Coin Designer

Custom commemorative coins, 2D vector or 3D bas-relief.

The Coin Designer mints custom 1.5"–3" commemorative coins from a subject prompt, optional reference photo, top and bottom arc text, and a style. Two output modes — pick one when you start:

Operating Steps

Step 1: Pick a Mode (2D or 3D)

On the first screen, choose 2D Engraving or 3D Bas-Relief. This choice locks in for the session — you can start over to switch.

Step 2: DESIGN tab — Fill in the form

Subject (e.g. 'eagle in flight'), top arc text, bottom arc text, diameter (1.5–3.0 inches), finish (polished/satin/antique/matte), and optional reference photo. The subject field is required before MINT activates.

Step 3: STYLE tab — Pick a visual style

100+ style cards across 10 categories — scrollwork, cultural, nature, tactical, retro, sculptural relief, etc. The style descriptor is sent to the AI to bias the generation. 'No style' is also valid.

Step 4: MINT — Pick an engine and generate

Choose your engine first: SPARK (the default — fast, value pricing) or ULTRA (premium — richest detail and rim lettering). The MINT button always shows the live credit cost for your engine + mode. 2D mode takes ~20s. 3D mode takes ~40–60s because it runs two AI calls sequentially. You'll see the pipeline stepper progress through DESIGN → MINT → EXPORT.

Step 5: (3D only) Tune in Relief Settings + Depth Calibration

The 3D output exposes Smoothing, Relief Contrast, Edge Bezel, 3D Elevation, Coin Thickness, Surface Detail Restoration, and a live histogram. See 'Depth Map Mastery' for what each control does.

Step 6: Toggle 3D PREVIEW / DEPTH VIEW

3D PREVIEW renders the coin as a metal mesh with the depth map driving displacement — gold/silver/etc. material shading, displaced geometry, orbit to inspect. DEPTH VIEW shows the raw 16-bit height map PNG (what your laser will actually use).

Step 7: Export at 300 or 600 DPI

The output panel offers PNG export at 300 DPI (standard) or 600 DPI (fine detail). 3D mode also exports the 16-bit height map separately for LightBurn.

Tactical Tip

The 3D pipeline always returns two files: the artistic 2D coin (shown in the preview) and the true depth map (used for the 3D mesh and laser export). Toggle between them with the 3D PREVIEW / DEPTH VIEW buttons above the canvas. If your depth map looks like "just a head" or "just the subject," that's the Reticle Depth Engine doing its job — turn up Surface Detail Restoration to bring the surrounding art back into the engraving.

2D Engraving — from 2 CR

Flat monochrome vector line art. SPARK engine 2 CR · ULTRA 3 CR. Direct laser engraving on metal, wood, or acrylic. CO2 or Fiber.

3D Bas-Relief — from 4 CR

Two-stage pipeline: Reticle Depth Core renders a sculpted artistic coin, then the Reticle Depth Engine extracts a true 16-bit height map. SPARK engine 4 CR · ULTRA 6 CR. 2.5D engraving territory.

3D Mesh Reading Guide

In 3D PREVIEW, the coin shows in your chosen material color (gold/silver/copper/etc.) with the depth map driving displacement only. The material color is for visualization — laser export is always grayscale. To see the raw height data, switch to DEPTH VIEW.

Open Coin Designer Tool Workspace