From idea to challenge coin: how the editor works
A good challenge coin is designed as one object: artwork establishes the silhouette, depth establishes the form, materials establish the character, and the final render verifies the result. This guide maps the full workflow before you begin.
What the editor looks like
Click Start Design to open a four-step workspace: Design, Model, Render, and Publish. The order matters because every step builds on a different kind of decision: composition, geometry, finish, then presentation.
Tools live on the left, the canvas or 3D preview stays in the middle, and settings live on the right. Treat the central preview as the source of truth: it is where you confirm that the artwork, geometry, and material choices still agree.
You can move back to earlier steps at any time. A change to visible color is usually safe; a change to an alpha contour, crop, scale, rotation, or face alignment is a geometry change and deserves a quick Model-page review.
Step 1 — Design: establish both coin faces
Start with one intentional artwork composition per face. The design canvases are not just a flat preview: their opaque regions also define the solid area used to construct the challenge coin body.
Keep important motifs away from accidental transparent gaps, hairline bridges, and near-touching holes. For a classic two-sided coin, duplicate the approved layout when both faces share a silhouette; do not redraw the second outline by eye.
A template is a good starting point for typography and rim layout. Replace the copy and motifs, then click Fit to inspect the composition and fine detail before moving on.
Step 2 — Model: define form and surface height
Model converts both face silhouettes into a closed 3D body, then maps each uploaded grayscale depth image to its own coin face. Brighter pixels raise the surface; darker pixels keep it lower or recess it, depending on the height settings.
Before adding fine detail, rotate the model and inspect the front, back, edge, and any overlay transition. A clean body at this point makes material selection and export much more predictable later.
Upload depth maps only after their dimensions and alignment match the design image used for that face. The 3D preview updates immediately, so use it to verify scale and text direction rather than relying on the 2D image alone.
Step 3 — Render: pick materials
What metal the challenge coin is made of, and what colors go where — that is decided here. The material library is a wall of little balls: brass, bronze, silver, enamel… click one to try it.
Pick one metal for the face and another for the rim first, then give a specific motif its own color — a red enamel flame, say.
Step 4 — Publish: save and export
The last step is a small photo studio for your challenge coin: set the camera, lights, and background — then save it or publish it to the gallery.
You can also export the challenge coin as a GLB or STL file for 3D printing or a manufacturer — the free tier allows 10 downloads per month, paid plans are unlimited.
Steps are freely revisitable
The workflow is deliberately reversible. You can return to Design to adjust composition, return to Model to tune height, or return to Render to revise finish choices without starting from scratch.
Use one simple rule: cosmetic edits can be followed by a quick visual check; geometry edits require a rebuild review. If the outer silhouette or the relationship between front and back changes, confirm the regenerated body before investing time in local materials.
A depth map remains registered to the design frame that created it. After moving, scaling, rotating, or cropping face artwork, always revisit Model and verify that the relief still lands on the intended motif.
Where finished challenge coins live
Click Save and the challenge coin goes to My Designs — reopen it anytime and everything is exactly as you left it.
Published challenge coins also appear in the public gallery. Changed your mind? Unpublish from My Designs with one click.
Your first challenge coin in fifteen minutes
A dependable first pass is: prepare both faces → confirm the generated body → upload one clean depth map per detailed face → assign base metal to front, back, and edge → add color accents only where they improve legibility → save, publish, or export.
Do not chase a perfect final render on the first pass. First prove that the silhouette, height relationship, and material regions are correct. The detailed guides below then cover each step with more control.