# Design tips for FiveM-compatible weapon skins

> Design FiveM-compatible weapon skins that read in game: artwork choice, contrast on dark metal, logo size, panel placement, UV layouts and first-person testing.

Source: https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-weapon-skin-design-tips · FAM Tools · published 2026-09-11 · updated 2026-09-11 · about 8 min

**Short answer.** Use high-contrast artwork, keep logos large and simple, place them on visible flat panels (slide, receiver, stock) rather than across seams, avoid small text, pick colours that work with the weapon’s tint system, and always check the result on the 3D model in first and third person. Keep textures at sensible sizes and build a consistent style for your gang or server.

## Key points

- Contrast first — dark guns swallow dark artwork.
- Big, simple logos; no small text.
- Visible flat panels, not seams.
- Test on the model in first and third person.
- Consistent style for gangs and servers.

A skin that looks great as a flat image can disappear on a gun: logos too small to read, colours lost against black polymer, text broken across seams. A few habits — contrast, size, placement and testing on the model — make skins that read clearly in a firefight and in a screenshot.

## Artwork that survives the gun

- High-contrast images: bright on dark, or dark with a light outline.
- Simple shapes read at a distance; detailed illustrations turn to noise.
- PNG with transparency for logos, so the metal shows around them.
- Resolution of the source matters less than its clarity.

## Placement

| Good spots | Avoid |
| --- | --- |
| Pistol slide sides | Across UV seams (the image splits) |
| Rifle receiver and magazine | Tiny parts (trigger, screws) |
| Stock and handguard panels | Areas hidden by attachments |

Our studio analyses each weapon’s 3D model and places artwork on its visible panels automatically — see [making a weapon skin](https://fam-tools.com/guides/make-a-fivem-weapon-skin).

## Materials and tints

The specular map decides what shines: artwork painted over a matte area stays matte. Weapons on `_tnt` shaders recolour parts with tints, so test your skin with the tints players will use — see [normal and specular maps](https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-normal-specular-maps) and [weapon tints](https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-weapon-tints-list).

## Testing

1. Preview on the 3D model from every side.
2. Check in first person — the view players see most.
3. Check in daylight and at night.
4. Look at it from a few metres away: is the logo still recognisable?

## A consistent style

Gang and server skins work best as a family: the same colours and logo placement across pistols, SMGs and rifles. Keep file sizes sensible — see [texture resolution](https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-weapon-texture-resolution) — and export as a replacement for the vanilla weapon so installation is trivial.

## Questions

### How do I make a good FiveM-compatible weapon skin?

Use high-contrast, simple artwork on visible panels and test it on the 3D model in first and third person.

### Why is my logo hard to see in game?

Low contrast against the dark weapon or too small. Enlarge it and add a light outline.

### Where should logos go on a pistol?

On the slide sides — large, flat and visible in first person.

### Do skins work with weapon tints?

Tint shaders recolour parts of the weapon; test your skin with the tints your players use.

## Related

- https://fam-tools.com/guides/make-a-fivem-weapon-skin
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-normal-specular-maps
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/fivem-weapon-texture-resolution
- https://fam-tools.com/guides/codewalker-ytd-editing