a more classic look. Your chosen finish should also be a part of the medal's colors, logo, and presentation to match with the rest of the decoration. Get finish samples before approving big orders. This will help you establish the relationship in the selected material and surface treatment.

Match Materials And Medals With Their Purpose

You must choose the material of your medals according to the purpose of the medal. If you're buying sports awards, they might be more about size and comfort, whereas memorial awards may be more concerned with style and weight. Awards may have specific branding, colors, logos, or presentation requirements that are required for corporate awards.

Alternatively, event organizers might need to have a considerable number of items at the event that all look the same, in various categories of awards. Consider the following factors before selecting the material:

• Medal purpose: Decide whether the award is for sports, corporate recognition, events, or commemoration.
• Desired weight: Determine whether the medal should feel lightweight, balanced, or substantial.
• Design complexity: Review logos, lettering, raised details, cutouts, and unusual shapes.
• Finish requirements: Decide whether the project needs polished, antique, plated, brushed, or colored surfaces.

Choose The Right Material For Production

Ideally, the best material you choose should be sensible from a production viewpoint. Before making the final manufacturing decisions, you must review the order volume, design complexity, finishing, budget, and capabilities of the supplier.

Consider Your Medal's Production Volume

The amount of product can affect the way a business makes decisions on materials and production. A memorial order could have different priorities compared to thousands of medals for a large-scale event. If they are manufacturing in large quantities, they must be uniform in all aspects such as size, finishes, color, and details.

It is particularly significant to produce plans when more than one medal is being manufactured as part of a project. Before finalizing the design, talk to a custom medals maker about the quantity you’re hoping for. The custom medals manufacturer is then able to assess the production requirements in conjunction with the material that the customer has selected.

Balance Material Choice With Budget

The costs of the materials are part of the total medal costs, but not the entire medal price. Other significant factors for businesses to contemplate are tooling, casting, finishing, plating, coloring, attachments, packaging, and shipping.

The lower cost of your base material does not necessarily mean the lowest cost of the overall project. Even when you choose a metal, if a complex design is required, more production will need to be done. Get a full quote for the finished product. This helps companies have a better understanding of the true project investment.

Consider Custom Shapes And Details

Sometimes custom medals are more than just a circle with some writing. Silhouettes, cut-outs, layered designs, odd borders, and designs from a given logo are among the items that businesses can request. These features need to be checked prior to production. Small things might require adjustment after casting and finishing to be clear.

A custom medals manufacturer can take into account the artwork and recommend practical modifications without compromising the key characteristics of the design.

Review Samples Before Final Production

Use a sample to test the actual medal prior to the full order. Look for size, weight, colors, texture, lettering, logo, and attachment pads. This step could save an expensive correction for large orders. It also provides the business with an exact specification of the desired final product.

Check all vital information before mass production. The approved specifications can then be utilized as a reference to make custom medals. Before placing the final order, confirm these points:

• Material specification: Confirm the selected metal and required medal thickness.
• Artwork approval: Check logos, lettering, borders, symbols, and other design details.
• Finishing: Approve plating, colors, polishing, antique effects, or other surface treatments.
• Order details: Confirm quantity, packaging, attachments, delivery requirements, and production timeline.

FAQs

Is Zinc Alloy Better Than Brass For Custom Medals?

Neither material is universally better. The appropriate choice depends on the medal’s design, desired weight, appearance, production requirements, and budget.

Are Brass Medals Heavier Than Zinc Alloy Medals?

Brass can provide a more substantial feel, but final weight depends on the medal’s dimensions and thickness. The complete design should be evaluated before making a decision.

Final Words 

Zinc alloy and brass can both produce distinctive custom medals when the material matches the project’s requirements. The right decision depends on the desired weight, design complexity, appearance, quantity, finishing, and overall budget. Businesses should review these factors before committing to a production specification.

Working with an experienced custom medals manufacturer can also make it easier to balance design expectations with practical manufacturing requirements. A well-planned material choice helps create medals that look appropriate, feel right, and remain consistent across the complete order.