Although we use the term 'Cast Bronze Plaques'
here, this information pertains to cast plaques of any alloy
(typically aluminum or bronze), etched
plaques such as etched stainless, zinc and other metals and
machined plaques.
This section is the result of the numerous discussions we
have had with architects requesting our assistance.
In spite of the architects research and careful specification
writing, the bronze plaques that were purchased elsewhere
by the construction company did not bear any resemblance to
the bronze plaque the architect had in mind. Text was
smaller than specified or, when it was made the specified
size, it appeared more compressed than planned. Logos
were mere blobs of unrecognizable bronze. Sound familiar?
The first observation is that a cast plaque is not a commodity
that should be purchased from the low bidder since many times,
low cost purchasing is the cause of the problems we just described.
Although it is admittedly quite a stretch of the imagination,
it would be similar to specifying the canvas material,
paint colors, and subject and specifying "Salvador Dali or
equivalent." A first grade child would definitely be
the lowest cost and would most likely meet all of the requirements,
but undoubtedly not produce the desired results. The
desired results are the aesthetic qualities of the plaque
and it is these qualities that are impossible to specify.
Like any other material, alloys used in casting or etching
have unique characteristics. Character spacing, spacing
of text lines, weights of lines in graphics and spaces between
lines in graphics are all critical. If text sizes are
specified in terms of height alone, widths of characters may
have to be compressed or enlarged to fit on the specified
size plaque. If a logo or other artwork is specified
and sized, the physics of casting or etching may require that
the logo be executed as an unrecognizable blob. All
of these undesirable artifacts have been unwittingly specified
and a less than desirable outcome still meets the specifications
and the customer is left with the decision to either look
at it for the next hundred years or spend the money to replace
the eye sore. So what is the solution?
The solution is for architects to involve professionals,
such as the designers at The Bronze Plaque,
during the design and specification stage. We do this
at no cost to you! You do not have to spend the time
in preparing a layout that may not work. We supply you
a layout and specification for the plaque so that when the
plaque is manufactured, it will be exactly as expected. No
Surprises!! What we ask for in return
is that the specification state that the plaque must be purchased
from 'The Plaxx Companies - The Bronze Plaque
- SOLE SOURCE". This gives you the assurance
that the finished product will turn out the way you expect.
Text will be properly spaced, logos will be clean and crisp,
artwork proofs will represent the finished product with 100%
accuracy and the final product will be of the highest quality.
Many architects, as well as construction companies, have taken
this risk reduction path.
This is a WIN-WIN-WIN situation for you the architect,
your end customer and ourselves.
