How to Request Metal Plaque Samples [Photo Gallery]

MASTERWORK PLAQUE SAMPLE DESIGNS

After many requests from our customers, we now carry a variety of metal plaque samples in house for our customers to review.  Because we create custom bronze, aluminum, stainless, brass and zinc plaques using both casting and etching techniques, the amount of choices our client’s have to choose from can be overwhelming.

While we have many examples of past plaque projects on our website, we now have fifteen sample plaques ready to ship, in convenient 6” x 4” sizes, which now gives our clients a more tactile way to decide between different plaque background textures, finishes and mounting techniques. We also carry a four different water-jet cut letters with prismatic, polished, satin and random orbital finishes, so our clients can review individual letter options in person as well.

 HOW TO ASK FOR A PLAQUE SAMPLE

If you are interested in ordering a plaque from our studio, fill out a quote request form on our website, and our designers can start by suggesting the appropriate material for your project based on the size of the plaque, complexity of designs, and where your project will be installed. 

Our designers typically send images of past projects along with their initial quotes, but if you would like to review a sample in person before proceeding with an order, we can send one of the options above to an address of your choice.  If you prefer to create your own plaque sample, we can typically create a custom sample in about 2-3 weeks for a small fee.

Once the sample is sent to your home, and you have determined the best materials for your project, we ask that you return the sample to our studio so that we can continue to send samples to future clients.

Resolutions for 2016: Sharing Our Story

During the month of January, Masterwork Plaques will be posting a weekly blog entry spelling out our new year's resolutions for 2016.  This past year has been a time of change and growth for our studio, and we are planning on growing even more in the year to come.  

The first step is telling you more about who we are.

MASTERWORK PLAQUES IS A SMALL BUSINESS.

Don't let this deter you.  As a small business, we can be personable, attentive and flexible when it comes to working with our customers.  Masterwork Plaques is a workshop of highly skilled metal artists, and though there may be fewer of us on staff than our competitors, we work quickly and efficiently with years of metal-making experience.  Your custom project receives our close attention.

OUR STUDIO IS UNIQUELY EXPERIENCED.

Masterwork Plaques creates custom bronze plaques for the following uses:  building management signage, commemorative and dedication plaques, national register plaques, water-jet cut lettering, bas-relief portraits, inset medallions, awards, logos, donor plaques--the list goes on and on.  If you can imagine it, we can probably create it.

Our studio carries a selection of different metals at a variety of price ranges.  While cast bronze plaques are the most popular choice, we also offer aluminum plaques, brass plaques, and stainless steel plaques, in addition to zinc, copper, and muntz plaques.  Each metal has its own range of benefits, and the variety of metal options allows our customers to select what works best for them.

MASTERWORK IS BASED IN NYC, SHIPPING NATIONALLY.

Our design studio is located in Brooklyn, NY within a community of skilled artisans and entrepreneurs of many trades.  We take advantage of our location as much as possible.  We believe in supporting local businesses and do our best to work with small companies in the surrounding area.  Providing finely crafted, American-made products to our customers makes us proud.

Our studio can ship to clients across the country, and can often ship overseas.  We have clients in all 50 states, and have shipped to Canada and France among other countries.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Masterwork Plaques is a custom plaque-making studio, interested in creating one-of-a-kind plaques for businesses, building management, dedications and commemorative occasions. Our studio came into being from the desire to revolutionize the metal plaque industry, which is filled with mass-produced signage and standard memorial plaques.  We founded a business where each plaque is created from unique designs and materials of the finest quality.  We believe that plaques made to commemorate the special events in life should be, well, special!

Ask the Plaque Maker: What is Patina?

WHY IS A CHEMICAL PATINA BETTER THAN STANDARD PAINT?

Cast bronze plaques can be finished with a paint or finished with a chemical patina with a variety of different effects.  The natural color of bronze is actually a very light gold, but the common belief is that bronze is actually a darker brown.  Most people only see bronze sculptures after a patina has already been applied, which is what makes people think bronze is naturally a dark colored metal.

ABOUT CHEMICAL PATINAS

A patina can occur naturally over time on the surface of most metals, caused as a result of oxidization, age, or exposure to changing weather and environment. Patinas can also be applied to metals when they are produced, which prevents weathering and general wear and tear on a plaque and also makes the plaque more visually pleasing.  

What is important to note is that a true patina, whether it occurs naturally or is applied, chemically changes the surface color of the bronze.  It will not peel away; it will not chip off.  Plaques that are finished with paint and not patina, can have adverse chipping affects because the paint simply sits on top of the metal.  With heavy foot traffic, the patina color will change and naturally burnish and shine, but this creates a pleasing look and gives the plaque a true luster, rather than a painted plaque that just looks badly maintained.

Often times other plaque companies will use the word patina or stain without actually using the true chemical process to color a cast bronze plaque.  Applying patina to a bronze plaque is a more expensive process than what most plaque-makers want to use.  Many companies use other products with names like chem-col, polychrome patina, and graphite sprays, which are really just paint.  If the bronze work is set in a horizontal position, or is subject to extreme weather conditions, these other products will start to peel in a few years.