A custom Fiesta medal does not have to begin with finished artwork. For Chandler Crawford, the design process started simply with construction equipment.
In 2025, Chandler asked us to turn ROMCO Equipment’s machinery into a Fiesta medal. That first project became a second medal. The following Fiesta season, he returned for two more. By 2026, the conversation had evolved from translating equipment references into metal, to engineering something highly interactive: making the machinery’s bucket move.
Across two San Antonio Fiesta seasons, our art team developed four different custom medals that tap into the rich history and tradition of Fiesta medals. Each project began with an idea, photograph, logo, or piece of reference artwork, which was then redrawn and adjusted to function as a physical metal product.
Project Specifications at a Glance
| Project Detail | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Client Designs | ROMCO Equipment, BComm Constructors, Texas Dingers |
| Event Timeline | 2025 – 2026 Fiesta Seasons |
| Medal Styles | Cut-to-shape vehicle medals, 2-inch moving slider medal |
| Finishes & Accents | Polished silver, polished gold, multi-color enamel, cutouts, colored ribbons |
| Starting Assets | Real equipment photos, company logos, loose concepts |
Turning Construction Machinery Photos into Vector Art
Chandler’s first project was a 2025 Fiesta medal for ROMCO Equipment. Because of ROMCO’s long history in San Antonio, he wanted their construction-equipment identity to be the central focus of the medal.
Instead of placing a logo inside a generic round shape, the artwork moved toward something much more recognizable: the equipment itself. The finished design became a cut-to-shape Volvo construction vehicle medal featuring ROMCO branding, the year integrated into the vehicle, colorful Fiesta details, and a bright yellow ribbon.
The proofing process is where the heavy lifting happens. Chandler asked for changes to the equipment branding and other details before approval. These revisions are a standard part of the design process; production artists must account for line thickness, enamel separation, small lettering, cutouts, ribbon placement, and the physical limits of metal manufacturing.
Scaling Custom Corporate Projects: BComm Constructors & Texas Dingers
A few weeks after the ROMCO project, Chandler brought us an idea for BComm Constructors. Again, a real piece of construction equipment became the visual centerpiece. The design went through several revisions, including adjustments to the truck-focused layout, the Cemen Tech branding, the year, and the overall size needed to preserve fine detail.
When the revised design came back, Chandler’s response was direct: “It’s PERFECT. I’d love to order 100.”
The finished piece became a polished-gold, cut-to-shape construction truck with BComm and Cemen Tech branding, 2025 incorporated into the artwork, and a red/burgundy ribbon.
The following season, Chandler returned with a message every custom manufacturer wants to earn: “Look forward to working with you again!” For his 2026 Texas Dingers project, he gave the art team creative liberty. The result was a highly custom design built around the team identity, utilizing a black ribbon, a distinctive character, local San Antonio visual references, and a layered composition.
The Engineering Behind Moving Slider Medals
The 2026 ROMCO project pushed the manufacturing collaboration further. Chandler wanted the medal based on a Volvo L70 wheel loader. Then came the question that changed the project: Could the bucket move?
Rather than treating the concept as too complicated, the art team developed alternatives. Chandler was shown a version with a fixed bucket and another version utilizing a separate slider component. He chose the moving version.
The final ROMCO design is approximately two inches wide and uses polished silver metal, multiple enamel colors, cutouts, a yellow ribbon, and a separate metal slider that allows the bucket to physically move.
Engineering a moving feature changes the design problem. The artist has to calculate where the component travels, how it attaches, how much clearance it needs, where cutouts can safely be used, and whether the primary artwork remains readable after the mechanism is added. It cannot just move—it still has to function properly as a wearable medal.
Balancing Enamel Colors and Quantity Price Breaks
Design and budget often have to be solved together. The initial Texas Dingers concept used a high number of enamel colors, which pushed the price above Chandler’s target.
When adjusting a budget, the answer is not simply to tell the client the design costs more. The art team reworked the medal using fewer colors while strictly maintaining the identity of the design. Simultaneously, the team reviewed the pricing tiers and showed Chandler that moving from his smaller proposed quantity up to 100 medals would actually reduce his total spend by about $70.
His response: “Excellent thanks for your insight. Let’s make it a 100. Paying now.”
Sometimes the best answer for a budget is a different metal finish. Sometimes it is simplifying a color palette. And sometimes, a quantity break means ordering more pieces produces a significantly better overall value.
When planning your custom Fiesta medals in San Antonio, your project does not need to begin with perfect vector artwork. It can begin with a truck, a photograph, a company logo, a team mascot, a sketch, or a question like, “Can we make this move?”
Frequently Asked Questions About Custom Fiesta Medal Design
Can you make a custom Fiesta medal from a real photograph?
Yes. You do not need finished, production-ready artwork to begin. Professional production artists can translate reference photos, sketches, and logos into clean die-cast mold lines with the proper enamel separations and cutouts required for manufacturing.
How do moving or slider Fiesta medals work?
Interactive elements require engineering a separate metal component (like a slider) that attaches to the base medal. The artist must account for track clearance, attachment points, and travel distance to ensure elements like vehicle buckets or mascots can move smoothly without obscuring the main artwork.
How does the number of enamel colors affect the price of a Fiesta medal?
More enamel colors increase the production cost of the medal. If a design exceeds your budget, an artist can often simplify the color palette without losing the core identity of the artwork. Additionally, upgrading your order to reach a higher quantity break (such as 100+ medals) can sometimes lower your total overall spend.
