Useful Tips to Select Custom Award Ribbons

Award ribbons have become synonymous with competitions, shows, and other such events. Even if the winners are awarded with prizes and felicitated with certificates and other such tokens of appreciation, there is always an award ribbon pinned to the winner's proud chest.

Nothing else other than a ribbon makes a stronger statement that the person flaunting them is a winner! If you are conducting any event that would require picking out winners, then an award ribbon is a must.

There are many types, so the selection can be confusing. You'll need to customize them for the function - you can't give a generic ribbon to people as it would be meaningless. It should indicate precisely why was it received. Let us see how it is done.

First let us talk about colors. Most common colors used are red and blue, but there is absolutely no reason why the other colors cannot be used. If you are buying generic ribbons and getting them printed later on, then you can buy plain ones of a single color, or you could go for an assorted ribbon box. 

Many people nowadays are using several colors on a single type. Here, you can get both shaded color ribbons and those with differently colored patterns on them. Ribbons with two stripes of a contrasting color on their either side are considered to be very popular.

You can have similar patterns for the top as well as the bottom edges, though, advisably, dovetail bottom ends look very good on award ribbons. The ribbons could be plain, or they could be pinned on the top to a circular decorative pattern made from the same material.

Speaking of materials, satin is the most commonly used. It is lustrous and looks quite good when pinned to the shirt. It also holds colors and printed matter quite well. It ensures longevity, which is a must.

You have to customize the ribbon for the event you are conducting. You can get them customized for every feature it has - the color, the shape, the matter printed on it, extra frills, and designs, etc.

Selecting the right colors is very important, because that is the only thing that will be visible from a distance. You will have to use different colors, because you will need to distinguish between first place winners and the various runners-up and consolation prizes.

Even if you are awarding the ribbons for a special achievement, it is good manners to differentiate them according to the merit of the achievement. For example, if you are having a felicitation program for the employees of your organization, you could have different colors for Best Employee of the Year, Best Performers of the Year, retiring employees, etc.

Printing words on the ribbons is also very important. There are three main parts of what you print. The first is the logo or the emblem of your organization. This is preferably arranged at the top. On the middle portion, the event and the date is typically printed.

At the lower end of the ribbon, the name of the participant or the employee may or may not be printed. Many ribbon makers will tell you that printing the name of the recipient is optional, but it is good manners to personalize the ribbon with the recipient's name on it. That way, it becomes a real merit for the person who is getting honored.

Though we say printing, ribbons are not printed in the way paper is printed upon. Here, a different method called hotstamping is used. Die casts of the material to be printed on the ribbon are made first, and then these dies are stamped onto them. This ensures that the matter remains on the ribbon forever. The makers may charge extra for making the die.

Take time to select the ribbon you will be giving away to your guests. Remember that the function itself will not linger in the people's memories for long, but the mementos they take away will certainly remain in their bookshelves or on their mantelpieces for a very long time.