Etched Brass Plaques
Customizing Steel, Bronze and Brass Plaques
A plaque is already a custom product in that each plaque created by Aura Bronze Plaques is crafted for the specific needs of the client, but even further customization is available to make steel, bronze, aluminum, zinc, and brass plaques perfectly suited for your needs. When you are designing your plaque there is more to consider than just the shape of the plaque, or the text you what on it. You will also have to decide on other details that will create the ideal look for your project.
Size Options
Brass plaques can come in a wide variety of sizes. To get the best idea of size you must know where the plaque will be displayed, and the typical viewing distance of the visitor. For some guidance you can consult the Sizes and Materials page on our site. For cast plaques you will save a little by working with a standard size, such as 4x6, 4x8 4x10 and so forth. Plate sizes are priced per square inch and are not affected by “standard” dimension limits. If you are working at very large sizes, some metals are available in larger sizes than others. Rather than giving you all the details, it is simpler to give us a idea of what you are trying to do and let us provide the specific options in your case.
Material Options
We do not offer just brass plaques. Depending on your needs and the aesthetic you want from the final product, you can also select from bronze, copper, aluminum, zinc, and stainless steel. Each can be further customized using colors and textures, though some effects are specific to certain metals while others would not be able to handle them. If you are unsure of the material that would be most appropriate for your project, feel free to contact us. We love to help create a perfect plaque for our clients and we will walk you through the different metals and how they may impact your final product so you can select the one most suited to your needs.
Graphic Options
Another consideration for your plaque is how you wish your graphics to appear. This includes text and imagery that will be on your plaque, and it will make a major difference in how the final product looks. You can select between raised graphics or recessed graphics. Raised graphics are those that are elevated above the background surface of the plaque, while recessed graphics are those that appear sunken into the plaque.
Texture Options
If you choose cast plaques rather than etched plates, you can select from several textures to alter the appearance and feel of the recessed surfaces. These include leatherette, pebbled, travertine, sculptured, or smooth. We also have the ability to create a custom texture for your plaque.
Color Options
Other than the text and graphics that will appear on your plaque, you can customize brass plaques is by color selections for the recessed areas, raised areas or both. This will make the words stand out against the metal background, or blend with it, and can be used to highlight particular areas on the plaque, such as a beloved sports team, a nationality, an alma mater or simply a favorite color. There are many options available including green, shades of blue, cream, shades of red, black, and ivory. The most popular fill colors used are dark oxide, black, and dark brown. There are also metallic shades, and we can also custom match a color if appropriate for your particular vision.
Font Options
It is not simply the words on brass plaques that make the impact, but the type styles chosen and how they are typographically refined. This means choosing the right font to reflect the sentiment and intent behind the plaque. We offer over 20 standard font options, including the familiar Times New Roman, Arial and Copperplate Gothic styles. If there is a font that you know you want to use but it is not shown in our standard list, contact us and we can determine the further typographic options available for your needs.
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The advantages of etched metal plates:
- The availability of thinner plates than casting.
- Photoetching can produce sharper detail when that is important to the job.
- When a highly polished/mirror finish needs to be achieved, plate metals have an advantage
- Oxide finishes can also give their own visual style to the plate.
- Etched areas can be left unfilled, or “blind”, or can be infilled in a variety of colors after the etching process is completed.
For additional depth of image, plate graphics can also be applied as another layer on top of the under layer.
For the “warm-metal”, or “yellow-metal” appearance, brass is more often used than bronze in the photo-etching process, but both plate metals can be etched. Both are given protective clear coatings to retard the oxidation process, especially for exterior use.
Working and Pricing Direct
We work directly with our customers and work to bring the most competitive pricing possible for the need. To do so, we avoid selling to third party providers.
Metal plaques are often able to be priced on a per square inch basis, but in more unusual projects, there may be other cost factors involved, such as layered graphics, additional or custom colors, patina finishes, custom fonts, or detailed or even bas relief sculptured graphic images which are part of the work.
Please see the Finishes/Options page for more details.
