If you have a rough idea of your plaque size and what you’d like on it, we’re more than happy to create you a first-draft as a starting point.
If you would like to be more specific, see below for pointers.
Generally darker colours (top of diagram) work best as they offer a nice contrast to the natural colour of the bronze . For an extra charge we can even use more than one colour as long as the shapes are separated. Specified Pantone colours are also available on request for a small extra charge.
Readability and suitability are the main things to keep in mind when choosing fonts. If you have something specific you’d like to use, please let us know and we’ll do our best. We can also match fonts you may find but aren’t sure of the name.
We have a few standard ‘tried and tested’ fonts here that work well.
Grafolita and Monotype work well with lower case text, especially for lines on a memorial plaque like ‘In Loving Memory’ or ‘Be at Peace’.
Quintessential works well in all situations; elegant and readable.
Times New Roman is very versatile and suits a formal theme, this is great for names or the bigger text on a plaque.
Arial Narrow Bold is the perfect font for fitting a lot of text onto a smaller plaque, its easy to read and very economical with precious space.
Motifs are the best way to enhance the feel of a plaque; they can really personalise it and bring it to life. Displayed is a small sample of motifs you can reference, though anything is possible.
We can do our best to stylise a photo (like a pet photo with good contrast) or create something new from a picture or description. Artwork incurs no extra charge so feel free to put us to the test. Motifs and emblems can also be used on almost any type of plaque depending on size. Motifs can be created from black and white art where there are preferably no gradients. There are some guidelines to adhere to to make sure they will cast well. Very detailed motifs generally work best on bigger plaques or stainless steel plaques.
We have a limited range of Bas relief / 3d sculpted emblems of various themes. We also have a full range of Australian military and RSL emblems available, just ask – we may surprise you.
The last thing to consider is how the plaque will be attached. Lugs with studs would be the default option, this would be for a permanent placement. Screws may be more suitable for a plaque which could be moved at some point but with added adhesive this could also be very permanent. The flat back option is suitable for horizontal placement in conjunction with a high grade silicon based adhesive like Sikaflex or Trex, for smaller plaques this can also be an option for vertical surfaces providing the plaque can be held in place while the adhesive dries. We can also supply a garden stake for plaques 150mm x 100mm or smaller. There are other fixing options for columbarium plaques, please consult the installer first or let us know where it would be and we can enquire on your behalf.
The border adds thickness to the edge of the plaque and helps it look complete. Borders 6 and 9 are most popular. Custom borders are available on request at no extra charge.
Ceramic photo attachments can be used on any type of bronze plaque assuming its the right size. They can be rectangular or oval, landscape or portrait.
Sizes available are: 60x80mm, 70x90mm, 80x100mm or 90x120mm.
Although we can edit photos for no extra charge, we would urge you to email the biggest clearest photos possible. We can even change the background and certain details like hair or missing teeth etc if that’s how you would prefer to remember your loved one.
