Accurate UV artwork for medals, coins and buttons starts with the usable flat face, a defined center and a repeatable orientation reference. B2B production files should separate printable geometry from fixture geometry, calculate safe margins, preserve white-ink separations and verify every occupied pocket. A correctly sized image can still print incorrectly if origin, rotation or front-to-back mapping is ambiguous.

Measure the printable face rather than the outer diameter

The usable area may end inside a raised rim, bevel, recess or domed edge. Measure that area on representative production blanks and use the smallest approved face when building the template. The nominal outside diameter is a locating dimension, not automatically the diameter available for printing.

Record the face diameter, rim width, flatness, top reference and any hole or loop. On a button badge, distinguish a flat printable insert from a finished domed assembly. A general flatbed setup should not be assumed capable of maintaining image quality over a curved surface. Confirm permissible geometry with the equipment supplier.

The medal, coin and button printing collection covers the application family, while the drawing establishes what can be printed on the actual part. Include a photograph and dimensioned sketch in the job brief so sales terminology does not replace a usable engineering definition.

A worked circular-template calculation

For a circular flat face, the safe artwork diameter equals the smallest usable face diameter minus twice the selected edge allowance. The allowance must cover measured positioning uncertainty and the desired visual margin. The following values illustrate the calculation; they are not published AndresJet accuracy specifications.

Assume a medal has a 50 mm outer diameter, approximately 1.97 inches, and a smallest usable flat face of 46 mm, approximately 1.81 inches. Suppose the team reserves a 0.6 mm allowance on every edge after reviewing its measured process variation and appearance requirement.

Safe diameter = 46 − (2 × 0.6) = 44.8 mm, approximately 1.76 inches. Center the essential logo and text within that circle. A decorative background may use a separately tested boundary, but important text should not rely on printing onto the rim.

If a rectangular logo must fit completely inside the safe circle, compare its diagonal with the safe diameter. For a proposed 36 × 24 mm logo box, the diagonal is √(36² + 24²) ≈ 43.3 mm, so the centered box fits geometrically within the 44.8 mm safe circle. This calculation does not guarantee print quality or tolerance; it only checks the layout geometry.

A 40 × 24 mm box has a diagonal of approximately 46.6 mm and would cross the safe circle. Reduce the box or revise the design before proofing. Avoid simply scaling down the whole PDF at the RIP, because that can also change pocket pitch, guide positions and text sizes.

Separate part coordinates from bed coordinates

Design the artwork around a local part origin, then place that part template at each verified fixture position. This preserves the relationship between logo, safe area and rotation when the multi-up layout changes. Moving individual artwork elements by eye makes later corrections difficult to audit.

Use a local center for circular pieces and a documented top direction for asymmetric artwork. An outer circle alone does not control rotation. A medal loop, flat edge or other repeatable feature can define orientation, but the file should state which feature is used. If the design is rotationally symmetric, record that rather than inventing an unnecessary angular requirement.

Keep the mechanical setup in the existing medal and coin fixture-design guide. The artwork task begins with the accepted pocket map. Number each placed instance to match that map in a nonprinting reference layer, then confirm that reference marks are excluded from the released print separations.

A useful multi-up check uses two dimensions: the center-to-center pitch and the overall distance between the first and last reference centers. The second check catches accumulated layout or scale errors that can be hard to see in neighboring pockets. Verify both axes on a dimensioned proof.

White backing must follow the intended metal effect

Use white beneath areas that need an opaque appearance and leave it out where the metal finish should remain visible. A selective white mask allows those effects to coexist. Printing white under the entire face can hide the decorative finish the buyer selected.

Separate three elements in the source file: visible white artwork, white supporting colored artwork, and unprinted metal. A white-looking background on the design screen can otherwise be mistaken for either a full white deposit or no deposit. The production proof should make these regions unambiguous.

Check the smallest text, thin outlines and enclosed letter spaces in the white separation. An underbase adjustment that works on a large logo may close a small counter or expose a fringe. Do not prescribe one choke value for all jobs; choose it from a physical edge comparison on the intended blank and print mode.

For small identification codes, keep the required clear area around the code free of unrelated artwork. Verify readability on the finished object using the intended reader when code function matters. A code that looks recognizable in a screenshot is not adequate evidence that the printed code meets the buyer's requirement.

How should two-sided artwork be oriented?

Define the flip operation with a physical sample and a drawing. “Print the back upright” is ambiguous because turning a coin about a horizontal axis produces a different relationship from turning it about a vertical axis. Select the required front-to-back orientation before creating the second-side file.

Mark top and side references on a sacrificial blank, perform the planned flip, and photograph both positions. Use that demonstration to define the back template and pocket-loading instruction. Do not assume a software mirror operation is always needed; the correct transformation depends on how the part is physically turned and located.

Protect the first printed face while locating the second. A correct back image does not compensate for damage to the front during reloading. If the finished assembly includes a pin, clasp or loop, confirm that those features do not change seating or contact during the second operation.

Release a first article from every active pocket

A first-article review should verify all occupied positions, not only the easiest pocket to inspect. Use the final file, approved blanks and intended loading routine. Confirm position, orientation, white edges and legibility before adding variable customer data or releasing the full batch.

Record measured offsets in the same coordinate convention as the drawing. A note saying “move left” is not reproducible if one operator views the bed from the opposite side. State positive X and Y directions, the observed error and the approved correction.

For an AJ1206 sample evaluation, supply actual blanks, the pocket map and the released layered file. Ask AndresJet to evaluate the smallest critical feature and the most restrictive edge margin. A large central logo does not challenge the same limits as fine text near a raised rim.

Variable-data work needs a second approval beyond physical placement. Reconcile the number of supplied records with the number of intended printed pieces, define how blank fields are handled and inspect the first, last and unusual records. A perfectly centered medal with the wrong serial number is still a rejected part.

Keep reprints separate from the original data run. Record which record and pocket produced each replacement so the team does not accidentally issue duplicate identifiers. If unique identification is not required, the same discipline still helps avoid missing names or repeated artwork. The artwork owner should approve field content, while the production approver verifies geometry and print appearance; combining those responsibilities in an unlabelled visual proof makes errors easier to miss during a busy changeover.

The production file package

Keep one authoritative source file and one released output file, connected by revision. Include the safe-area drawing, spot-channel definitions, fixture reference and front-to-back instruction. These records allow an operator to reproduce the approved layout without reconstructing the design from a previous printed piece.

• Part number, face dimensions and acceptable blank variation are identified.
• The file is at final size with no unintended fit-to-page scaling.
• Fonts, linked graphics and variable-data fields have been checked.
• White and optional varnish separations are visible in the RIP preview.
• All pockets match the approved map and orientation.
• A physical first article is retained with its file revision.

AndresJet machine specifications define one part of the production boundary. The rest comes from the blank, locating method and actual file. Keeping those elements aligned is more reliable than repeatedly compensating for unclear geometry with last-minute artwork nudges.

Sources

1. Adobe: Spot and Process Colors
2. Adobe: Overprinting in Illustrator
3. AndresJet: UV printer for medals coins and buttons
4. AndresJet: Referenced Flatbed Printer