What Does Acrylic Award Or Perpetual Plaque Mean Anyway?
You’re looking online for an award for your organization. As you’re reading the description, it says something like “Made of acrylic, this product stands 6 inches tall with a metallic silver resin insert”. What the heck is resin? Or acrylic? These and other common trophy terms will be described below, hopefully making it easier to decide what trophy to buy.
This is an example of a soccer figure , blue column, and white base with a gold engraving plate.Acrylic: This clear plastic material resembles glass. However, it’s stronger, lighter, and safer than glass, as it won’t shatter. It comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes; it engraves easily, making it a great material for awards.
Base: The base is the bottom of the trophy, what the figure and/or column is attached to. Some common materials for bases include plastic, wood, or marble. The engraving usually goes on the base.
Column: The column is the colored cylinder that gives a trophy height. It goes between the figure and the base. Available in a variety of colors, a column can be cut to any size, making trophies customizable.
Figure: This is the person in action, star, or sports symbol that is attached to the top of a trophy. Figures can be of any sport or activity – we have over 1000 different figure types at our Awards Factory. There are also generic figures that can be customized with a mylar insert.
Engraving: The engraving is the personalized etching that goes on the trophy. Engraving is either etched directly into the product or is etched onto a metal plate, which is then attached to the award.
This chili award is an example of a medal with a mylar insert.Mylar insert: A mylar insert is a fancy name for a sticker. Usually round, these stickers are thicker and stronger than regular stickers, with super sticky adhesive. They are carefully placed in either figures or medals to make them colorful and customizable.
Medals or Medallions: These are the same thing. They are round awards that hang around someone’s neck or can be displayed on a stand. Made of a metal alloy in gold, silver, or bronze, most medals also come with a colorful neck drape. Some medals can be customized with the addition of a mylar insert in the middle.
Perpetual: A perpetual award is one that continues indefinitely. It goes on and on. So, for example, an employee of the month plaque with a few years’ worth of names would be an example of a perpetual award. A new name is added each month. Another common perpetual award is a Fantasy Football Trophy, with the names of the winners added each year to the base of the trophy.
Our monster trophy has a resin top and perpetual base. Engraved plates with winner's names are added to the sides each year.Plaque: A plaque is a common corporate award that usually hangs on a wall. Usually made of wood (and sometimes acrylic), plaques are flat with a large space for personalization. Engraving is done on a metal plate and then attached to the front of the plaque. Many plaques are perpetual, with lots of smaller plates that can be added over time.
Plate: The plate is where the engraving goes. Usually made of brass, aluminum or another metal, the plate is attached to an award with strong adhesive tape.
Resin: Resin is a synthetic compound that hardens into a pewter-looking statue. It’s heavy, usually silver in color, and can be cast into almost any shape. Many sports trophies are made of resin.
I hope this helps lessen confusion about the terms we use! If you have any questions or comments, or want to know about a different term I didn’t include, please comment below. Thanks for reading!
Cheers, Jessica