Designing cast bronze plaques is not too difficult as long as you follow some basic guidelines. The most basic type of plaque is one that has just words. Once you start adding elements like logos, photos, and other designs then you need to be aware of additional restraints. There are other informational tabs that will provide you with more information on those topics.

The simplest type of plaque utilizes the same font height throughout the plaque. This is one of the most common methods especially if you have limited room. One of the most important things you need to know is the minimum letter size.

From the very beginning, you should have a good idea of what you want your plaque to look like. Some want a plaque that is artistic looking with different font styles and heights. Others are looking for plain plaques that provide basic information. If you are looking for a small plaque, or one that fits in a particular area, then you may find that the amount of information that you can put on the plaque is quite limiting. If size is not an issue, then you have the freedom to add lots of different types of elements. The only thing that will limit what you do is the final price.

The majority of options on plaques do not add additional charges; however, the bigger the plaque the more expensive it will be. The overall price can increase quickly since pricing is based on the overall square inches of the plaque, and the bigger the plaque the thicker it must be, so as plaques get larger the price can quickly escalate.

In order to help with pricing, we try to provide an all inclusive price. That being said, there are some options that do indeed have an impact on the price, such as the use of photos, multiple paint colors, stakes and posts, or if you want the plaque polished.

The vast majority of plaques use all uppercase letters. For those not use to metal plaques it may seem strange to use all uppercase letters, but this is the industry standard. Now, nothing stops you from using upper and lowercase letters, but due to minimum font sizes in cast bronze plaques you should be aware of the impact.

The casting process requires a certain thickness on the raised letters. Too small of letters will crumble and fail after casting. So, if you are using all uppercase letters, the minimum font height is .25″

If you want to use lowercase letters, then we need to make sure that none of the letters are smaller than the .25″ size standard. We have calculated that .375″ font height makes sure that the lowercase letters are no smaller than .25″.

To provide a visual, the upper plaque has all uppercase letters at .25″. The lower plaque has lowercase letters and they were sized at .375″. You can see the impact that can have on a plaque – especially if you have a lot of text, or a limited plaque size.

The majority of cast bronze plaques utilize four background colors: Black, Brown, Duranodic Bronze, and Dark Oxide. Of these four colors, black by far is the most commonly chosen color. This does not mean that you are limited to just these four colors. If you are looking for another background color, please choose the product Cast Bronze Plaque – Custom Color.

There are four textures to choose from: Stipple, Leatherette, Pebble and Sand. Of these, the most common is stipple. Usually larger plaques look nice with the leatherette finish.

There are two finish options – brushed and polished. Brushed is the standard is by far the most popular. You can choose to have the plaques polished to give them a high shine; however, this process adds a 50% charge to the plaques and is best reserved for smaller less expensive plaques.

The clear coat options are self-explanatory and they are Gloss, Semi-Gloss, Satin, and Matte. The default option is Satin and is the most popular. The second most popular is matte. If you are choosing a Polished finish, then you would also want to choose a Gloss clear coat – anything else would diminish the polished look.

The most common types of borders are Single Line Border and Double Line Border, followed by the same but with beveled edges. Borders are purely for decoration and you can choose whichever one you think would look the best. The one thing to keep in mind is if you are limited for space, or are designing a small plaque, the borders can take up a lot of space; furthermore, the use of rosettes can also encroach your typeset area. So, if your plaque is too small for the amount of text and border, you may have to either choose a larger plaque size or omit the border altogether.

We offer a number of border options to choose from, but all are pretty basic in style. We also have available some fancier border options, but those add cost to the plaque.

Here is an explanation of all the mounting options:

Blind Mount: This is one of the most common mounting options. This type of mount is meant to be a permanent installation and all hardware is hidden. The back of the plaques have threaded holes drilled and there are threaded rods provided with the plaques. When you receive the plaque you can screw in the rods into the back of the plaque. Then you would drill holes into the product your stone or other solid product. The holes are then filled with epoxy and then the plaque with rods are placed into place, with the rods inserted into the epoxy filled holes. Once dried, the plaque is locked in place.

Solid Wall Mount: This method is also meant to be on a solid surface, such as stone or a concrete wall. The difference between this and blind mount is that the hardware is visible on the plaque. Holes are predrilled into the surface and then screws / bolts are used to anchor the plaque to the wall. This method is good if you ever want to remove the plaque in the future.

Hollow Wall Mount: This option is good if you want to attach a plaque to drywall or other hollow walls. This option utilized toggle bolts that will anchor inside the hollow wall application. The hardware is visible.

Wood Mount: This option is for attaching a plaque to a surface that screws can be screwed into.

Stake Mount: The minimum plaque height needed for a stake mount is 4″. This is meant for small plaques to be placed in gardens, in front of trees, or in any area where you want the ability to remove and place again. Stakes come in three heights: 12″, 24″ and 36″. The one thing to keep in mind is that the stake needs to be pushed into the ground deep enough to provide stability, so a 12″ stake would usually make the bottom of the plaque be only a couple of inches above the ground. If you would like the plaque to be about 12″ above the ground, then you would want a 24″ stake and a 36″ stake for an 18″ height.

Post Mount: The minimum plaque height needed for a post mount is 6″.This is meant for a permanent installation of a plaque above the ground. Posts are meant to be concreted into the ground. The nice thing about post mounts is that there are two options for displaying the plaque – either vertical at a 90 degree angle or at a 45 degree angle. The posts used for the mounting option are specially designed to be attached to the post mount on the back of the plaque. The posts are not typical post sizes.

Rosettes are decorative covers for the mounting hardware and are purely decorative and not necessary. Blind mount plaques do require any type of rosette. The other mounting options can utilize the rosettes to either completely hide the screw or to make the screw more attractive. Rosettes are usually permanently attached to the plaque using silicone glue.

Etched plaques are reverse of what cast bronze plaques are. Etched plaques have recessed letter that are painted. Etched plaques offer more detail possibilities, so if you are tight on overall size and need more letters than a traditional cast bronze plaque can offer, then an etched plaque might be your best choice. There are still restrictions on line thickness and minimum font height, but that will also depend on the font. San-serif fonts, like Arial, will allow for smaller fonts, such as .13″, while serif fonts like Times has a minimum font height of .2

Etched plaques are also good for when you have a detailed logo or drawing that needs to be on a plaque. Etched plaques allow all of the text and logo to be integrated on one surface. Sometimes, customers request a cast bronze plaque but need a state seal or logo. In those cases, we can have the seal or logo etched on a round etched metal and then have that permanently attached to the cast bronze plaque.

There are many reasons why customers choose aluminum plaques. Sometimes it is because the customer needs a lightweight option. Other times, the customer is looking for a less expensive plaque. Cast Aluminum plaques is the way to go when you are on a budget and need a light plaque option.

Because cast aluminum plaques are less expensive and lightweight, they are often chosen for monument or historical place markers. These plaques are usually painted with multiple colors, such as a dark green or blue background color and then the lettering may be painted white.

Donation and memorial plaques usually require a bit more care in the planning and design. These types of plaques often have lists of names and particular layouts. The most common way is to have all the names cast or etched right into the plaque, while other times customers need individual plates to be screwed onto the plaque for years to come. No matter which option you need, we can help you choose the right size and layout for your project.