Memorial Plaque Design & Wording

Memorial plaques or memory plaques are a wonderful way to remember and honor a loved one. Typically they are different from dedication plaques or other similarly engraved pieces. They tend to require something different than the more formal plaques that are meant to identify and itemize an event or the significance of a location. This is because memorial plaques are most often about an individual rather than a group or a special activity, and this is why it is a very wise to put a bit of time and effort into designing and wording any memorial plaque you require.

The first thing to know is that there is actually a sort of standard amount of information contained on most plaques of this kind. It tends to include:

1. Opening phrases such as "In memory of" or "Dedicated to the memory of";

2. The name or names of those being remembered, and any nicknames they may have in quotes in the middle of their name. For instance, Harrison "Skip" Ford (usually this name is put into larger lettering or is italicized for emphasis);

3. The dates of that person's life span; and

4. A meaningful and significant quote that relates to the person. This can be an actual quote or a comment about the person that fits how those memorializing them feel. For example, "Gone but not forgotten", or "Beloved Friend to All", etc.

5. In addition to using well chosen text for memorial plaques, we in the modern era can also have laser photo etching done as well. This could mean that we are able to include graphics and even a reproduction of a photograph on the plaque. Photo placement is typically placed on the right or left side of the text.

Conclusion

Although the above suggestions are common there is no right or wrong way to design a memory or memorial plaque. The key is to make sure that the layout is balanced and has the correct spacing between the photo and text. Placing the text to close to the photo can make the layout appear "crammed" together. Alternatively having to much space between the text and photo can result in to much blank space.

If you need help designing a memorial plaque we have dedicated graphic artist to assist. This is a free service that is included with with any of our online orders. Click the link below to get started and submit for your FREE proof designed by our professional graphic artist.