Nameplates: What makes a Good Nameplate?

New businesses need a logo that speaks, that is easily recognizable, that has style. Good nameplates are an extension of a good logo.

Manufacturers often try to emulate the nameplate design of the most recognizable brands in their respective industry, often at a great expense: quality design. While a brand might have a strong identity and a legacy of quality, a closer look at its branding techniques may reveal conceptual flaws that new businesses must avoid. Take Marshall Amplification, the gold standard of the rock n roll sound: its nameplate is one of the worst—a white, cheap plastic nameplate with the company name in cursive. In imitating a nameplate with poor design and construction such as Marshall’s, competitors look cheap and lack the cutting edge; it is more difficult for these fledging products and companies to stand out.

So what are the rules of good nameplate design?

Use a medium that compliments the packaging of your product.
Labels and even domed labels are run-of-the-mill—they do not speak with any authority. Three-dimensional plastic or metallic nameplates, however, not only present your brand visually but also allows the user to actually touch your brand, creating a visceral, multi-sensorial attachment between product and consumer. Customization options for 3-D plastic and metal nameplates allow for greater design control in the configuration of your nameplate.

Give your copy/logo room to breathe.
On a nameplate, just as on a printed page, white space is a critical part of design. Make sure there is enough background so that the background adds depth to the logo. The right perspective between copy and background is key.

Emphasize color.
A nameplate with a spot of color instead of just black and silver will always have more pop. But monochromatic nameplates—i.e. black-on-black or contrasting shades of silver—remain iconic and cool.

Complement your copy with an appropriate background design.
Square corner backgrounds, for example, work best with block style lettering and script or italic copy look better with radius corners, or ovals and circles. You should always layout your copy in several different background shapes to get a feel for the best aesthetics for your nameplate/logo.

Mix materials and manufacturing processes.
For a look that will make your nameplate/logo stand out from the crowd, mix mediums and materials in the manufacture of your nameplate. Domed nameplates—especially those with four-color intricate design—look great in bezels or as a part of the nameplate. When you combine the color of doming into a molded or metal nameplate, the branding takes on a totally different look. Molded logos in etched metal nameplates can also add splash or vice versa.

Industrial Nameplates - the visual differences

Industrial Nameplates - Examples of different custom industrial nameplates

Plastic Nameplate/Logo Design

Metal Nameplate/logo Design