How much does an engraved plaque cost

The cost of an engraved plaque depends on many things: The size, the type of engraved plate that is on the plaque, the type of wood that the plaque is made of, and the engraving itself. A custom engraved plaque can range in price from under $10 to well over $100. So the simple answer is: It depends. Insert pictures of plaques: 5x7, 7x9 cherry, 9x12 walnut with logo engraved The cheapest engraved plaques would be the smallest in size, made from man-made wood, and with a plastic engraved plate. These plaques limit the amount and type of engraving you can add and rarely let you change or modify the artwork. But these plaques are custom made, custom engraved, and do look very nice. These types of plaques can be purchased for around $10 each, with discounts given for quantity purchases.

Larger plaques with a printed aluminum metal plate would be the next step up in terms of quality and cost. Using a technique known as sublimation, text and images can be printed on a metal plate that is attached to a wooden plaque. Sublimation creates images (text or artwork) that is imbedded into a polyester layer on the surface of the metal. The result is an image with depth and bright colors that is very durable. The effects can be very striking and quite avant garde.

Insert color printed plaque

Instead of engraving or printing a plate to attach to a wood plaque, we can use a laser to engrave directly into to surface of the plaque. This produces a wood burned effect for a more natural or “woodsy” look. A great look especially if your organization is outdoor based or relates to outdoor activities or causes.

Insert wood engraved plaque

Standard engraved plaques with a traditional brass plate would be the next most expensive type of plaque. When people think of custom engraved plaques, this is what comes to mind. A brass plate is coated in black or some other color and decoratively trimmed along the edges. The coating is removed with either a mechanical engraver or a laser engraver revealing the brass plate beneath. The result is brass colored letters on a dark background. The custom engraved brass plate is attached to a wood plaque to finish the piece. The plaque can be made of manufactured wood (mdf or particle wood), solid wood of maple, oak, bamboo, walnut, or some other type of wood, or a stained, polished solid wood known as “piano finish” wood. Depending on the size of the plaque and the grade of the wood, the completed custom engraved plaque can cost anywhere from under $30 to over $100.

Insert pictures of traditional plaques

Floating glass or acrylic on real wood is most expensive type of custom engraved plaque. These plaques consist of a panel of acrylic or glass that is laser engraved or sand blasted with a reverse image on the back side of the clear plate to produce engraving that is frosted in color. The clear plate is attached to the solid wood plaque (typically with a piano finish) with metal stand-offs or metal magnets. The resulting custom engraved plaque is beautiful and distinctive. Because of the materials and the labor involved, these floating plaques typically cost over $100 each.

Insert picture of floating acrylic plaque

Some engravers, especially those using mechanical engraving technologies, charge a fee per letter. Other custom engravers charge a fixed fee for a given number of characters and charge per character for any characters in excess of the base layout. To set up the layout and provide proofs, there may be set up fees or proof fees. If you add artwork or a logo to the engraving, there may be additional set up fees, too. So, just as with the plaques themselves, the cost for the engraving can vary, too. Finally, depending on your purpose or your audience or the event you are commemorating, there are custom engraved plaques available to fit. How much they ultimately cost depends on many factors including the size, materials used, engraving techniques used and the amount and type of engraving.