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Originally Posted On: https://munizplastics.com/how-to-design-a-laser-engraved-custom-acrylic-award/

 

We all love getting recognized for our achievements.

Research shows that employee recognition is essential to keeping your best staff on board. In fact, one 2015 HR study found that of the companies surveyed, 86 percent said their recognition program increased employee happiness.

The same goes for other groups: kids in school, sports players, and volunteers in charity organizations all deserve to be recognized for their efforts. And what better way to show someone you than a custom acrylic award? Especially if you’re presenting awards at a fancy ceremony!

If you’re thinking of designing an acrylic award to recognize or thank someone, read on to learn how to get it right.

Finding Inspiration

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the trophy design details, take some time to browse the internet for inspiration. Sites like Pinterest offer an easy way to find creative trophy ideas or plug “corporate awards” into Google image search and scroll through what pops up.

Of course, you don’t want to copy another organization’s trophy completely. Instead, jot down the features you like in their acrylic awards. Perhaps they’ve used a shimmering blue that catches your eye. Maybe you like the style or layout of the lettering.

If you’re handy with a pencil or graphic design software, sketch out some design ideas based on your findings.

Don’t forget to ask your custom trophy maker for their ideas on acrylic award designs to suit your company or occasion. They design hundreds of trophies every year, so they know what’s on-trend and what works best in a wide array of situations.

Incorporate an Image

There’s a lot of value in adding an image or logo to an award.

Employees will be proud of an award coming from the company they dedicate their time to.  If you’re giving a trophy to a client, they’ll keep you in mind every time they look at the award. And people proudly display sports teams or charity organizations–they want people to know where the award came from.

You can also personalize an award by adding an image of the person the trophy is being presented to or perhaps the team they were a part of.

Think carefully about the positioning. A corporate award might have the company logo front, and center whereas special achievements awards handed to a high school student would focus on the student’s name over the school’s logo.

If you want to include an image on your acrylic award, it’s best to choose a simple, contemporary shape with a large surface area, such as a block fluorescent design.

Get Creative With Shape and Color

Everything about personalized awards tells a story, from the choice of hue to their form.

Choose a color to match your organizational branding. Trophies in unusual shapes, such as an octagon, point to a person who does things outside the box. Forgo the traditional pedestal altogether to create an award that doubles as a sculpture.

Don’t forget about that gift box, too. It not only adds value to the award but also helps the recipient get it home safely. Check if the company manufacturing your trophy can custom make the gift box, too!

Getting the Lettering Right

Once you know what style of trophy you’re getting, it’s time to consider the lettering. Getting this right means the difference between a throwaway trophy and a treasured heirloom award.

What to Write

Knowing what to write on a trophy can be challenging. Handcrafted acrylic trophies are something the recipient may treasure for their entire lifetime. They need to say something memorable, personalized, and heartfelt.

In saying that, some key details should be inscribed onto every award.

These include the:

• Full date and year the award was presented
• Recipient’s full name
• Name of the award
• Reason the recipient is receiving the award
• Name of the company or organization presenting the award

Outside of these essentials, you can think of other ways to personalize the award.

Consider including an inspiring quote from the company’s CEO or the recipient’s favorite writer or idol. Include some more details about why they’re receiving the award, such as the amount of fundraising they brought into the charity that year. Or inscribe the motto or motivational cheer of the sports team they were a part of.

How to Write It

Whatever the shape and color of your award, you want the text to stand out as much as the trophy itself. How much text and where it goes is as important as what is written. Award engraving is an art, and the craftsmanship of a beautifully inscribed message emphasizes its meaning.

Fewer words are better for readability so that you can leave space between the lines of text. Don’t go wild with the fonts, either. Try to stick with one or two fonts at the most. Finally, check your spelling and grammar carefully before handing over your words to the award maker.

While it’s great to have some thoughts in mind concerning the layout of what you want your trophy to say, this is one area that might be best left to the professionals. If you provide the text and some idea of how important each name, title, or phrase is, they can help you sort out the fonts, sizes, and hierarchy.

Ready to Order a Custom Acrylic Award?

A custom acrylic award is so much more than a beautiful ornament. With individualized imagery, inscriptions, and design, this trophy represents the hard work of a star salesperson or the stand-out skills of a sports teammate. By choosing to customize an award instead of buying one off the shelf, you can give that particular person a keepsake they’ll treasure.

Are you wondering how much custom acrylic awards might set you back? Reach out to our team at Muniz today, and we’ll help you with a quote.