Custom medals take longer to produce than off-the-shelf products because of the tooling and proofing stages, so timing matters. Here's a realistic breakdown of how the schedule usually works.

Typical timeline

• Concept and die proof: 3–5 business days
• Tooling (first-time designs only): 5–7 business days
• Casting and finishing: 7–10 business days
• Ribbon, packaging, and shipping: 2–3 business days

Altogether, a first-time custom order typically lands within our standard 18–21 day turnaround. Reorders using an existing die move faster, since the tooling and proofing stages are already done.

Plan around fixed dates, not order dates

Graduation ceremonies, championship finals, and end-of-season banquets all have dates that don't move — so it's worth working backward from the event date rather than forward from when you happen to place the order.

As a rule of thumb, submit your design request at least four weeks before you need medals in hand, and six weeks if it's a first-time design during a busy season.

Peak seasons to plan around

Spring graduation season and autumn sports finals are our busiest windows. Ordering even a week or two earlier during those periods gives considerably more buffer if a proof needs a revision round.