Office Name Plate Buying Guide
Before choosing an Office Name Plate, determine:
Where will it be installed? - Who needs to read it?
What information needs to be displayed? - How often will it change?
What level of durability is required? - Do you need a holder or permanent mounting?
Do you need ADA/Braille compliance? - Do you need a logo or color printing?
Name Plate Styles, Colors and Fonts
Which Office Name Plate is Right for Me?
| If you need... | Consider... |
|---|---|
| Employee name + title | Standard engraved name plate |
| Name that changes frequently | Name plate holder / frame |
| Name + room number | Two-part name plate |
| Company branding | Name plate with logo |
| Metal door + easy changes | Magnetic name plate |
| High durability | Aluminum / textured acrylic |
| ADA / Braille | ADA-compliant name plate |
| Executive look | Premium metal/acrylic |
Looking for standard office door and employee identification? See our Office Name Plates
Office Name Plate Size Guide
| Size | Use / Suggestions |
|---|---|
| 2" x 8" | Standard employee name/title |
| 2" x 10" | Room for title, logo or room number |
| 2" x 12" | Room for longer name / title |
| 4" x 8" / 4" x 10" | Potential ADA/Braille applications |
Name Plate Material Comparison
| Material | Best For | Advantages | Considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Ply Acrylic | Standard offices | Affordable, versatile, engraved | Interior use |
| Textured Acrylic | High traffic | Durable | Fewer finish options |
| Standard Aluminum | Durable applications | Strong professional | Different appearance |
| Sublimation Aluminum | Color logos | multi-color capability | Application specific |
| Stainless Steel | Premium / Exterior | Extremely durable | Higher cost |
Name Plate vs Name Plate Holder
| Choose holder if.. | Permanently mount plate if.. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee name changes | Information rarely changes | ||
| Room number remains fixed | Durability is a priority | ||
| Easy replacement is desired | Installing on exterior |
Need signage for workstations or partitions? See our Cubicle Name Plates
How Often will Name Plate change?
| Changes | Suggestions |
|---|---|
| Changes frequently | holder/frame/changeable insert |
| Changes occasionally | replaceable name plate + holder |
| Rarely changes | permanently mounted engraved plate |
Expect employee turnover? Learn about our Name Plate Holders
Office Name Plate Recommendations by Industry
| Industry | Name Plate Style | Holder | Material | Font |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate | Logo or Room # | Silver 2" x 10" | Acrylic 2-Ply | Helvetica or Arial |
| Professional | Name + Title | Silver 2" x 10' | Acrylic 2-Ply | Times New Roman |
| Government | Name + Title | Black 2" x 10" | Acrylic 2-Ply | Helvetica |
| School / University | Name or Room Name | Silver 2" x10" | Textured Acrylic | Helvetica |
| Medical | Removable lens | Curved Frame | Printed Aluminum | Arial Bold |
| Church | Name + Title | Rose Gold 2" x 10" | Acrylic 2-Ply | Helvetica |
Want to complement your office look at our Desk Name Plates
Mistakes Customers Often Make Choosing Office Name Plates
- Selecting the wrong size
- 2" x 8" Name Plate with a lot of text can result in small font size reducing desired impact
- 2" x 10" or greater Name Plate with minimal text creates too much open space reducing desired impact
- Using to much text
- the text to size ratio is important as too much text can make it difficult to read
- Often full department names or position titles can look crowded on small name plates
- Selecting the wrong material
- Material selection should take into account office look (e.g. colors that compliment office theme)
- Material should take into account heavy traffic areas with consideration for long term wear
- Selecting a font that is difficult to read
- Font can reinforce company culture: e.g. Casual - Italicized; Traditional - Times New Roman; Professional - Helvetica
- Italicized or script font can often be difficult to read especially if the font size is small
- Not displaying company logo or room number
- Not displaying the company logo misses an opportunity to reinforce the company brand
- Not providing a room number makes it more difficult to find the desired location
- Providing poor quality logo image
- A low resolution logo will result in the logo on the name plate not having the desired detail
- A higher resolution/vector artwork logo is preferred
- Failing to review the proof
- This is one of the most common mistakes
- Proofs are provided as a quality check to make certain that what will be produced is what the customer wants. It is important for the customer to review proofs for any errors before name plates are produced
How do you Order Office Name Plates?
Determine quantity, size and where office name plates are needed
Determine what will be on the plates (e.g. name, title, logo, room number)
Choose material, font and mounting method
Submit your order / request estimate
Review and approve proof
Ready to Place Order
