Brass Name Plates

Eye-catching, bright, gold-like sheets, commonly used for door name plates and modern house numbers. The applications for brass name plates are wide and varied, used in name plates, custom name plates, house name plates, and trophies. Usually they are used to give formal or professional appeal, but is far from limited to professional uses.

What Is Brass?

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc that has been used for thousands of years, as early as 5000BC, in a wide range of decorative and practical situations. Being relatively soft, easily workable and widely available, it is versatile and has been been used not just for decoration, but also for tools, armor, and weapons for centuries, notably in the Roman Empire. It does not rust or deteriorate from exposure, and is entirely suitable for use outdoors or indoors.

Custom Styles

Name plates can be finished in a wide variety of textures and colors, ranging from dark gold to pale pink and purple. Highly polished metal can be as reflective as a mirror, while brushed finishes can take on a more granular, textured feel. Choosing a finish is more a personal consideration than anything else, though a polished name plate may require occasional cleaning or polishing to maintain a bright complexion. The metal can also be enameled with practically any color.

Finish

Name plates of any finish can provide professional, formal character. Often the finish is chosen more with respect to taste and the colors & textures of where the name plate will be placed. A less formal finish with a more rustic feel involves deliberately rusting the top layer, giving an impression of age without damaging the integrity overall.

Engraved And Other Designs

Since it is such a soft, workable material, a brass name plate can be easily engraved with complex and intricate details. Engraved text can be ink-filled with a very wide range of colors, most commonly black to provide a stark contrast to the bright background. Embossed designs with raised text and borders are also popular. Name plates can be easily printed as a cheaper alternative, though less durable and susceptible to scratching or wearing. Templates for common uses, such a plaques and trophy cases, are offered by most sign companies. Similar products are engraved wooden signs and stainless steel house numbers.

Where To Buy

These items are fairly small so they are quite cheap (approximately $10). They only catch is that they require customization because writing the name on the metal is done through an engraving process.

• US Brass Shop carries a large selection, among these are the following:
  • Oval brass door plates with side holes for screws, measuring about 2" x 2.5". Price is $10.50 including engraving and little screws to hold the plate to the (wood) door.
  • Notched rectangular with side holes for screws, measuring about 1" x 2.5". Price is $7.95 including engraving and again the little screws.
  • Notched and engraved with a line border, measuring about 1" x 2.5". Price is $10.50 including 1-2 lines of engraving. There are no holes so customer should use adhesive backing.
• Woodcraft store, ironically, makes engraved plates. Their offerings are more limited than US Brass Shop but also cheaper at about $2 to $5 per item. Their specialty is a lacquered type which supposedly keeps it shiny over time.
• Customed Engraving is actually fairly interesting for carrying differently sized rectangular plates that get as large as 5.5" x 12". The name of the company, office location and full title fits onto this large surface. But this large footprint means the cost is higher too, from $41.99 to $54.99.