FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When you give a custom award, it should show that you know the individual personally. It should also be specific to the employee’s specific accomplishment, as well as how that accomplishment benefited the company. This ties it all back to teamwork – humans are social animals, and we want to be part of a team.
- Color of the engraving or imprinting a plate - Generally you will want to use metal that will provide good contrast to the lettering. Our most popular color combination is black imprinting on a gold plate. Other considerations on plate color involve the utilization of company school, club or team colors.
- Color of the rim (or border) plate that surrounds the engraving plate - In most cases you will want to choose a color for the rim (or border) plate that surrounds the engraving plate. A plaque for a school or club whose colors are red and blue might consist of red engraving plate, blue border plate and silver engraving.
- Lettering color - The lettering itself can be silver, gold or black - or take advantage of our FULL COLOR PROCESS for a stunningly dramatic presentation.
- Lettering font - See recommended fonts below
Be sure to consult our professional sales staff for further details and recommendations, custom-designed for YOU.
A. Engraving will be centered from left to right and top to bottom. Spacing between lines will depend on the award you have chosen and the number of engraving lines. We are happy to accommodate special instructions, if possible. To enter special instructions:
1. Select all options for your trophy or award.
2. Enter your engraving in the standard fields or leave blank and enter on the next page.
3. Click on the order button.
4. After filling in the basic shipping information, you will see a blank area for "Special Instructions" towards the bottom of the page. Enter all of your engraving and special instructions in this section.
A. Yes, please see our Plaque Wording Ideas and Trophy Wording Ideas.
A. The size of the standard fields are set based on optimum size characters for a particular award. However, we would be happy to accommodate your special request (assuming your wording fits). There is an additional charge for each character over what is allowed in the standard fields. This charge will not appear on your initial order, but will be added manually. Contact customer service for current pricing. If you need more space than given in the standard field, simply:
1. Select all options for your trophy or award.
2. Leave the standard engraving blank.
3. Click on the order button.
4. After filling in the basic shipping information, you will see a blank area for "Special Instructions" towards the bottom of the page. Enter all of your engraving and special instructions in this section.
5. Continue to place your order.
A. Special characters, such as lines and squiggles are usually possible on standard plaques and larger trophies. Must be seen on a standard keyboard. There is an additional charge for each squiggle or line. Contact customer service for current pricing.
1. Select all options for your trophy or award.
2. Leave the standard engraving blank.
3. Click on the order button.
4. After filling in the basic shipping information, you will see a blank area for "Special Instructions" towards the bottom of the page. Enter all of your engraving and special instructions in this section.
A. Yes, on cup trophies that have larger bases (most of the appropriate trophies will have a drop-down area to indicate you would like a perpetual award. We are often asked about how many lines will fit on a standard base. There is no one answer, as we can use different font sizes depending upon your requirements. In general, on the larger trophy bases, we would recommend no more than 8-10 lines. There is an additional charge for each character over what is allowed in the standard fields. This charge will not appear on your initial order, but will be added manually. Contact customer service for current pricing. We can also engrave in 2 columns if required. If you select a perpetual trophy, the plates will be mounted with screws for later removal. In some cases, it will be easier to ship a new plate for future years, and in others, it may be possible to add to your existing engraving. To enter special instructions:
1. Select all options for your trophy or award.
2. Leave the standard engraving blank.
3. Click on the order button.
4. After filling in the basic shipping information, you will see a blank area for "Special Instructions" towards the bottom of the page. Enter all of your engraving and special instructions in this section.
A. Yes, we can put blank plates on the sides and back of most perpetual trophies. There is an additional charge for each plate - this includes the plate and mounting. his charge will not appear on your initial order, but will be added manually. Contact customer service for current pricing. If you wish to order blank plates, please enter the appropriate information in the special instructions section:
1. Select all options for your trophy or award.
2. Leave the standard engraving blank.
3. Click on the order button.
4. After filling in the basic shipping information, you will see a blank area for "Special Instructions" towards the bottom of the page. Enter all of your engraving and special instructions in this section.
A. All of our plaques can be engraved, but the number of characters and lines varies based on style and size.
Q. Do trophies include engraving?
A. Yes, trophies and plaques include free engraving (trophies on the base and plaques on the main engraving plate).
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Insist on Crystal Trophies, Awards and Plaques made by Crystal Corp. for beauty and durability to continue your legacy.
we can make it” The level of detail and craft is something that’s inscribed within the original design concept. Our wide range of processes involve Model Making, Laser cutting, Laser Engraving, Sand Blasting, UV Digital Printing, Deep Etching, 3D printing, Projection Mapping that gives dynamics to our high-quality products which are close to our heart. Each process is focus driven to an immaculate quality product that leaves a long-lasting impression.
If you thought all trophy engraving was the same, think again. The type of engraving you choose will depend on the material your trophy is made from and the look you’re going for. At mtcpromo we offer four methods to personalize custom awards:
- Abrasive etching: Also called deep etching, this is the most detailed type of trophy engraving. It’s a relatively in-depth process that involves creating a template and using a sandblasting technique to etch the design. This is the type of etching used on our crystal awards and trophies.
- Laser engraving: Laser trophy engraving is a quick and easy process, making it a more affordable option. It can only be done on flat surfaces, such as the plates on the bases of trophies.
- UV Printing: UV Printing is a process using quick drying inks that are then exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light curing technology, which gives images and text a sharper detail.
- Full color: This means that the etched letters, logos or designs are filled with color. It’s usually necessary in order to see the inscription on metal plates, a common type of trophy engraving. Black, gold and silver are the most common colors, though others are available.
- Sublimation: This is a process of imprinting a trophy, rather than engraving it. In sublimation, specialized machinery uses high pressure and heat to transfer letters or images onto the custom award in vivid, long-lasting color. Sublimation printing is often preferred over engraving, as there are endless color options and design possibilities
- Sandblasting: This process involves finely engraving text, logos, and graphics onto crystal, glass, acrylic, and metal.
You also want to think about your font. For your custom award to have the intended effect, it needs to be readable, but that isn’t the only consideration. Different fonts can cause different feelings and make various impressions – you’d never use Comic Sans for a business presentation, would you? Here are the three font types and a few recommended fonts for trophy engraving:
Font Types -
Serif - Serif fonts have little decorative tails/flourishes at the ends of some of the strokes that make up a letter or symbol. Their extra tails and styling tend to be give off a more formal, commemorative tone. The most popular serif font is Times New Roman.
Sans Serif - Unlike serif fonts, sans serif fonts do not have the decorative tails at the ends of the letters. The are generally more modern/casual/informal than serif fonts. The most popular sans serif font is Arial.
Script - Script font typefaces resemble more of a "handwritten" style with calligraphic lettering. Script can either be formal and seem quite elegant or there are more casual/informal script types that have more of a playful handwriting appearance.
Font Recommendations -
- Times New Roman: This tried-and-true font has been the default in Microsoft Word for years. That’s because it’s easy to read and its set width (the width of the letters) doesn’t take up too much space.
- Century Schoolbook: This is a curvier, lighter Times New Roman. It’s just as professional, but gives custom awards a fresher look without being too contemporary.
- Helvetica Neue: This font is a sans serif, meaning it doesn’t have the extra “points” on the ends of the letters. Helvetica also has a thicker set width, and these two things combined give it a very bold, forward look.
- Freestyle Script: If a font is a script, that means it has a cursive look. Freestyle Script has an artsy feel to it, with forward-leaning letters that flow together well.
- Black Jack: This is a bolder script font with taller letters that look more like handwriting, giving it an informal feel.
