What are appliqués and how can I use them to upgrade my products?

If you are looking for upgrade options to personalize plaques, gifts, and other products, consider adding custom appliqués. An appliqué is a shaped material that is engraved, printed, or sublimated with a graphic and/or text. It is applied directly to the product and is often made of a thick material to provide depth and texture. The size is often larger than a typical insert in an insert holder. Appliqués are most often requested to be mounted on plaques. I have also made them for urns, inside shadowboxes, and for covers of other types of boxes such as wood wine bottles or BBQ gift boxes.

Appliqués can add depth and texture to a plaque or gift box. I love using wood that is 1/16″ or 1/8″. I have even used 3/8″ and 1/2″. A light wood like alder or cherry on a dark plaque or walnut on a light plaque adds contrast. The appliqué really stands out when using a contrasting shade of wood and thick material. 

Another way of adding contrast is by using 2-ply engraving sheet stock. Colors can highlight an organization’s logo or provide other meaning such as white acrylic sheet stock with a red second layer for a fire department. Logos and graphics that need two colors for the best display are perfect for sheet stock. I have also used solid-color ADA sheet stock when creating silhouette appliqués. A great example of a use for a solid color is for military, police, and fire ranks such as a sergeant chevron or fire captain bugles.

Image courtesy Bob Hagel.

   —Eagle’s Mark