Mixed Signals Medallion

The Mixed Signals Medallion is the most prestigious award for high achievement in poorly communicating feelings directly.

One side looks like a red stop sign but says YES, while the other side is a circle with a checkmark but says NO.

This design has been examined and approved as creative by my sweet grandparents.

If you're like me, you probably need to make this medal for yourself, not others, but use your own judgement.

Step 1. Print the medal

I used the following settings with an FFF/FDM 3d printer, but feel free to experiment.

Material: Bambu Lab PLA Tough (Gray)

Layer Height: 0.2 mm

Supports: None, but make sure to orient the “NO” side down, and take care to tune your printer so that it can handle the bridging on the letters. I added a 45 degree draft to the NO and the checkmark on that side to help a little.

Runtime: ~30 min on Bambu Lab X1C

Step 2. Decorate it

If you are able to print the medal using a decorative filament to begin with, such as silky gold, that might be all you need! I didn't have any on hand, so I decided to cut adhesive foil to match. This also enabled me to make the “YES” side red like a stop sign, adding to the confusion.

To cut out the vinyl pieces, you can use a machine such as a Cricut or Silhouette Cameo. Use the attached SVG files to make the cut lines, there's one for the Yes side and one for the No side. Each cut will need to be made on about 3x3 inch material. Then you just carefully apply it to each side of the medal.

If you do not have a cutting machine, you might try painting the letters by hand.

Step 3. Add a ribbon or lanyard

The model has a hole in the top so that you can thread a fancy ribbon, necklace chain, or lanyard hook so that the recipient of this fine achievement can wear it proudly.

If you make this please share your make on Printables so I can see your take on it! 🤙