Preparing your art
You can engrave your own design on your tokens. Draw it as solid black shapes, save it as an SVG file, and upload it in the studio under Add an icon → Your own art. On the token, everything black comes out frosted.
The short version
Start from a template
In the studio, pick your token’s shape and size, then choose Download a template on the Your own art page. The template is drawn at the real size of your token. It shows:
- the edge of the token, and a blue line to keep your art inside;
- a sample of the thinnest line and the smallest gap that engrave at that size.
Draw your art in the template and upload that same file. You don’t need to delete the guide lines: we ignore them. You place and size the art on the token in the studio, so it doesn’t have to sit exactly right in the template.
Want to see a finished file? Download an example: a shield with a star knocked out. Open it in your drawing app to see how it’s built, or in a text editor to read the notes inside that explain each part.
What works and what doesn’t
A solid black shape.
White on black: the star is left clear.
A ring drawn as a stroke (outline only).
Typed text.
Fades, gradients and see-through parts.
Hairlines vanish when engraved small.
How to fix it in your drawing app
| Inkscape | Adobe Illustrator | Affinity Designer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text into shapes | Path → Object to Path | Type → Create Outlines | Layer → Convert to Curves |
| Strokes into shapes | Path → Stroke to Path | Object → Path → Outline Stroke | Layer → Expand Stroke |
| A photo or scan into shapes | Path → Trace Bitmap | Image Trace, then Expand | Trace it by hand with the Pen or Pencil tool |
| Save | File → Save As → Plain SVG | File → Save As → SVG | File → Export → SVG |
Menu names can differ a little between versions.
Fine detail and size
Detail that looks crisp on screen can disappear on a small token. When you place your art, the studio checks it at the size you chose. If some lines are too fine or some gaps are too small, it tells you, and says how large the art needs to be. You can still order: the warning is there so nothing surprises you.
As a guide, on the token itself lines should be at least 0.3 mm wide and gaps at least 0.15 mm wide. Bold, simple shapes read best, especially on tokens under 25 mm.
Make it stand out
On the token, your art comes out frosted. On light-colored tokens the frosting can be hard to see. We recommend color-filling it: rub a crayon or a dry-erase marker over the engraving, then wipe the surface clean. The color stays in the engraving. Clear tokens are the exception: the frosting shows up well on them.
If an upload is refused
The studio tells you why straight away. The usual reasons:
- the file has pictures, scripts, links or effects such as gradients, blurs or masks (save it as plain SVG with filled shapes only);
- part of the art is see-through;
- it has typed text, or lines drawn as strokes;
- it is very long and narrow, like a single line;
- it has more detail than we can engrave cleanly, or an outline that crosses over itself.
What happens after you upload
- Your art goes on your own orders only. It can’t be shared in the design library, and a shared link shows a picture of it but doesn’t let anyone else order it.
- A design can hold up to 5 pieces of your own art, and an order up to 20 different pieces.
- We check every piece of art before it goes into production. Designs with your own art carry a Custom art fee, shown in the studio before you order.
- Your art is saved to your uploads, so you can use it again or rename it.