Guide · 4 min read · updated 2026-10-02
Glass, acrylic or engraved: which award should you choose?
What is the difference between a printed and an engraved award?
Engraving cuts into the material and gives one colour. Printing lays full colour on top. The deciding question is simply whether the design has colour in it.
Most of the trophy trade is sandblasted or laser-etched glass. It looks smart, but it renders every design in the same frosted grey — so a county badge, a squadron crest and a company logo all come out looking much the same. If an organisation is known by its colours, etching throws away the one thing that makes it recognisable.
Which material should I choose?
Acrylic for colour and for posting. Glass for weight in the hand. Wood for something warmer that will sit on a desk rather than a shelf.
Acrylic takes full-colour printing beautifully, is light enough to post without drama and costs less than glass at the same size. It is what we recommend for most company awards. Glass has a heft acrylic cannot fake, which matters for a single significant presentation. Wood suits long-service and retirement pieces, and takes both printing and engraving.
What does an award cost in the UK?
Expect roughly £30 to £80 for a single printed acrylic or glass award including artwork. Engraved wooden pieces are similar. Larger runs drop sharply per piece.
As with everything personalised, you are mostly paying for setup rather than materials. The second identical award costs far less than the first, so if you are presenting four, order four at once.
What do you need from me to start?
The logo as a vector file if you have one, the wording exactly as it should read, and the date of the presentation. That is enough to quote from.
If all you have is the logo from your website, say so — we can usually redraw it. Check the spelling of names yourself before approving the proof. It is the one mistake that cannot be fixed cheaply, because by then the piece is made.
Want a price for something specific?
Tell us what it is and we will give you a real number, usually the same day.
Related questions
Is acrylic cheaper than glass for awards?
Usually yes, and it is lighter and far less likely to arrive broken. Glass feels more substantial in the hand, which matters for a single significant presentation piece.
Can you print a logo in full colour on glass?
Yes. UV printing lays an opaque white underbase first, so colours sit on the glass properly instead of going transparent. Etching cannot produce colour at all.
Which lasts longer, printing or engraving?
Engraving, because the mark is the material itself. In practice both outlast the occasion — an award sits on a shelf, not in a toolbox.
How far ahead should I order an award?
Two weeks is comfortable and a week is usually fine. Tell us the date of the presentation rather than the date you want it delivered, so we can work backwards.