Corporate awards aren’t just beautiful and luxurious; they also promote a sense of prestige and exclusivity that few gifts can hope to match. At Crystal Sensations, we pride ourselves on delivering some of the most stunning crystal awards and trophies in the recognition industry, all of which are suitable for a multitude of business sectors and events. However, it can sometimes be difficult to figure out exactly how to decorate these awards for maximum impact.
At Crystal Sensations, we employ talented graphic artists whose job it is to deliver maximum visual impact and styling for the awards we produce, while staying within the boundaries of your criteria as they perform their creative work. Therefore, it’s important to consider what kind of award you want to deliver, and how it may best suit your next event. Thankfully, we’ve included a few tips so that you can get started without any trouble.
1) Picking Your Award
While it is true that each award may be suitable for many different industries and types of events, you’ll have the final call on which item gets chosen. With so many designs and shapes from which to choose, you’re spoiled for choice, but try to identify the theme of the event so that you can select an award that feels congruent with your brand and artwork.
It’s also good to consider what kind of aesthetic you’re looking for. Crystal trophies are well-suited for employee merit and major milestones, while less important milestones could be better served with a beautiful wall or desk plaque. Similarly, our subsurface laser-etched awards can emphasize key events, mergers or accomplishments by capturing a logo or other artwork three-dimensionally, inside of the crystal material. If you’re still undecided, speak to us directly, and we’ll help you narrow down the best contenders for your event.
2) Consider Your Timeline
The date of your event is often vital when it comes to choosing and decorating your awards. Certain techniques like color-filling are done by hand, which means more time must be taken to complete each piece. If you require numerous awards in a very short period of time, you may need to consider using other decorative methods which favor shorter production times.
Quantity is also a factor. The less you order, the easier it is to utilize more elaborate decorative methods and still meet your event date. Contact us directly with the precise details of your event so that we can help you optimize the best path forward. Depending on the circumstances, we may even be able to prioritize your order so that you can receive your awards on time, without sacrificing your vision.
3) Submit the Proper Artwork
In order to achieve the luster and beauty our corporate awards are so well known for, we always require artwork in the proper format. Most decorative methods require vectorized line art as an EPS, AI or PDF file, which allows the artwork to be resized without any degradation in quality. Raster-based artwork such as JPEGs or PNGs may have jagged edges that cannot be used for our purposes. Thankfully, our artists are well-trained in how to convert raster images to vector, should you require the service. For other decorative methods such as MicroResolution, raster artwork may work fine, provided it is of high enough resolution.
Consider your artwork requirements when choosing your award styles, and other options such as color-fill, as well. Artwork designed in particular aspect ratios or shapes may be better suited for one type of award over another, and you’ll want to be sure the two compliment each other.
4) Mind the Details
Decorating your awards involves making sure that all applicable information has been included, and sometimes this means including more than just the name of the recipient. Be sure to include commemoration dates, locations, staff titles, etc., all of which will create a clearer story for anyone who happens to take note of the award. If your budget allows for it, consider adding color-fill to highlight key information, logos or other artwork in such a way that it will draw the eye and create a more compelling viewing experience.
Remember that not everyone who looks at the award may understand the context of the event, so the more information included, a more complete understanding will be attained. That being said, it’s wise not to squeeze too much verbiage into any design, as it could end up overwhelming the piece entirely. Here at Crystal Sensations, our graphic designers will always provide critical feedback based on years of experience, as well as options that will balance out the artwork with the actual award. One successful strategy we use is to shift some of the information to an engraved plate placed on the front of an LED light base. This frees up space within the award and let’s the main subject be the focal point within the award.
5) When in Doubt, Go Custom
While we do offer a plethora of beautiful in stock corporate awards to choose from, the truth is that some events require their own unique and special touch. When in doubt, go the custom route to commemorate key events with a piece unlike any other. After all, these once-in-a-lifetime accomplishments deserve extra praise and consideration, and what better way than by designing a custom corporate award from the ground up that?
While custom awards may involve higher costs, planning and production time, they are more than worth the effort, especially where big events are concerned. These are the awards that get people talking, and once they learn of the custom design, it will speak volumes about your company. Never underestimate the impact of an award built and produced to your precise and unique specifications!
Conclusion
Crystal Sensations has been an industry leader in the promotional products industry for decades, and we’ve served tens of thousands of clients in multiple industries across the globe. Whether it’s a completely customized award design, or contemporary artistic takes on existing awards in our inventory, we are always seeking to one-up our own standards in order to make clients, and award recipients as happy as possible.
Interested in ordering corporate awards for your next event, but not sure where to start the design process? We’ll gladly assist you! Our team is on hand to help you through every step of the design and decorating process, right up to the production stage. The final product is guaranteed to exceed, rather than simply meet, your expectations.
