How long does protective lacquer coating last?

The protective coating typically lasts at least five years in any type of environment.

What is the difference between an etched plaque and a cast plaque?

Cast plaques require pouring molten metal into a mold. Once that metal cools, it solidifies into a plaque. Most of the time, cast plaques have raised lettering and graphics which stick out from the plaque by about .09”, which is more than the raised areas on an etched plaque. Cast bronze plaques do very well outdoors.

On the other hand, etched plaques are made with a chemical engraving process that breaks down sheet metal to create written text or a design. The shallow letters or graphics are then filled with paint. The remaining areas stay the original color of the metal.

Etched plaques allow for thinner line-work but the tradeoff is that those details are made with a shallow relief of only about 0.01” into the metal.

Should I choose cast bronze or cast aluminum for my plaque?

Sign It Quick offers cast plaques using both aluminum and bronze alloys. As mentioned, bronze is the higher quality metal option. If your installation plan includes outdoors or underfoot placement, we would highly recommend that you choose cast bronze. Bronze makes for very traditional plaques and can showcase your business or organization’s history.

That said, cast aluminum plaques are cheaper and are still an excellent choice. As previously stated, aluminum is the softer metal and, therefore, significantly lighter in weight than cast bronze. The silver boasts a more contemporary aesthetic. Keep in mind that aluminum plaques are not best used in the ground or other high traffic areas.

What is a photo-rendered portrait plaque?

The photo-rendered technique digitally transfers a photograph into metal. The metal will retain many of the details of the original photograph in a high quality, precise reproduction in bronze.

Stand out and stand the test of time simultaneously with bronze or aluminum plaques. Here at Sign It Quick, we live and breathe business betterment, and we’d love to chit chat about making your marketing something worth talking about!