Medal Materials Guide — Choose the Right Foundation
Material choice affects everything: 3D detail capability, weight, durability, plating quality, and cost. Compare the five materials we work with daily and find the right one for your project.
Material Comparison at a Glance
Five materials. Each has a specific set of capabilities. For 90% of custom medal projects, zinc alloy is the answer — but here's the full picture so you can decide.
| Material | Density | Process | Min. Thickness | 3D / Openwork | Relative Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc Alloy | 6.7 g/cm³ | Die-casting | 2mm | Excellent | $$ | 3D relief, openwork, complex shapes — the industry standard. 90% of custom medals use this. |
| Brass | 8.9 g/cm³ | Stamping+Cutting | >3mm | Limited | $$$ | Premium weight and feel. Military medals, challenge coins, executive awards where heft matters. |
| Iron | 7.8 g/cm³ | Stamping+Cutting | >4mm | Limited | $ | Budget-conscious projects. Simple 2D shapes. Large quantity runs where per-unit cost is the priority. |
| Aluminum | 2.7 g/cm³ | Stamping+Cutting | — | Limited | $$ | Lightweight applications. Anodized color finishes. Modern, minimalist aesthetic. |
| Stainless Steel | — | Stamping | — | None | $$$ | Maximum corrosion resistance. Marine environments, outdoor permanent displays, medical/military spec. |
★ Zinc Alloy — Why It's the Industry Standard
Zinc alloy dominates custom medal manufacturing for three reasons that compound each other.
First, melting point. At just 385°C (725°F), zinc alloy melts at a temperature low enough for energy-efficient production but high enough for a durable finished product. Compare this to aluminum (660°C) or steel (1,370°C+). Lower melting point means faster cycle times (15–30 seconds per shot), less mold wear, and lower energy costs — savings that flow through to your per-unit price.
Second, flow characteristics. Molten zinc alloy at injection pressure fills intricate mold cavities completely, capturing details down to 0.1mm relief. This is why zinc alloy medals can have sharp 3D sculpting, deep relief, and true openwork (cut-out/hollow) designs — capabilities that stamping processes (used for brass, iron, aluminum) simply cannot achieve. If your medal design has a 3D building, a sculpted figure, or cut-out elements, zinc alloy die-casting is your only option among these five materials.
Third, plating adhesion. Zinc alloy accepts electroplating better than any other medal material. The alkaline copper base layer bonds to zinc alloy's surface at a molecular level, creating a foundation that keeps gold, silver, nickel, and other finishes looking new for years. Brass and iron require additional surface preparation steps and still don't achieve the same adhesion quality. This is why zinc alloy medals from 2015 still look display-ready — and why budget iron medals from two years ago may show plating wear.
Zinc Alloy Technical Specs
- Melting point: 385°C (725°F)
- Density: 6.7 g/cm³ — substantial feel without being heavy
- Common grades: Zamak 3, 5, 7 (we use all three, selected by design complexity)
- Min. wall thickness: 2mm — thinner risks cracking during ejection
- Die-casting cycle: 15–30 seconds per shot
- Best plating adhesion of all five materials
- Supports: soft enamel, hard enamel, glass enamel, glitter, glow-in-the-dark
- Supports UV printing on 3D surfaces (≤7mm height difference)
- Supports openwork (cut-out/hollow) designs — unique to die-casting
- Corrosion-resistant in normal indoor display conditions
Surface Treatment Options — After You Choose the Material
Material is half the decision. The surface treatment determines how your medal looks and feels. We offer three main categories, each with distinct characteristics.
Electroplating — Best Quality, Widest Range
Highest cost, best result
- Available in mirror, matte, antique, and rainbow finishes
- 20+ color options: gold, nickel/silver, copper, rose gold, chrome, black nickel, platinum/white gold — plus matte and antique variants of each
- The 9-stage plating line (degrease→ultrasonic clean→alkaline copper 500s→acid copper 20-60min→color plate→dry 100°C/40min→anti-tarnish spray→unrack) is what separates durable plating from plating that wears off in a year
- Two-tone plating available: gold body + nickel highlights is the most popular combination
Electrophoresis — Mid-Range, Full Coverage
Mid-range cost
- Paint particles deposited by electric voltage — fully coats recessed areas that spray painting misses
- Common colors: antique gold, antique silver, antique bronze, antique copper, matte black, gloss black
- More affordable than electroplating, more uniform coverage than spray painting
- Best for antique and matte looks where the slight texture adds character
Spray Painting — Economical, Specific Colors
Most economical
- High-pressure spray application of epoxy paint — excellent adhesion and durability
- Used when specific colors (white, blue, green, red) cannot be achieved with electroplating or electrophoresis
- Matte, non-metallic appearance
- Best for medals where the base metal color isn't the feature — solid-color bodies, team-color backgrounds
Material Questions, Answered
Which material should I choose for an outdoor event?
Zinc alloy with nickel plating. Nickel is naturally corrosion-resistant, which matters for medals handed out in rain or worn against sweaty skin. If you need a gold finish outdoors, we add a final clear anti-tarnish coat as the last step of the plating line.
Can I get the look of brass without the brass price?
Yes. Brass is roughly 30 percent denser than zinc alloy — 8.5 g/cm³ against 6.6 g/cm³ — so it feels heavier in the hand, but the visual difference after plating is minimal. If the weight is not part of the brief, zinc alloy with a brass-tone plating gives you the same appearance for less.
Does the material change how fine my details can be?
The mold matters more than the alloy, but there are hard limits either way. We work to a minimum wall thickness of 2 mm, a minimum relief height of 0.4 mm and a minimum line width of 0.3 mm. If a motif cannot hold those numbers, we suggest enlarging the design slightly rather than changing material.
Is zinc alloy safe for children's medals?
Yes. Our Zamak 3, 5 and 7 alloys contain no lead at relevant levels and are used every week for school sports and children's events. On request we supply a written confirmation of the alloy composition for your records.
What is the difference between Zamak 3, 5 and 7?
Zamak 3 is the standard for medals — the most fluid and the easiest to polish. Zamak 5 contains more copper, which raises tensile strength by around 17 percent for parts that take mechanical load, such as bottle-opener medals or pendants on a moving chain. Zamak 7 has the best flow of the three and is used when a motif has extremely fine structure.
Can I mix materials within one order?
Yes, but each material needs its own mold, and each design still has to meet the 100-piece minimum. Mixing is common in awards programmes where the top tier is brass and the participation tier is zinc alloy.
Need Help Choosing?
Not sure which material or finish is right for your event? Tell us about your project — the event type, how many medals, your preferred weight and finish — and we'll recommend the best combination based on 15 years of seeing what works.
Get Material RecommendationRelated Medal Types
Building a medal programme across categories? Our hard enamel award medals and medals with a moving inner disc are produced on the same Zamak die-cast base with MOQ 100 per design — one factory, one plating specification, one reorder file.