Welcome to 1st Engraving by Mike
We're a small custom engraving company and bring 24 years of experience to our work. We engrave name plates in brass & nickel/silver, as well as anodized aluminum for outdoor use. Name tags are custom cut to your size requirements and can be ordered as either screw mount or with an adhesive backing. Die-cut plates in special shapes, and black brass plates with gold borders are available for those looking for something a little fancy. Specialty items, produced in our shop, like brass or aluminum luggage tags are also offered.
Working with one of the nation's leading foundries, we offer cast plaques & signs in aluminum, Holly Bronze (a bronze look-a-like) as well as genuine bronze. Included in this category are insert plaques; a hybrid product that combines a cast aluminum frame with an anodized aluminum engraved plate. Insert plaques provide the durability of a cast product while allowing a great deal more wording in an equivalent space.
Also offered are die-struck medallions, medals and key tags. Our 25th Anniversary and John Paul medallions are true works of art. With few exceptions, all items are custom engraved to your order.
Here you'll also find customer service with no peers. We don't just service our customers; we work with them. It matters not if your order is large or small. Customers that purchase only a single plate care just as much about that plate as the person that's purchasing 500 pieces, or more. So we treat everyone the same - large or small. Your business is appreciated and we make no secret of it.
We've included a number of photos of our work. Not all of them are great - but they're all ours. Fortunately, we're a lot better at engraving than photography.
With our new engraving system, acquired just a few years ago, we now have the capacity to take a screen shot from the engraving software and can send that to you as an email attachment. You'll be able to see exactly what your plate with look like before we do the work. We offer no surprises.
A reality in the engraving business is errors - we make them - our customers make them. Our policy for handling errors is simple; if the error is ours, we pay for it (including shipping) - if the error is our customers, they pay for it.
We have a small collection of art work available for inclusion on your plate or plaque. Among these are several Boy Scout Logo's (including the Eagle Scout rank badge), Cub Scouts, the Arrow of Light and the official Girl Scout logo. (use of the Girl Scout logo requires permission from your local council) Several fraternal logos and versions of the cross can be ordered as well as artwork appropriate for memorial plaques or plates among others. While certainly not mandatory, in many cases art work provides the perfect "finishing touch."
For a number of our customers, purchasing and installing a custom engraved name plate is a new experience. What size to use or how to attach them can be a concern. We have 2 pages on our site that address this: Choosing your name plate & Mounting tips by Mike. The tips are my own; gleaned from working both as a cabinet maker and a number of years in antique renovation. My tips aren't the only way to mount your plates, or even necessarily the best. But this is how I do it. If you're new at this, they should be a help.
We're primarily a custom engraving company. However, over the years, we've established a number of recognition industry contacts who's products or services aren't listed on this site. Etching and screen printing would be would be two good examples. If you don't find what you're looking for - please ask. If we can't help, we can usually point you in the right direction. Your inquiries are welcome and answered.
So WELCOME to our site. If we can be of service, it would be our pleasure.
