Engraved plaques can be quite a challenge to prepare. Especially when you consider that there is very little room to correct mistakes. Most of the time a mistake is made, the engraver has to start over, resulting in a waste of valuable materials and time. To help reduce the risk that an error will be made, here are a few tips to uphold.
Limit wording
Customers will often specify too many words to be included in the engraving. This can force the engraver to have to make the font size smaller to adequately accommodate the whole text. Using a font that is too small can make even an engraved glass plaque tough to read. Try to keep your message brief and stick to the facts. However, do try to use full names and not initials or monograms. Ideally, a person should be able to read a plaque within a minute.
Mixing fonts
There are many beautiful fonts you can use when engraving. However, it is not a good idea to use a mix of them. The rule of thumb is to use no more than one font and possibly its italic or bold. You can easily test how this will appear on printed paper. You can definitely how much more appealing it is, the more uniform the font.
Keep centered
Ensure that the wording is centered on the plaque. This has a more appealing visual than aligning on either side or justifying the text. Your engraver should be able to provide you with sample templates to choose from.
Do not be overly specific
When placing an order for an engraved glass plaque, less is more. It is best to focus on the message and choice of font. You may pick a few examples of other engravings you would like to imitate. However, leave the rest to the engraver. An experienced engraver will know what works best in ensuring your message comes out beautifully. Too many details to be fulfilled can hamper their creativity and make for a mess of an engraving.
Test
Many engravers have sample templates for layouts you can use to test how well the wording you have provided will appear before engraving. You can often try them out online and also see how different fonts will look. Look through different samples to ensure all the details you want are included. Double check the details, especially spellings of names and dates for accuracy as once the engraving is done there is usually no way to correct it.