How Our Engraving Works
Every engraved trophy on this site is cut in our own workshop in Cradley Heath. Engraving is included in the price, with no set-up fee and no charge per letter. Every plate can be different at no extra charge, so a list of names is fine.
How rotary engraving works
Trophy plates are metal with a coloured finish on top. A rotary cutter spins and travels along each letter, removing that finish to show the bright metal underneath. The lettering is cut into the plate, not printed on it, so it cannot rub off.
How the live preview works
As you type on a trophy's page, your wording appears on the plate of the trophy on screen, at the plate's real size. A close-up shows how the cut will look.
The preview is a guide. We set the final size and spacing by hand, so what arrives may be spaced a little better than what you see on screen.
How much fits on a plate
Plates vary, and the size is shown for each height on the product page. Two or three short lines suit most plates. A rough guide:
- 50 x 16mm: the most common plate. Two or three short lines, such as an award, a name and a season.
- 50 x 25mm: the same width but taller, so three lines sit more comfortably.
- 75 x 25mm: more than twice the area of a 50 x 16mm plate, with room for longer names.
- 65 x 35mm up to 90 x 40mm: found on larger cups, with room for a competition title and more.
A long line has to be set smaller to fit. So the fewer words you use, the larger and clearer each letter can be. For layouts by award and sport, see our wording ideas page and our guide to what to engrave on a trophy.
If your wording is long
You will not lose out. If your wording is long for a plate, we check with you rather than cut something that looks squeezed. We might suggest dropping a word, using initials or moving to a trophy with a larger plate. It costs nothing to ask.
Text only
Plates here are engraved with text only, so badges and logos cannot go on the plate. Your club name goes on as lettering, and a centre can show your sport.
Centres
Many trophies take a 1 inch (25mm) centre, which sits in a recess and is included in the price. There are 196 designs in 19 groups, covering every major sport, plus academic, music, drama, scouts, chess, quiz, 1st, 2nd and 3rd, merit awards and more.
When you arrive from one of our sport pages, such as boxing trophies or dance and gymnastics trophies, the right centre is already fitted. Change it on the product page and the preview shows your choice. Not every trophy takes a centre, and the product page will say.
Before you order
Check spellings, then check them again. Plates are cut to what you send, so ask someone who knows the names to read your list. If you are ordering for a whole team, our clubs and leagues page explains how to supply your names.