Oldster,
I usually address people by their first name, but it's not mandatory that I know your name. Just a quirk of mine :-)
Here's a new trick, for an old man. By using inexpensive gold-tone aluminum, or slightly more expensive brass, cut a plate about 3/8" larger than your anodized aluminum engraving plate.
Mount the anodized plate over the gold-tone plate, which will create a very attractive gold "frame" around your work. It also serves to visually separate the engraved plate from the wooden plaque background.
For a few bucks and a little extra production time, you'll be able to charge significantly more for the plaque. It's all about perceived value. The better it looks, the more you can charge, regardless of material costs.
Try it, you'll like it :-)
David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA |