At Trophies2Go, a common question we get  from new team parents and coaches is what engraving to put on their kids’ participation trophies.  Here are some general pointers on what’s commonly engraved on sports trophies.

The Basics

Three different engraving layouts on our 3 common metal plate colors - gold with gold letters, black with gold letters,  and black with silver letters. Three different engraving layouts on our 3 common metal plate colors - gold with gold letters, black with gold letters, and black with silver letters.

1. Engraving is free.  First and most important, engraving is included in the price of your trophy.  You can put as few or as many characters of text as you want and it’s still free.  Some teams even add a logo.

2. Max of 3 lines of text. Most  plates for basic trophies are around 1” tall by 2.5” wide.  Our engraver Paul can fit three lines of text in that space.

3. Fonts.  Depending on the amount of text, Paul uses the best looking font to fill the space.  Customers do not choose the fonts.  However, if you would like to see how the engraving looks before going to production, request a Proof.  It’s free for orders over $50.  Paul will email you the engraving layout so you can see how it looks and approve it before the etching begins.

What Should I Put On My Awards?

Here are the most common pieces of information that are engraved on sports trophies:

Line 1: Team Name (and Year if you are only using 2 lines of engraving)

Line 2: Player’s Name - This can be first and last name, or first name with last initial.

Line 3: League Name, Award (such as MVP), or Year (this line of text is optional)

What Layout Choices Do I Have?

We commonly see 3 different types of layouts for engraving on trophies.

Layout #1:  2 Lines of Engraving  - Team Name and Year on line 1, Player's Name on line 2

Engraving_2 lines_1Engraving_2 lines_2

 

 

 

 

Layout #2:  2 Lines of Engraving with Curve - same as above, except the top line is curved

Engraving_2 lines_curved

 

 

 

 

Layout #3:  3 Lines of Engraving - This has more variety.  One line usually has the player's name, another line the team name, and the third line the year or league name, for example.

Engraving_3 lines_5Engraving_3 lines_1Engraving_3 lines_2

 

 

 

 

I hope these examples help you determine the best engraving for your sports trophy.  With so many choices, you're sure to find the perfect award with a special message for your favorite player!

Cheers!

Jessica