Coin Designer — Challenge Coin Engraving Files

Design laser-engraved coins, challenge coins, and medallions with AI. Get 3D previews and engraving-ready files for CO2, fiber, and rotary laser systems.

How do you design a challenge coin for laser engraving?

Describe or upload the design in Coin Designer, choose flat 2D vector minting or 3D bas-relief, and export at the 38 mm (1.5 inch) standard coin size or your own diameter. 2D designs export as SVG or DXF for any vector-capable laser; 3D mode produces a depth-map height field for fiber and MOPA relief engraving, or an STL for resin printing. A coin costs 2–15 credits depending on engine and depth tier.

Flat 2D coin design: a howling wolf over mountains inside a scrollwork border reading RETICLE RED PRECISION ENGRAVED — 2D vector design

The same coin design rendered as a shaded 3D relief — 2D vector design

Coin Designer at a glance: inputs, outputs, limits and cost

Input	A text description or uploaded artwork
Modes	2D laser design, 3D depth map and 3D HD relief
Size	38 mm (1.5 inch) by default, adjustable before export
Output	SVG or DXF vector templates, depth-map height fields and STL for 3D printing
Cost	2D design 2–6 credits; 3D depth map 5–10 credits; 3D HD relief 6–15 credits
Machines	Any vector laser for 2D; fiber and MOPA for relief; diode lasers can mark anodized aluminum blanks

What does Coin Designer make?

Generates challenge-coin templates, borders, and relief designs with AI assistance.
Builds layered 3D depth map layouts with front and back face matching.
Outputs vector silhouettes and high-contrast displacement maps.
Directly compatible with fiber laser marking machines and CNC engraving mills.

What Operators Say

“I love this software!”

Patrick Hussey — Laser engraver · went from never touching the software to firing real burns in his first week

“This is the easiest I have seen.”

Chris Clark — Laser engraver · Vanguard pack customer · builds custom 1911 grips

“Reticle Red is becoming one of my favorite software to use. It has a lot of tools that many others do not, and approaches things differently to create more consistent results. A++”

Daniel Webster — Laser engraver · long-time power user

“Reticle Red definitely takes the guess work out of your design work with tutorials to walk through the process. I highly recommend it.”

Justin Brown — Laser engraver

Open Coin Designer — Free to Start See Real Results →

Related to Coin Designer

Coin Designer: 2D & 3D Minting Tutorial →Designing Challenge Coins →MOPA Color Settings →Field Manual: Coin Designer →Design Custom Challenge Coins →Free V-Carve Text Depth Maps →Awards and trophy shops →

Frequently asked questions about Coin Designer

What is the standard size for a challenge coin?

The traditional military specification is 38mm (1.5 inches) in diameter. Coin Designer defaults to 38mm and lets you adjust size before exporting an SVG/DXF template or a 3D-printable STL file.

2D or 3D — which coin mode should I use?

Flat 2D vector minting is faster and works on any laser that cuts or engraves vector paths. 3D bas-relief mode generates a true depth-map height field for dimensional relief engraving — best on fiber and MOPA systems.

What laser settings work for engraving a coin?

Baseline fiber laser settings for stainless coin blanks: 500–800 mm/s speed, 60–80% power, 20–30 kHz frequency. Always run a test on scrap material first — see the Laser Lab calculators for machine-specific tuning.

Can I make challenge coins without a fiber laser?

Yes — export the 3D design as an STL and resin-print it, then finish with metallic paint. Diode lasers can also engrave anodized aluminum blanks by ablating the anodized layer.