Effective engraving and design on your trophies
Effective engraving on your trophies and plaques Having great engraving on your trophies and plaques can be as important as the design and materials. An inexpensive trophy or plaque can be more effective than an expensive one if effective engraving or printing is used. The engraving is about conveying what the trophy is for, and your message can be made more effective through good graphic design. For example, a corporate trophy or plaque will need a different layout and design than a sporting award. There are a number of ways to ensure effective engraving and design which are organised below depending on the purpose of the award. With new technologies used in the industry today; logos, fonts and even images can be laser engraved or printed onto trophies and plaques. Working with an awards company who have qualified graphic designers will ensure your engraving and personalisation adds to the design of the overall trophy rather than diminishing it.
Corporate trophies and plaques
The purpose of corporate awards is too celebrate contributions to the company; it can be meeting specific targets such as sales or new customers as well as more general categories like leadership or teamwork. The designs for these kinds of trophies and plaques need to both reflect the company brand and values, as well has the specific reason it is being presented for. The easiest way to incorporate branding in the engraving is too include the company logo. For acrylic and crystal awards these can be laser engraved in high quality; for plaques they can be either laser engraved or printed in full colour. The next step is to choose a good font. If there is text in the logo then this font can be matched in the text for the trophy or plaque. Alternatively a different font can also be used and when done effectively this can add to the overall feel of a design. For example sales trophies could use bold and flashy fonts or layouts to reflect the values and personalities of the sales team members. Lastly the layout and font sizing is very important. The dimensions and shape of the award need to taken into consideration, otherwise the engraving can make it look out of proportion or off centre. Angled or round shaped trophies will often look better with text that is laid out to follow the curves or angles in a design. Important elements need to be highlighted with bigger text and proportions should be maintained against the rest of the layout. As for the text itself, make sure the recipient’s name is included and stands out. Handing out generic ‘top sales’ or ‘best performer’ awards will have less impact than a personalised trophy. What they received the award for is also important followed by any other messages you like to include. The picture below demonstrates how the engraving design is able change the feel of the plaque. Script fonts and a good balanced layout give a formal impression that would not exist if a simple arial font were used.
Sports and personal trophies and plaques
These kinds of awards can be more flamboyant than corporate designs. With sports awards it is all about the team. So team colours should be incorporated where possible in the materials used as well as the engraving and personalisation. Since pictures and photos can be laser engraved or printed, these can also be incorporated. Presenting a trophy to the coach and management with an image of the team included is a great personal touch. The photos need to be converted to a watermark when printed and into a half-tone image if they are being engraved. Make sure your trophy shop has a good designer who is able to retain the detail and clarity of your images before engraving.
