Shopping for custom awards or engraving can introduce you to terminology you may not encounter every day. What is the difference between acrylic and crystal? What is a perpetual plaque? What does laser engraving actually do? And what does someone mean when they ask for vector artwork?
Understanding these terms can make it easier to compare products, prepare artwork, communicate your ideas, and choose the right personalization method for your project.
Monarch Trophy Studio has been helping San Antonio recognize achievements since 1972. We created this award and engraving glossary as a practical referenced for some of the most common terms you may encounter when ordering trophies, plaques, Fiesta medals, personalized gifts, and other recognition products.
Award Terms
1. Acrylic Award
An acrylic award is a recognition piece made from acrylic, a durable transparent or colored plastic material. Acrylic awards can provide a modern appearance and are available in many shapes, thicknesses, and designs. They are commonly used for corporate recognition, sales awards, schools, nonprofits, and special events.
2. Award
An award is an item presented to recognize an achievement, contribution, milestone, service, or accomplishment. Awards can include trophies, plaques, medals, crystal or glass pieces, acrylics, certificates, and other personalized recognition products.
3. Award Plate
An award plate is a small plate attached to a trophy, plaque, gift, or other item and personalized with names, dates, titles, logos, or messages. Plates may be made from metal, plastic, or other engravable materials.
4. Award Proof
An award proof is a visual representation of how personalization is expected to appear before production. Depending on the project, a proof may show the placement of names, logos, dates, messages, and other design elements.
Proofs should always be reviewed carefully for spelling, dates, titles, and other details.
5. Award Series
An award series is a group of coordinated awards that share a similar design but may differ in size, color, or other features. Award series are useful for first, second, and third place recognition or for creating different levels within a corporate awards program.
6. Base
The base is the bottom portion of an award or trophy that supports the rest of the piece. Bases may be made from materials such as wood, marble, stone, resin, acrylic, glass, or crystal.
7. Championship Trophy
A championship trophy is an award presented to the winner of a competition, tournament, league, or season. Championship trophies can range from traditional column trophies to cups and custom recognition pieces.
8. Column Trophy
A column trophy is a traditional trophy design featuring one or more vertical columns between the base and the figure or topper. Columns are available in many colors, patterns, and sizes.
9. Corporate Award
A corporate award is a recognition piece used by a business or organization to honor employees, executives, partners, customers, or other recipients. Common uses include employee achievement, leadership, sales performance, retirement, and years of service.
10. Crystal Award
A crystal award is a premium recognition piece made from crystal and typically personalized through engraving, sandblasting, or another decoration method appropriate for the product.
Crystal awards are frequently selected for executive recognition, retirement, leadership, sales achievements, and significant milestones.
11. Custom Award
A custom award is an award created or personalized for a specific recipient, organization, event, or accomplishment. Customization may include names, logos, dates, colors, shapes, messages, or completely original designs.
For example, this Gutter Ball Champion award was created for a bowling event.
12. Glass Award
A glass award is a recognition piece made primarily from glass. Glass awards are available in many shapes and styles and can provide an elegant alternative to traditional trophies and plaques.
13. Insert
An insert is a decorative component placed into a trophy, medal, plaque, or other award. Inserts may feature sports, activities, academic subjects, logos, or other designs.
14. Medal
A medal is a small recognition piece, usually made from metal or a metal-like material, that may be worn around the neck, attached to a ribbon, or displayed as a keepsake.
Medals are commonly used for sports, races, academic competitions, tournaments, school events, or other achievements.
15. Medallion
A medallion is a decorative medal-like piece that can be used as an award or incorporated into a larger recognition product. Depending on the design, it may be attached to a ribbon, plaque, presentation box, or other display.
For example, challenge coins are widely considered to be small medallions.
16. Perpetual Plaque
A perpetual plaque is designed to recognize multiple recipients over time.
It typically includes a larger heading or organization name along with a series of smaller plates that can be personalized as new recipients are added. Employee of the Moth, annual champions, donor recognition, and recurring competitions are common uses.
17. Plaque
A plaque is a flat recognition or commemorative piece designed for display. Plaques are commonly made with wood or wood-like backings and can include engraved plates, graphics, emblems, or other decorative elements.
They are frequently used for retirement, years of service, appreciation, leadership, donors, sponsors, and employee recognition.
18. Presentation Box
A presentation box is a protective and decorative case used to present an award, medal, gift, or recognition piece. It can enhance the presentation while also providing storage and protection.
19. Recognition Award
A recognition award is presented to acknowledge someone's contributions, service, performance, or accomplishments. Unlike a competitive award, it does not necessarily represent winning a contest.
20. Resin Award
A resin award is a molded recognition piece made from resin. Resin allows manufacturers to create detailed three-dimensional designs and is commonly used for sports, academic activities, hobbies, and themed awards.
21. Trophy
A trophy is a physical award used to recognize achievement or success. Traditional trophies may include a base, column, figures, cups, or other components, although modern trophies are available in many different styles.
22. Trophy Figure
A trophy figure is the decorative component often positioned at the top of a traditional trophy. Figures can represent sports, academic activities, professions, hobbies, and many other themes.
23. Trophy Cup
A trophy cup is a cup-shaped award associated with championships.
Engraving and Personalization Terms
24. Engraving
Engraving is a broad term for creating permanent or semi-permanent marks, text, graphics, or designs on the surface of an item. Different engraving technologies are used depending on the material and desired result.
25. Laser Engraving
Laser engraving uses a focused laser beam to alter or remove material from a surface to create text, artwork, or other markings.
The appearance and depth of the mark depend on the material, equipment, settings, and engraving process being used.
26. Rotary Engraving
Rotary engraving uses a rotating cutting tool to physically remove material from the surface of an item.
27. Diamond Drag Engraving
Diamond drag engraving uses a diamond-tipped tool that is dragged across the surface of a material to create fine lines.
It can produce a traditional engraved appearance on compatible metal surfaces.
28. Etching
Etching is a process used to create a design or mark on the surface of a material. The exact process varies by material and application and may involve chemical, mechanical, or laser-based methods.
Although the terms engraving and etching are sometimes used interchangeably in everyday conversation, they can refer to different processes.
29. Sandblasting
Sandblasting, sometimes called abrasive blasting, uses a stream of abrasive material to create a frosted or recessed design on a surface.
In the awards industry, this technique is often associated with glass and crystal personalization.
30. Sublimation
Sublimation is a heat-transfer process that uses specialized inks to transfer full-color designs onto compatible coated materials.
Unlike traditional engraving, sublimation can reproduce color photographs, logos, and graphics.
31. Personalization
Personalization is the process of customizing an item for a specific person, organization, event, or occasion.
Names, monograms, dates, logos, messages, and artwork are all common forms of personalization.
32. Engraving Area
The engraving area is the portion of an item available for personalization.
Its size and shape can determine how much text or artwork will fit comfortably and how to finished design should be arranged.
33. Engraving Layout
The engraving layout is the arrangement of text, logos, and other design elements within the available personalization area.
A good layout creates a clear visual hierarchy so important information, such as the recipient's name, stands out.
34. Engraving Plate
An engraving plate is a plate specifically intended to receive engraved or otherwise personalized information. It may be attached to a plaque, trophy, clock. gift, or other item.
35. Monogram
A monogram is a design created using one or more initials.
Monograms are frequently used on personalized gifts, drinkware, cutting boards, keepsakes, and other items.
36. Logo Engraving
Logo engraving is the process of reproducing an organization's logo on a compatible award, plaque, gift, or other product using an appropriate engraving method.
The quality of the original artwork can have a significant impact on the finished result.
37. Color Fill
Color fill is the addition of color to engraved or recessed areas to increase contrast or create a particular appearance. Whether color filling is available depends on the product, material, and engraving process.
38. Reverse Engraving
Reverse engraving involves engraving from the back side of a compatible transparent material so the design can be viewed through the front surface.
This technique can create a clean front-facing appearance on certain acrylic products and signage materials.
39. Surface Engraving
Surface engraving places the design directly on the visible surface of an item rather than engraving from the reverse side.
40. Deep Engraving
Deep engraving removes more material than a shallow surface mark, producing a greater physical depth.
Whether deep engraving is possible or appropriate depends on the material, product, equipment, and design.
Artwork and Design Terms
41. Vector Artwork
Vector artwork is digital artwork created from mathematically defined paths rather than a fixed grid of pixels.
Because vector graphics can generally be resized without becoming pixelated, they are often preferred for logos and artwork used in engraving, printing, and other forms of production.
Common vector file formats can include .AI (Adobe Illustrator), .EPS (encapsulated postscript), and .SVG (scalable vector graphics). Some .PDF files also contain vector artwork.
42. Raster Image
A raster image is made from individual pixels.
.JPG and .PNG are common raster formats. Raster images can work for many applications, but low-resolution files may lose clarity when enlarged.
43. Resolution
Resolution describes the amount of image detail contained in a raster file.
Higher-resolution artwork generally provides more information to work with, while very small or pixelated images can be difficult to reproduce cleanly.
44. DPI
DPI stands for dots per inch and is commonly used when discussing print resolution. In everyday artwork preparation, the term is also frequently used when describing whether an image has enough details for reproduction.
45. High-Resolution Artwork
High-resolution artwork contains enough visual information to reproduce clearly at the intended size.
If vector artwork is unavailable, providing the largest and clearest original raster image is generally preferable to sending a screenshot or thumbnail.
46. Line Art
Line art consists primarily of solid lines and shapes rather than complex shading, gradients, or photographic details.
Clean line art can be particularly useful for certain engraving and reproduction methods.
47. Artwork Conversion
Artwork conversion is the process of preparing an existing image or logo for a particular production method.
This might involve recreating a low-resolution logo as vector artwork, simplifying details, adjusting lines, or otherwise preparing the design for engraving.
48. Artwork Proof
A proof is a preview used to review artwork, wording, layout, and personalization before production.
A proof should be checked carefully. Approval generally indicates that names, dates, spelling, layout, and other details have been reviewed.
49. Font
A font is the specific design of letters, numbers, and characters used in personalization.
Font selection can affect both the appearance and readability of an award. Formal awards may call for a different typeface than a youth sports trophy or humorous personalized gift.
50. Kerning
Kerning refers to the spacing between individual letters.
Proper spacing can make engraved names and messages look more balanced and professional.
Medal and Fiesta Medal Terms
51. Custom Medal
A custom medal is created specifically for an event, organization, brand, competition, or other purpose rather than using a standard stock design.
Custom medals can incorporate original shapes, logos, colors, text, and other features.
52. Fiesta Medal
A Fiesta medal is a collectible medal associated with San Antonio's Fiesta tradition.
Businesses, nonprofits, schools, organizations, community groups, Fiesta royalty, and individuals create medals featuring original designs that are collected, traded, and worn throughout Fiesta season.
53. Soft Enamel
Soft enamel is commonly used to add color to custom metal medals and similar products.
The colored areas sit within recessed portions of the medal design, allowing raised metal lines and recessed color areas to remain visually and physically distinct.
54. Hard Enamel
Hard enamel is a colored enamel process designed to create a smoother, more level surface between the enamel and surrounding metal.
The appearance differs from soft enamel, which typically retains more noticeable recessed areas.
55. Die Struck
Die striking uses a custom die to stamp a design into metal.
It can create raised and recessed areas without requiring colored enamel, making it suitable for designs where the metal itself is a major visual feature.
56. Spinner Medal
A spinner medal incorporates a component designed to rotate within or against another portion of the medal.
Spinner elements can add movement and interactivity to Fiesta medals, sports medals, and other custom designs.
57. Dangler
A dangler is a smaller decorative piece attached to the main medal so it hangs and moves independently.
Danglers can add another layer of detail to a custom Fiesta medal design.
58. Cutout
A cutout is an open area intentionally incorporated into the shape of a medal or other metal design.
Cutouts can help create unusual silhouettes and make certain design elements more distinctive.
59. Custom Shape
A custom-shaped medal follows the outline of a specific design rather than using a standard circle, square, or rectangle.
Logos, mascots, buildings, food, animals, and recognizable objects can all inspire custom medal shapes.
60. Plating
Plating refers to the metal finish applied to a medal or similar product.
Depending on the product and manufacturer, finishes may create different metal appearances and can significantly influence the overall look of the design.
61. Antique Finish
An antique finish uses darker recessed areas and contrasting raised surfaces to emphasize details and give the metal a more traditional or aged appearance.
62. Ribbon Drape
The ribbon drape is the fabric component attached to a medal for wearing or presentation.
Drapes can vary in width, length, color, pattern, and customization depending on the medal and its intended use.
Recognition Program Terms
63. Years of Service Award
A years of service award recognizes an employee or member for reaching a specific service milestone, such as 5, 10, 20, or 25 years with an organization.
64. Retirement Award
A retirement award commemorates the conclusion of a person's career or service with an organization.
Retirement plaques, crystal awards, clocks, and other personalized presentation pieces often include years of service and a message of appreciation.
65. Employee Recognition Award
An employee recognition award acknowledges performance, leadership, service, improvement, teamwork, sales achievement, or another valuable contribution within a workplace.
66. Participation Award
A participation award recognizes involvement in a sport, activity, competition, program, or event rather than a particular placement.
These are especially common in youth sports and school programs.
67. Placement Award
A placement award recognizes where someone finished in a competition, such as first, second, or third place.
Different sizes, finishes, or designs can be used to distinguish placements.
68. Achievement Award
An achievement award recognizes the successful completion of a goal or an exceptional accomplishment.
It can be used in professional, academic, athletic, civic, and organizational settings.
69. Appreciation AwardÂ
An appreciation award is given primarily to express gratitude for someone's service, support, generosity, or contributions.
Volunteers, sponsors, donors, employees, coaches, and community partners are common recipients.
70. Recognition Program
A recognition program is an organized system for acknowledging achievements, service, milestones, or performance over time.
Example include Employee of the Month programs, years of service programs, annual leadership awards, sales recognition, and academic honors.
Why Award Terminology Matters
You do not need to become an engraving expert before ordering an award.
Understanding a few basic terms, however, can make it easier to communicate what you want and compare your options.
Knowing the difference between acrylic and crystal can help narrow your product selection. Understanding vector artwork can help you submit a better logo file. Knowing what a perpetual plaque is can help you find a practical solution for an award that will be presented each year.
Terminology also becomes especially useful when you are coordinating a large or recurring recognition program.
What Information Should You Bring When Ordering an Award?
You do not need to know all of the technical terminology when you contact us. It is often more useful to explain what you are trying to accomplish.
Start with the occasion, number of recipients, approximate budget, and date the awards are needed.
If you already have personalization information, bring the recipient names, award titles, dates, wording, and any logos or artwork you want included.
For logo artwork, providing the original vector file whenever available can help simplify the design process.
If you do not know whether your artwork or wording will work, ask. An experienced awards professional can help determine what is appropriate for the product you are considering.
Awards and Engraving in San Antonio
The awards industry includes a wide variety of materials, personalization techniques, products, and terminology, but choosing recognition does not need to be complicated.
Monarch Trophy Studio has been serving San Antonio since 1972. We provide custom trophies, plaques, medals, acrylic, glass, and crystal awards, engraving, Fiesta medals, and personalized gifts. We serve businesses, schools, nonprofits, military organizations, clubs, and individuals.
Whether you already know exactly what you need or are still trying to understand your options, our team can help guide you through the process.
Visit mtsawards.com, call (210) 344-3777, email sales@mtsawards.com, or come by our showroom at 16227 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, Texas 78232.
As award styles and personalization technology continue to evolve, the terminology may change, be the purpose remains the same: creating meaningful ways to recognize people and the moments worth celebrating.