If you’ve ever held a medal that feels weighty, detailed, and almost alive in your palm—whether it’s a vintage military decoration, a corporate anniversary token, or a custom achievement piece—you’ve probably noticed a subtle difference between it and a flat, printed replica or a cheap, mass-produced novelty. As a die struck and 3D cast medals supplier with over a decade of work behind me, I’ve spent countless hours refining every tiny detail that makes our medals stand out, and one of the most critical, often misunderstood, elements is relief level. It’s not just a technical specification; it’s the heart of what turns a metal disc into a meaningful, lasting keepsake. Today, I want to break down why relief level matters so much in these two core medal-making processes, how it impacts everything from durability to emotional resonance, and what that means for anyone looking to create medals that actually hold value. Die Struck & 3D Cast Medals
First, let’s get on the same page about what relief level actually is, because the term can be confusing if you’re new to medal production. Relief refers to the height difference between the raised (positive) parts of a medal—think the raised cheekbone of a portrait, the curled edge of a laurel wreath, the sharp point of a star—and the recessed (negative) background areas, like the space behind a figure or between text lines. Relief level is measured in thousandths of an inch, and it’s not one-size-fits-all: it ranges from low relief (usually 0.010 to 0.030 inches) to high relief (0.060 inches and above), with medium relief sitting in between. What might surprise you is that this number dictates almost every part of a medal’s lifecycle, from how it’s made to how it’s cared for decades down the line.
Let’s start with die struck medals, since that’s the process I learned first, back when I was working in a small metal shop in my hometown, operating a 100-ton press that felt like it could move mountains. Die struck medals are made by stamping a flat metal blank between two custom hardened steel dies: one with the raised design (the punch) and one with the recessed design (the die). The relief level here is non-negotiable—too high, and the die will crack under the pressure of the press; too low, and the design gets lost. I once made a rookie mistake early in my career when I tried to create a custom medal for a local firefighter union with a super-detailed portrait of a fallen member, cranking the relief to 0.070 inches to capture every wrinkle and furrow. After stamping just 200 medals, three of our $5,000 dies cracked right down the center, costing us time and money to rework. That lesson stuck with me: in die striking, relief level is a balance between design ambition and the limits of the process.
So why does that balance matter for the final product? For die struck medals, higher relief means bolder, more tactile details. A high-relief military medal, for example, has a star that sticks out so far you can feel its points through a thin glove, or a portrait where the cheekbone and jawline cast a tiny shadow on the background, making the figure look three-dimensional even at a glance. But that boldness comes at a cost to the die’s lifespan—too high relief, and dies wear out fast, even on high-quality steel. For medium relief (0.030 to 0.050 inches), it’s the sweet spot for most commemorative medals, anniversary tokens, and sports awards: you get crisp details, durability, and a die that can produce thousands of medals without failing. Low relief, meanwhile, is great for flat, affordable pieces like bulk challenge coins where the design is more text-based than graphic, but it never has that “presence” that makes a medal feel special.
Now, moving to 3D cast medals, a process that’s grown a lot in popularity over the past decade, especially for custom, one-of-a-kind pieces or medals with extremely complex designs that can’t be done in die striking. Unlike die striking, which is subtractive (you’re pressing metal into shape), casting is additive: you create a 3D model of the medal, make a rubber mold from that model, then cast molten metal (usually brass, zinc, or silver) into the mold. Here, relief level has an even bigger role to play, because casting can achieve far higher relief than die striking—we’ve done medals with relief as high as 0.120 inches, with designs so intricate you can see the texture of a suit’s fabric or the veins on a leaf.
But with 3D cast medals, relief level affects more than just the design’s detail; it affects how the metal flows during casting. If relief is too high, the thin recessed areas (like the inside of a letter or the gap between two fingers in a portrait) can have air bubbles get trapped, leading to voids that weaken the medal or ruin the design. I remember a project we did a few years back for a botanical garden, where we were casting medals with reliefs of fern fronds and tiny wildflowers. We initially designed the frond veins at 0.025 inches deep, thinking that would add detail, but when we cast the first batch, nearly 15% of the medals had air voids in the vein patterns because the molten brass couldn’t seep into such narrow, deep gaps. We adjusted the relief to 0.015 inches, and the problem went away—no loss of detail, no voids, and medals that were still just as tactile. That’s the other side of relief: it’s not just about how bold a design looks, but about how functional it is for the production method.
Beyond the technical production stuff, relief level is tied to something way more important: the emotional value of a medal. Anyone who’s ever received a medal for a major life event—graduation, a 25th work anniversary, a child’s first communion, a team’s championship—will tell you that it’s not just a hunk of metal; it’s a symbol of something meaningful. The relief level is what makes that symbol feel real. I’ve had customers tell us that when they hold a high-relief medal we made for their wedding, they can feel the shape of their initials pressed into it, like someone actually carved that design just for them. They keep it on their nightstand, not in a drawer, because it feels personal, not generic. Compare that to a low-relief novelty medal you get from a grocery store for a race—flat, sharp edges, no depth—you might use it as a keychain and lose it within a year. The relief level is the difference between a trinket and a keepsake.
Durability is another big one that’s directly linked to relief level, especially for medals that will be handled a lot, worn on clothing, or displayed. In die struck medals, medium to high relief means the raised design is embedded deeper into the metal blank, so it doesn’t wear off even after years of being rubbed against fabric or handled. I have a 15-year-old die struck medal from a charity walk I did early on, and the raised details are just as sharp today as they were when I got it. If that had been a low-relief medal, the design would have worn down smooth within a few years. For 3D cast medals, higher relief can actually be better for durability if the design is properly engineered—since cast medals solidify from the outside in, a well-designed high-relief piece has a thicker metal structure around the raised areas, making it less likely to bend or scratch. The fern medals I made for the botanical garden? The medium-relief ones (0.040 inches) held up perfectly when the garden gave them out to hundreds of visitors, even after being carried in pockets and purses for months.
One question I get all the time from new customers is: “Can I just get the highest relief possible for my design?” The short answer is, no—because it’s not always possible, and it’s not always necessary. If your design is mostly text, high relief will make the letters look chunky and awkward, while medium relief will be crisp and readable. If you want a custom portrait with fine details, 3D casting can pull off higher relief than die striking, but you have to account for casting limitations. The best approach is to work with a supplier who understands the relationship between design, relief level, and production methods—someone who can adjust your design to balance what you want with what’s actually achievable, without sacrificing the heart of your medal. That’s what sets a good supplier apart from just a metal stamping company, in my opinion; we’re not just taking orders, we’re helping bring your vision to life in a way that lasts.
Let me give you an example of a recent project that shows just how important relief level is. Last year, we worked with a veteran’s organization to create medals for a 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. The organization wanted two versions: one for surviving veterans, and one for family members. For the veteran medals, we used high-relief die striking—0.055 inches for the portrait of a soldier and the eagle on the reverse. The raised details made the medal feel heavy and important, and when the veterans held them, they said it felt like the medal was “honoring the effort, not just collecting dust.” For the family medals, which were for wider distribution, we used medium-relief 3D casting—0.035 inches, which gave the same iconic design but at a price point that worked for the organization’s budget. The family medals had crisp details, were durable enough to put on display, and didn’t look cheap, even though they were slightly lower relief. That project made me realize that relief level isn’t about being “better” or “worse”—it’s about matching the relief to the purpose of the medal, so it serves the people who receive it.
Now, if you’re reading this, chances are you’re someone who’s looking to create medals for a specific purpose—whether it’s for a corporate event, a sports team, a charity, a memorial, or a personal project. Maybe you’re not sure where to start, or you’ve had bad experiences with medals that didn’t turn out the way you wanted. The good news is that relief level is a flexible, workable detail, as long as you partner with a supplier who knows their stuff. When you’re ready to move forward with your medal project, we’re here to guide you every step of the way: from designing your model to choosing the right metal, the right process, and the right relief level to make sure your medals are exactly what you want them to be—meaningful, durable, and memorable. We don’t do one-size-fits-all medals, and we don’t cut corners on details like relief level, because we know that a medal is more than metal—it’s a symbol that will be cherished for years. If you’re ready to talk through your project and get a custom quote, reach out to our team to start the conversation. We’re here to answer questions, share examples of our work, and help you create medals that truly matter.
Custom Bookmarks References
- Ashby, M. F., & Jones, D. R. H. (2012). Engineering Materials 2: An Introduction to Microstructures, Processing and Design. Butterworth-Heinemann.
- Degarmo, E. P., Black, J. T., & Kohser, R. A. (2020). Materials and Processes in Manufacturing (13th ed.). Wiley.
- The Medal Society. (2018). “Technical Standards for Die Struck and Cast Medals.” Journal of Medallic Arts, Vol. 42, No. 2, pp. 45-62.
- Groover, M. P. (2019). Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing: Materials, Processes, and Systems (7th ed.). Wiley.
- Johnson, R. (2021). “The Emotional Value of Medallic Relief: A Case Study of Commemorative Tokens.” Historical Metallurgy Review, Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 112-127.
Yan Hui Gift Craft Co., Limited
Address: Dian Hou Zheng Number 8, Kunyang Town, Pingyang County , Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China
E-mail: yanhuicraft@vip.126.com
WebSite: https://www.yanhuigiftcraft.com/
