How to Order a Custom Plaque: Step-by-Step
Ordering a custom plaque online is straightforward once you know what happens at each step. This guide walks through the whole process, from choosing a piece to approving your proof and tracking the shipment, and answers the questions people ask most before they order.
Step 1: Choose your plaque or award
Start by choosing the material and size that fit the occasion. Wood plaques (piano-finish rosewood, walnut, cherry, alder, high gloss) are the classic wall choice; acrylic, glass, and crystal awards suit desks and stage presentations; perpetual and roster plates handle lists of names.
For a name, a logo, and a short citation, an 8x10 is a safe default. Size up for longer wording or a photo, and size down for a desk piece with a name and one line.
Step 2: Design it yourself, or have us design it
You can design the plaque yourself in the online designer or send us your text and logo and let a designer build it for free. Both paths end with a free proof from a real designer.
Design it yourself: the designer opens with your product selected. Add text, emblems, separators, and a logo right on the product photo, choose fonts, and see the price as you go. Text, emblem, and separator engraving is free, with no setup fees on designs.
Let our team build it: send your wording, logo, and any notes, and a designer lays it out for you. This is the easiest option if you are short on time or not sure how to arrange the text.
Step 3: Add your logo
Vector logo files (SVG, EPS, AI, or PDF) give the cleanest engraving, but a high-resolution PNG or JPG works too. We convert every logo to a clean one-color file for the laser and show you the result on your proof.
Logos have a small engraving charge, from $12.95; your text and emblems stay free. Avoid logos copied from a website or a screenshot, since they are usually too small to engrave cleanly. If that is all you have, send it anyway and we'll tell you whether it will work.
Step 4: Check out (you're not charged yet)
At checkout your card is authorized to hold your order, but it is not charged until you approve your proof. If you cancel before approving, you are not charged.
If you have an event date, note it at checkout so we can plan around it. Schools, government agencies, and exempt nonprofits can check the tax-exempt box and send a valid certificate. New York sales tax applies to orders shipped to New York addresses.
Ordering many of the same piece with different names? Choose bulk in the designer and upload a name list; you get one design and one proof sheet for the whole set. Ask us about volume pricing on large runs.
Step 5: Review and approve your proof
Within one business day, a designer emails you a free digital proof showing exactly how your piece will be engraved. Review it, request changes, or approve it; revisions are unlimited.
Read the proof slowly: every name, title, and date. Once you approve, we produce the piece exactly as shown, and changes after approval may require a new order. It helps to have a second person check it too.
Step 6: Production and shipping
Most pieces ship within about two business days of proof approval. Larger perpetual, roster, and bulk orders may take a little longer, and we'll tell you up front.
Orders ship via UPS with tracking, and glass and crystal get extra packing. If something arrives damaged, save the packaging and send us a photo within 7 days of delivery and we'll replace it.
Deadlines and rush orders
For most orders, ordering about a week before your event leaves comfortable room for proofing, production, and shipping. For large sets and perpetual plaques, give yourself two to three weeks.
Short on time? Same-Day Service covers select in-stock items: order by 11:30 AM ET and approve your proof by 2 PM ET on a weekday, and it ships that day for a rush fee. For anything else on a tight deadline, call us at 845-758-2737 before you order.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay before I see a proof?
No. Your card is authorized at checkout but only charged after you approve your digital proof. If you cancel before approval, you are not charged.
How long does it take to get a custom plaque?
You get a free proof within one business day, and most pieces ship within about two business days of approval. Shipping time depends on the UPS service and destination.
Can someone design the plaque for me?
Yes. Use Let Our Team Build It to send your text and logo, and a designer lays it out for free and emails a proof.
What logo file should I send?
A vector file (SVG, EPS, AI, or PDF) is best, but a high-resolution PNG or JPG usually works. We clean it up for engraving and show it on your proof.
Is there a charge for text or a logo?
Text, emblems, and separators engrave free, with no setup fees on designs. Logos have a small engraving charge, from $12.95.
Can I make changes after I order?
Yes, until you approve the proof, with unlimited revisions. After approval the piece is produced as shown, so changes may require a new order.
Can I get a plaque the same day?
Select in-stock items qualify for Same-Day Service if you order by 11:30 AM ET and approve your proof by 2 PM ET on a weekday. A rush fee applies.
Can I order plaques for a whole team at once?
Yes. Design one piece, upload a name list, and we personalize a matching set from a single proof. Ask us about volume pricing on large runs.
Pieces that suit this wording
7" x 9" Airflyte Black High Gloss Plaque with Sapphire Marble/Silver Florentine Border Plate $87.00
7" x 9" Airflyte Premium Black Piano Finish Plaque wtih Gold Florentine Border Laserable Black Brass Plate $99.00
8" x 10" Airflyte Black High Gloss Plaque with Gray Marble/Silver Florentine Border Plate $109.05
8" x 10 1/2" Airflyte Rosewood Piano Finish Plaque with Gold Border LaserFXSunburst Plate $117.00
Start designing your custom plaque — free proof, no setup fees.