Etched Plaques

Etched plaques bring intricate artwork to life with incredible detail. Complex designs are chemically etched into the surface of bronze, brass, or stainless steel, creating shallow recessed areas that are paint-filled for contrast. The result is a crisp, finely detailed design on a single-level, flat surface—ideal for photographs, building renderings, crests, and small type.

Why Choose Etched?

• Exceptional detail: Reproduces fine lines, small text, and intricate logos better than casting.

• Clean, modern look: Flat, professional surface with sharp edges.

• Versatile materials: Choose bronze, brass, or stainless steel for the look and environment.

• Great for photos: Halftone photo etching delivers realistic image reproduction in monochrome.

• Indoor or outdoor: Durable finishes and protective topcoats available.

How It’s Made (At a Glance)

1. Your artwork is converted to etch-ready linework (and halftone if using a photo).

2. The design is chemically etched into sheet metal, creating recessed areas.

3. Recessed areas are paint-filled (or background painted) for contrast.

4. The plaque is finished (satin/brushed) and top-coated as needed.

Materials & Finishes

• Bronze: Classic architectural tone; develops a warm patina outdoors over time.

• Brass: Bright, golden look with high contrast when paint-filled.

• Stainless Steel: Contemporary silver-gray; excellent in humid or coastal settings.

Finishes: Satin/brushed metal, painted backgrounds (multiple colors), oxidized/antique effects on bronze/brass, clear protective topcoat.
Color fills: Spot colors available for recessed areas. Provide Pantone/CMYK/RGB targets for best matching.

Artwork & File Prep

• Vector preferred: AI, EPS, PDF, or SVG (fonts outlined).

• Photos: 300 dpi at final size (TIFF/PNG/JPG). We’ll convert to halftone for etching.

• Minimums (typical):

  • Smallest text: ~0.1875 in (4.8 mm) height (can vary by font/weight).

  • Minimum stroke/line: ~0.010–0.015 in (0.25–0.38 mm).

• Best practices: Avoid hairline strokes; ensure solid fills; expand effects; include a reference PDF.

We’ll confirm exact manufacturable minimums during proofing based on your plaque size.

Size, Thickness & Mounting

• Common thicknesses: Thin to medium sheet stock suitable for etched work (we’ll spec the best option for your size and location).

• Mounting options:

  • Blind Mount (studs) for stone/brick/concrete (clean, no visible fasteners)

  • Solid Wall with anchors (masonry)

  • Hollow Wall (toggle/expansion anchors)

  • Wood Mount (stainless screws)

  • Stake/Post systems for freestanding applications (see our Mounting Options page)

When using Blind Mount or Solid Wall, apply construction adhesive (e.g., PLMAXX) in the drilled holes and on the back of the plaque. Do not install in direct contact with stucco—use separating spacers.

Ideal Uses

Donor recognition, professional offices, hospitals, universities, museums, historic imagery, architectural drawings, detailed crests and seals, wayfinding with small type.

Lead Time

Typical production time for etched/photo plaques is about 15 business days after payment and final proof approval. Allow a few extra days for proofing and any artwork revisions. For ceremonies or unveilings, plan a 30–45 day total project window to ensure timely delivery.

Care & Maintenance

Clean periodically with warm water and mild dish soap using a soft cloth in the direction of the grain. Rinse and dry immediately. Avoid abrasives, bleach, ammonia, and pressure washing.

What to Send with Your Order

• Vector artwork (or high-res photo), font files or outlined text

• Metal choice, finish, paint/spot colors, and mounting method

• Final physical size, location (indoor/outdoor), and timeline

• Any branding rules (Pantone values, clear space, etc.)

Materials

What materials can I use for etched plaques?

Our etched plaques are available in three metal materials.

Stainless Steel  (Alloy C304)	Bronze (Alloy C22000)	Brass (Alloy C46400)

Min/Max Heights 

How small can etched plaques be?

They can be as small as 2 inches by 2 inches.

How big can an etched plaque be?

Depending on material thickness, an etched plaque can be up to 36 inches by 72 inches.

Depth

What thicknesses are available for etched plaques?

Our etched plaques come in three thicknesses.

Background Colors

What background colors can etched plaques be?

We have a selection of standard background colors or provide your own custom paint color.

For multi-color paint fill, add $121 (US) or $163 (CND) per color. Additional colors are available.

Typeface/Font

Can etched plaques be made in a custom font?

We have a standard selection of fonts or custom fonts for etched plaques.

Raised or Recessed Graphics

Our etched plaques come in paint-filled recessed text and graphics. Customers can have raised text, but there are stroke and artwork limitations with raised graphics.

In raised text plaques, the background is painted, leaving the text or graphics in the alloy color.

Recessed Graphics (standard)	Raised Graphics (optional, +10%)

Edges  

Customers have two edge choices for their made-to-order plaque: square or bevel edges. It’s important to note that the edge color matches the fill color.

Square Edge: The edge is at a straight 90˚, a standard for etched plaques.	Bevel Edge: A 41˚ bevel edge is applied at 1/2 the material thickness (optional, +10%). Bevel edges are not available on 1/16 in thick material.

Line Art and Photography

Can a photograph or drawing be etched?

Sketches or drawings can be reproduced into a black-and-white line drawing for etching to produce clean, fine lines. There is no halftone screening used in this process for sketches or drawings.

Etched photos are created with halftone images that resemble newspaper photographs and have visible dot patterns. These dots are filled with black paint to contrast the brushed metal finish. High-contrast photographs work best for etched images up to twenty-four-by-twenty-four inches. Additional costs apply for complex line art and photo etching.

Complex line art or halftone photographs, add a minimum of $215 (US) or $289 (CND). Not available in aluminum.

Halftone photographs available up to 24 inches by 24 inches maximum.

Finishes

What finishes are available for etched plaques?

Etched plaques come in a variety of finishes depending on the metal material.

	Brushed Standard on raised or recessed plaques
	Random Orbital Recessed text plaques only, add 15%
	Paint-filled Recessed plaques only. Multi-color paint fill, add $215 (US) or $289 (CND) per color up to two colors. For additional colors, submit your art for review and special pricing.
	Polished Recessed plaques only, add 60%. Not all plaques may be polished as size limitations may apply.
	Chemically Oxidized Available for bronze and brass only up to 18 inch x 24 inch. Optional +15%.

Clear Coat

We have four clear coat options to seal your plaque for a long-lasting installation.

Clear Coat Options

Satin	Gloss	Semi-gloss	Matte

Install Environment 

Where can I install etched plaques?

Etched plaques are for interior or exterior installations.

What mounting options are there for etched plaques?

We have five surface mounting options for etched plaques.

Surface Mounts

Blind Stud Mount	Blind Stud Mount	Thru-hole Mount	Double Face Tape Mount
Welded Stud Boss – 1/8 inch material only.	Drilled and tapped Standard for 1/4″ and thicker material.	No mounting hardware included	Size and thickness limitations will apply. For interior applications only.
Plain Mount	Solid Wall Mount Machine Screws	Hollow Wall Mount Machine Screws with Toggle Wings	Wood Mount Wood Screws

Stake Mounts (Minimum 1/4″ thickness required)

Garden Stake Mount  A garden stake mount includes a coated black stake and screws for assembly to the plaque. Up to two stakes are available for a single plaque. The minimum plaque height required is 4 inches. The maximum plaque size for a garden stake mount is 12 inches wide by 8 inches high for one stake or 20 inches wide by 8 inches high for two stakes.. Machine screws through 5/16-inch thick black stakes are placed into the back of the plaque.

Post Mount A post mount includes black coated aluminum brackets attached to the back of the plaque by machine screws. The square aluminum post bolted into the aluminum bracket is at a 45˚ or 90˚ angle.  Plaques over 24 inches wide (or over 575 square inches) require two posts. A 1-inch post is on a 4-inch by 6-inch bracket.  A 1-1/2 inch post is on a 5-inch by 7-inch bracket.  A 2-inch post is on a 6-inch by 8-inch bracket.

Recessed Text and Line Art

Minimum serif: 0.01 in
Minimum stroke: 0.01 in

Recessed gaps

For text and line art: 0.01 in

Raised Text and Line Art

Minimum serif: 0.01 in
Minimum stroke: 0.01 in

Recessed gaps

For text: 0.008 in	For line art: 0.01 in

Custom Shapes

A minimum gap of 0.063 inch with custom shapes