Engraved Wooden vs Colour Printed vs Slate Medals: Which Is Best for Your Event?

One of the most common questions we get from event organisers is:

“Which type of medal should I go for?”

Engraved wooden medals, full-colour printed wooden medals and slate medals can all work brilliantly, but they create very different results.

The best choice depends on your event branding, artwork, audience, budget and the overall feel you want at the finish line.

This guide breaks down the differences so you can work out which option makes the most sense for your event.

Watch Michael compare engraved wooden medals, colour printed wooden medals and slate medals to help you choose the right option for your event.

The Quick Comparison

1. Engraved Wooden Medals

Engraved wooden medals are the most natural and understated of the three options.

The artwork is laser engraved directly into the surface of the wood rather than printed on top.

That means the wood grain remains visible and becomes part of the finished design.

Engraving works particularly well for:

• Bold event logos.
• Clear typography.
• Line artwork.
• Simple illustrations.
• Natural and outdoor event themes.
• Events where a subtle finish suits the branding.

Very fine details sometimes need to be simplified for engraving, but that can often improve the medal by making the final artwork clearer and easier to read.

Because the medal is laser cut from wood, the outer shape can also become part of the design rather than being restricted to a standard circle.

When Engraved Wooden Medals Work Best

2. Colour Printed Wooden Medals

Colour printed wooden medals give you much more freedom with the artwork.

Instead of working only with the tones created by engraving, full-colour printing lets us use illustrations, event colours, detailed graphics and sponsor logos.

This makes colour printed wood especially useful when branding is a big part of the event.

Full-colour printing works particularly well for:

• Bright event branding.
• Illustrated medal artwork.
• Detailed logos.
• Multiple sponsor colours.
• Characters and mascots.
• Highly themed races and events.

Depending on the design, we can still leave areas of natural wood visible so the medal continues to look and feel like a wooden product.

The Big Advantage of Colour Printed Wood: Creative Freedom

This is where wooden medals become particularly flexible.

Because we laser cut the medal shape, the outside edge can become part of the artwork.

Instead of simply printing a mountain inside a circle, for example, the medal itself could follow the outline of the mountain.

A colour printed wooden medal could be shaped around:

• A local landmark.
• An event mascot.
• A running shoe.
• A bicycle.
• A shield.
• An animal.
• A building.
• The outline of your logo.

When Colour Printed Wooden Medals Work Best

Want to Add Even More Depth?

Colour printed wooden medals can also be upgraded into double layer designs.

This involves adding a second raised wooden element onto the medal to highlight one important part of the artwork.

For example, that might be:

• A landmark.
• An event logo.
• A remembrance poppy.
• A character.
• A key symbol from the event.

The important thing is not to raise everything. The second layer works best when it draws attention to the main focal point.

3. Slate Medals

Slate creates a completely different type of medal.

Instead of wood, the medal is made from genuine natural stone.

That immediately gives it a heavier and more substantial feel in the hand.

Natural slate has its own texture, surface markings and slight variations, so every piece has some individual character.

Slate can be:

• Laser engraved.
• Produced in different proven shapes.
• Finished in metallic gold.
• Finished in metallic silver.
• Finished in metallic bronze.
• Paired with plain or printed ribbon.

Engraving produces a contrasting lighter or grey finish against the darker stone, depending on the slate and finish being used.

The Main Difference With Slate: Weight and Presence

Slate feels noticeably different from wood.

It is thicker, heavier and naturally more substantial.

For events where the organiser wants something with a more premium or weighty presentation, that can make a big difference.

Slate works particularly well for:

• Martial arts competitions.
• Strongman and lifting events.
• Trail and mountain races.
• Outdoor challenges.
• Surf and coastal events.
• Running events.
• Gold, silver and bronze podium awards.

Metallic Slate Medals

Slate does not have to stay in its natural dark-grey finish.

We also produce metallic sprayed slate in gold, silver and bronze.

These finishes retain the thickness and weight of slate but create a much more traditional podium-style appearance.

They work particularly well for:

• First, second and third place awards.
• Martial arts tournaments.
• Strength competitions.
• Championship events.
• Category winners.

One option we particularly like is using natural slate for all participants and then upgrading the category or podium winners to gold, silver and bronze.

What About Slate Shapes?

Slate does not offer the same unlimited custom-shape freedom as wooden medals.

However, there are still several strong options.

Depending on the project, slate medals can be produced in shapes such as:

• Circle.
• Square.
• Hexagonal.
• Heart-shaped.
• Selected specialist formats.

If the silhouette of the medal is central to the design, wood will normally give you more flexibility.

If natural stone, engraving and weight are more important, slate may be the stronger option.

Engraved Wood vs Colour Printed Wood vs Slate

Which Medal Should You Choose?

A simple way to think about it is:

There is also no reason you have to choose only one material across the whole event.

You could use colour printed wooden medals for every finisher and metallic slate medals for first, second and third place.

Or use engraved wooden medals for participants and larger matching trophies for category winners.

Don't Choose the Material Before Thinking About the Event

The best medal designs normally start with the event rather than the material.

Before deciding, ask yourself:

• What is the personality of the event?
• Is colour a major part of our branding?
• Do we want the medal itself to have a unique shape?
• Do sponsor logos need to be reproduced accurately?
• Would a natural engraved finish suit the event better?
• Do we want something heavier and more substantial?
• Is this primarily a participant medal or a podium award?
• What should someone understand about the event simply by looking at the medal?

Once you answer those questions, the right material normally becomes much easier to identify.

Think About the Ribbon at the Same Time

Whichever medal style you choose, the ribbon should be considered as part of the design.

A medal can be paired with:

• Plain recycled polyester ribbon.
• Foil printed ribbon.
• Full-colour custom printed ribbon.

A simple engraved wooden medal may only need a strong matching ribbon colour.

A detailed colour printed medal may benefit from a fully printed ribbon carrying the same colours, pattern or sponsor branding.

Metallic slate can look particularly effective when paired with a ribbon that reinforces the gold, silver or bronze finish.

You Don't Need to Decide Before Contacting Us

If you're still unsure, send us your event logo, date, quantity and a little information about what you're organising.

We can look at the branding and recommend whether engraved wood, colour printed wood or slate will give you the strongest result.

You don't need finished artwork either. A logo, event description and rough idea is enough for us to start.