Photo Plaques: Choose the Perfect Style for Your Image

Not all “photo plaques” are created the same. Depending on where the plaque will live, how detailed the image is, and the look you want—classic sculpted, crisp engraved, or full-color—one method may fit better than another. Use this guide to compare options and choose confidently.

BAS Relief (Hand-Sculpted Dimensional Portrait)

Look & feel: Traditional, museum-quality sculpture with a raised portrait that captures major facial features and expression.
How it’s made: An artist sculpts a bas-relief from your photo; the relief is cast in bronze or aluminum and hand-finished.
Best for: Memorials, civic dedications, halls of fame, religious/academic settings.
Depth & detail: Highest dimensionality; emphasizes form over tiny details.
Durability: Outstanding outdoors; ages gracefully.
Artwork needed: A high-resolution, front-facing photo (300+ dpi), plus any secondary angles if available.
Notes: Longest lead time; most premium look and investment.

Etched Photo (Fine-Line Monochrome)

Look & feel: Photographic detail rendered as tiny dots/lines etched into metal (usually stainless, brass, or bronze).
How it’s made: Your photo is converted to a halftone and chemically etched; darks/lights appear as metal vs. oxidized background.
Best for: Detailed portraits, building images, complex logos where line detail matters.
Depth & detail: Very high fine detail; flat surface.
Durability: Excellent—especially in stainless/bronze—suited for exterior use.
Artwork needed: 300 dpi photo at final size; avoid overly dark, low-contrast images.
Notes: Typically monochrome; color is not used (can be paired with painted backgrounds).

Flat Relief (Raised Graphics from Simplified Art)

Look & feel: Clean, graphic look with raised foreground and recessed background—like a silhouette with selective detail.
How it’s made: Your photo is artist-simplified into distinct shapes; those become raised during casting.
Best for: Bold portraits, icons, crests where readability from a distance is key.
Depth & detail: Moderate dimensionality; less micro-detail than bas relief.
Durability: Excellent outdoors.
Artwork needed: Clear photo and/or vector logo; we’ll simplify to strong shapes.
Notes: Great balance of dimension, legibility, and cost.

Photo Relief (High-Detail Image on Metal with Protective Topcoat)

Look & feel: Your actual photo reproduced in high resolution on metal, then sealed—realistic and detailed.
How it’s made: The image is printed or embedded into a metal substrate (often aluminum/bronze backplate), then top-coated.
Best for: Story panels, interpretive signs, collages, landscapes, building photos.
Depth & detail: High photographic fidelity; primarily flat.
Durability: Very good; choose UV-stable options for exterior.
Artwork needed: 300 dpi at full size (bigger is better), TIFF/JPG/PNG.
Notes: Ideal when the true photo (not an interpretation) matters.

UV-Printed Plaques (Full-Color, Direct-to-Metal)

Look & feel: Vivid, full-color print on metal with crisp type and graphics.
How it’s made: UV-curable inks are printed directly onto metal, often over a painted or brushed base, then clear-coated.
Best for: Donor walls, indoor displays, wayfinding, corporate branding with strict colors.
Depth & detail: Flat surface; excellent color accuracy.
Durability: Best indoors or covered locations; for exterior choose UV-stable inks and clear coats.
Artwork needed: Vector files for logos (AI/EPS/SVG) + 300 dpi images for photos; include brand color values (Pantone/CMYK/RGB).
Notes: Fast turnarounds and budget-friendly compared to sculpted options.

Quick Comparison

Stars indicate relative levels versus other methods on this page.

Artwork & File Guidelines

• Photos: 300 dpi at final size (TIFF/JPG/PNG). Avoid screenshots or compressed images.

• Logos/Badges: Vector (AI/EPS/SVG). Convert fonts to outlines or include fonts.

• Color: Provide Pantone/CMYK/RGB values for brand consistency (UV/Photo Relief).

• Retouching: We can adjust exposure/contrast and simplify images for Flat Relief.

• Proofing: You’ll receive a digital proof; sculpted methods include an approval stage.

Finish & Mounting Options

• Metals: Bronze or aluminum (others available for etched).

• Backgrounds: Painted, patinated/oxidized, or brushed.

• Coatings: Clear polyurethane or UV-stable options based on location.

• Mounting: Studs, hidden brackets, blind mounts, standoffs; hardware matched to substrate (brick, stone, drywall, etc.).

How to Choose

• Want a timeless, sculpted tribute? BAS Relief

• Need micro-detail in metal, monochrome? Etched Photo

• Prefer bold readability with some dimension? Flat Relief

• Want your actual photo reproduced on metal? Photo Relief

• Need full-color graphics or fast, budget-friendly installs? UV Printed

BAS Relief Photo Plaque

BAS Relief photo plaques are the most expensive option. We utilize artists who will sculpt into clay the person’s image from a photograph. Once you approve the sculpted proof, it is then cast and attached the plaque. Please be aware, that the sculpting and proofing process for the BAS Relief photo plaque can take at least six weeks. Also, please be aware that an artist will recreate a person from a single photo. This is a snapshot of a person that the artis will use, so it should be of the highest quality. Poor quality photos will result in a less than perfect reproduction. Artists can not combine pictures or elements. You should also realize that the goal is to get to around an 80% likeliness. Once the initial proof is done you will have an opportunity to request changes. This is your time to provide feedback, but it is important to be as informative as you can. We allow up to three proofs after the initial one, after that proof fees can be $75-$100 each. Starting over from scratch is not an option if the first proof does not come out the way you imagined. Please remember, this is an artist’s reproduction of a 2D image into a 3D one.

Starting Price for just the BAS Relief: $2,200.00

Flat Relief Photo Plaque

Flat Relief photos uses a technique that captures certain elements of a photo to reproduce the person’s likeness into a 2D format. This type of photo option requires a high resolution photo with good contrast. Customers should be aware that the flattening of a photo will impact the final result compared to the original photo. You can see with this example in comparison to the BAS Relief, that this process may lose some of the character of the photo. Some photos will provide better results than others.

Starting Price for a Flat Relief Photo: $443.00

PhotoRelief Plaque

PhotoRelief plaques utilizes a special process that allows you to use photo or photos to create a plaque that also has integrated text. The relief of the photo is not very much, but enough to provide a likeness that and photo option that is affordable and great looking.

There is no additional cost for a photo on these plaques since the entire plaque is priced as one piece including a photo.

An 8″ x 12″ Bronze Plaque begins at $959.00

Etched Photo Insert Plaque

Etched Insert Photo Plaques is probably the most common way to insert a photo on a plaque. This method begins with a photo that is then used to create an etched photo. This process utilizes a similar technique to how newspapers print photos – using lots of tiny dots to create shades. Instead of ink though, this process uses acid to etch into the metal which provides a realistic version of the photo used.

We will alter the photo to remove the background and to enhance the picture for the process. We do recommend a high quality photo, and one that has good contrast to provide the best result.

Overall, for the quality and ability to attach a photo, the cost to product ratio is excellent.

Price to include an etched photo: $550.00

UV Printed Photo Plaque

For the truest reproduction of a photo we offer a UV Printed picture option. This process uses a special UV ink to print the photo directly onto the plaque. This is one of the least expensive photo options and also one of the most lenient when it comes to photo quality. Even though the process uses UV cured ink, this type of print will fade if placed in the direct sun. This process does come with a ten year guarantee; however, it is usually best suited for either indoor usage or outside if in a shaded or sun protected area.

Price for a UV Photo: $125.00