Signs & Large Format Print
What we make awards from – the four most common options
Acrylic award. The most popular choice for company galas, anniversaries and competitions. A sheet laser-cut to any shape (a logo, a star, a wave) with colour UV print, often reverse-printed so the artwork sits 'inside' the acrylic. Add a base in thicker acrylic or wood, sometimes several layers bonded with a clear joint. Laser-cut edges come out glossy; on thicker sheets we polish them as well.
3D-printed award. When the award needs to be a solid form: a 3D logo, an event mascot, a miniature building, a ball, an athlete's silhouette. We print, sand, prime and paint it in the chosen colour, metallic finishes included. You get a shape you will not find in any catalogue.
Engraved plywood and wood. A warm, natural look – certificates on a wooden board, plaques, awards for schools, clubs and local associations. Laser engraving gives a dark, permanent mark without paint.
Combinations. A wooden base, an acrylic element, a 3D-printed figure. Combining materials lets us make a striking award without an expensive mould or casting.
Classic metal cups and medals from a catalogue are a separate category – this guide is about awards made from scratch to your design.
The choice of material also depends on where the award is going. A statuette for the managing director's desk can be heavy and glossy. An award for an athlete travelling home from a tournament by coach should be light and survive a drop – plywood or a 3D print works better here than thick acrylic.
What drives the price of an award
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clear acrylic 3 mm with UV print | approx. €43–60 / m² | thicker sheets priced per design |
| Laser cutting acrylic up to 5 mm | approx. €0.80 / m of tool path | glossy edge |
| Laser cutting acrylic 6–10 mm | approx. €1.45 / m of tool path | above approx. 8 mm we switch to routing |
| Edge polishing, flame / diamond | approx. €3.35 / €8 per m | for thick acrylic and a premium look |
| Bonding acrylic (clear joint) | approx. €8 / m of joint | bases, layers, solid forms |
| Hot bending acrylic | approx. €6 / m of bend | curved and free-standing parts |
| Surface laser engraving | approx. €0.55 / dm² | logos, text, names |
| Serial marking from 100 pcs | approx. €0.25 / piece | numbering, personalisation |
| 3D printing + PLA material | approx. €14 / h + approx. €0.05 / g | figures, 3D logos |
| Print finishing: sanding, primer, paint | approx. €34 / h | almost always needed for awards |
| Graphic design of the award | approx. €35 / h | if you have no finished design |
That is why we do not give a single price 'per award'. A simple flat printed acrylic award costs something entirely different from a multi-layer piece with a 3D-printed, hand-painted figure. We will quote from a sketch or a description, and for several options we price each one straight away.
How to order awards, step by step
- Set the number and the hierarchy. How many awards, whether there are categories (e.g. 1st, 2nd, 3rd place), whether the main award should be bigger or different.
- Show us the idea. A sketch, the event logo or an inspiration photo is enough. If you have no idea yet, we will suggest 2–3 options at different budgets.
- Agree the personalisation. Does each award carry a different name, category or date? A list of names in a spreadsheet saves time and typos.
- Approve the design and quote. For larger orders or a new shape we make one sample first.
- Production. Cutting, printing, engraving, bonding, fitting the bases – all in-house in our workshop.
- Collection or delivery. Each award is packed separately so it does not get scratched. Collect from our plant in Wieluń, or we send it by courier or deliver it with our own vans, which run across the EU.
For standard awards, plan approx. 2 weeks from first contact to delivery – including design and approval. Production alone for a simple design usually takes a few working days, and urgent jobs can be done faster.
A personalised award series – how to handle it
For tournaments, sales leagues or school competitions there are dozens of awards, each with different wording. This is where good planning saves the most.
- One base design, variable fields. Shape, base and artwork are shared; only the category, place or name changes. Production then runs as a series and the personalisation is engraved or printed from the list.
- A list in a spreadsheet, not in the body of an email. One column per field on the award. Check every entry twice, because a typo in the winner's name is the worst possible mistake.
- Different sizes rather than different designs. The cheapest way to distinguish 1st, 2nd and 3rd place is by height or base colour, not by three separate shapes.
For a hundred or more pieces with variable marking we apply a serial rate of approx. €0.25 net per piece instead of charging engraving by area.
Watch out – mistakes we see before galas
- The list of names at the last minute. The most common cause of stress. If the winners are only announced at the gala, make the awards without names and we will engrave name plates afterwards or prepare them separately.
- Acrylic that is too thin. An award cut from a 3 mm sheet looks like a door sign. For the main award we use a thicker sheet or several layers.
- Small text on clear acrylic. White or light text without a backing disappears against the room behind. When reverse printing we always add a white underlay beneath the text.
- No stable base. A tall, slim award without a heavier base topples over on the table. We size the base to the height.
- The logo only as a JPG. Laser cutting and printing need a vector file; vectorising a logo costs approx. €26 net.
At sports events, awards often go hand in hand with other materials; see also fan merchandise and the sponsor backdrop in front of which the awards are presented.