We have long informative pages. You'll learn much more by scrolling down & clicking the links found within. Visit linked Price Chart Pages before requesting a Quote. THANKS!

Home
Up
Plaques Overview
Standard Cast Plaques
PictureCast Plaques
Etched Plaques
Multi-Colored Signs
Metal Letters
Plastic Letters
Featured Projects
F A Q
Table of Contents
Links

Heritage Line has over 9,000 standard emblems including many civic and fraternal organizations, religious groups, government agencies, and armed services............. These emblems are often available in an assortment of sizes to fit different-sized plaques.......... Heritage Line has over 9,000 standard emblems including many civic and fraternal organizations, religious groups, government agencies, and armed services. These emblems are often available in an assortment of sizes to fit different-sized plaques..........

   NOTE: Many find this page directly, searching for "armed services logos" & "military seals". Please click those links, or Patriotic Tributes II for more service emblems. Visit Standard Cast Plaques for a wide array of "government plaques", and "Up" for our main Cast Plaques Page for full cast plaque information.

Portraits

   Portraits of people, places & events may be added to a plaque using a variety of techniques. Best method depends upon artwork available, final appearance desired and budget. Click most images for enlargements.

Many find the distinction between Bas Relief and Flat Relief imagery confusing. Bas is sculptural. Flat isn't; it's either upper level A or lower level B; no dimensions in between. Think of bas reliefs = "rolling hills", flat reliefs = "plateaus". Click Here for a graphic representation. Click Here for an audio/visual explanation.

Flat Reliefs Below:
 
 

Bas Reliefs Below:
 

Steps for receiving a traditional clay molded bas relief plaque:
Step One: Submit a Picture Step Two: Review your hand-sculpted clay molded image. Step Three: The image is cast.

Mitch had plenty of character, which showed in his face.

A very talented artist expertly captured that true-to-life character.

Step Four: Image Æ is attached to the base plaque.

Flat Relief Portraits

An economical alternative to a bas-relief, method begins with a black & white subject rendering. Once approved, a photopolymer pattern is produced. A raised image two-level metal casting is either manufactured & applied to the cast plaque, or cast integrally.

     

Bas-Relief Portraits

  Sculptors use photographs to model a low relief clay image of the subject. Once approved, a sand mold is made as is a cast metal version. The cast bas-relief is hand-finished & attached to the base plaque.

   Commonly associated with portraits, bas-reliefs are also effective for depicting buildings, historical vignettes & logos.

Portrait Options Above:

Click on any of three small images and

larger image opens in a new window.

House on Left is Sculptural: Bas relief.

 House on Right is not:

It's Flat relief (image raised 3/32" above surface).
   

Flat Relief: For us to create from a photo: Art Charge: $349. Bas relief portrait: Art & casting charge added to base plaque price: $999 up 12"; $1,059 for 14"; $1,179 for 16"; $1,399 for 18"; $1,599 for 20"...etc. You will NOT find a better offer elsewhere.

PictureCast Portraits: Up to 10": Add $549. These portraits have a minor sculptural aspect to them...

and look exactly like the provided photo.
Visit PictureCast Page for an economical alternative to Bas-relief plaques.

Cast Bronze Plaque Etched Portraits Appliqués

   Process utilizes a halftone dot pattern acid-etched on a metal plate. The recessed dots are filled to contrast with the satin-finished background. Best photographs have high contrast with bright white areas, dense black areas & minimal grey tones. Monotone photos or those having muted colors produce poor halftone etchings.

 

MetalPhoto™ Portraits

   MetalPhoto uses a photosensitive aluminum sheet, available in satin or gold-tone aluminum. Sheet is exposed using a film negative made from a photograph using a UV light source. Image is produced in a permanent image on the plate. Largest size available: 20" x 24".

   MetalPhoto is recommended when art available is extremely detailed or the image itself does not have a lot of contrast.

Emblems - Standard

Options available to enhance a plaque using standard or custom emblems & custom portraits. We offer over 9,000 standard emblems for civic & fraternal organizations, religious groups, government agencies & armed services. Available in assortment of sizes to fit different-sized plaques. May be flat or bas-relief. Check for availabilities. One standard emblem included for no extra charge. Additional emblems: $30.00 each.

Flat Relief

Bas-relief

Emblems - Custom

Virtually any emblem, seal or logo can be cast in two ways:

Flat Relief Emblems

  Line details are raised the same height as the raised copy. Required camera-ready art or an electronic file to photographically reproduce the emblem.

Bas-relief Emblems

   Many emblems & logos tend to a multi-level design. The image will be sculpted in clay from your artwork or modeled using a 3-D model maker.

          

For Flat Relief imagery lines must be crisp with separation between them to be castable.

Here's an example of a difficult Line Art Project:

Volunteer Fire Department wanted an "Old-Timey Hook & Ladder" on a cast bronze plaque as line art. They had no artwork. We recommended they find clip art on a website like Microsoft ClipArt Online.

    Customer struck out. "Out of the goodness of our heart" (read: "A Momentary Lapse of Reason") we offered: "Find a picture that you like and we'll make it castable for a vector-art-only-charge." BUT: There's a lot more to it. Subjective decisions direct how "tones" are treated as lines & shapes, raised & recessed areas...an arduous process. Long story short, but after much effort we arrived at: â

ç Left is the Ultimate Result.

To Facilitate the Process: Consider submitting your own usable line art to save time & money. Or request an Etched Plaque or MetalPhoto attachment to the base cast plaque of your image instead.