Door Name Plates

Door name plates have two distinct applications; adding professionalism and a sense of stoicism and stability to a professional office; and adding character and personality to a room around the house. While they usually contain just a name, often adding a relevant symbol for character or appeal can have great effect.

Professional Door Plates

The most common types, which probably spring to mind when the term is mentioned, are brass in plastic brackets on office doors, which small signs can be slid in and out of, sometimes with an extra in/away slider to let people know if the office is currently occupied. These plates serve their purpose, but can give an office a transient, replaceable feel which can reflect upon the worker. Desk name plates are perhaps next most common.

Where To Get Professional Plates

Specialty office supply stores offer engraved products that include these products. Two of the examples we list in fact are office supply companies.

• The Corporate Connection sells a large number of different styles, although most are made of molded plastic.
  • 2"x4" Molded plastic with rounded corners; $13.99.
  • 2"x8" Multicolored (for example black border, white background, and blue lettering; $24.99.
  • 12"x12" This large sign has enough space for a message or very large font; $42.99.
• Check out our section on brass name plates which discusses a number of stores that sell the brass versions.
• The Office Sign Company deals in very high end products. The plate is brushed metal with a plastic border trim. There is an option for creating a "slider" which switches between two states, e.g. occupied versus free, for conference rooms.

Mounting

An option that gives a more long-term impression and is sure to impress visitors with its professionalism and strong feel are mounted ones, usually black text on a polished brass background or a black enamel with white text. Adding a tasteful company design or motif and a worker's title can add to the effect.

Kids' Rooms

Giving children their own name signs can help them feel safe and comfortable in their own private part of the house. For younger children, painted wooden cutouts of various animals, clowns or things specific to the kid's interest with a painted name are popular, and often have a certain cute and innocuous appeal. Some children may prefer having a small blackboard on which they can draw themselves along with their name or a magnetic board of letters. Working with children to make their own is a nice touch, using common arts and crafts materials or having them design something that can be built with supervision or by a parent.

About The House

Everyone knows that it can be slightly daunting being sent off to the back corners of an unfamiliar house to track down the bathroom. Adding welcoming plates to amenities is a nice way to warm a visitor's reception and put newcomers at ease. Fancier ways to identify the exterior of a house is to use personalized neon signs, wooden house signs, or a slate house sign.

Where To Start

For professionals, a large variety of online and local companies provide templates and can deliver new plates at short notice and for a reasonable price, especially in bulk. For less formal purposes, making your own signs adds a great personal touch. Local reject stores often carry a variety for children and amenities. Arts and crafts markets are also a great source of one of a kind designs. Check your local area and see what's available, or search online.