What to Engrave on a Trophy or Plaque: Wording, Length and Examples

A beautiful trophy is good. A trophy with clear, well-centered, error-free text is better. Engraving is what turns an object into a keepsake, yet it is too often the step that gets settled at the last minute. Here is how to choose what you will have engraved. Start with the essentials: who, what, when. The recipient's name, the reason for the award ("Most Valuable Player", "25 Years of Service") and the year are enough in most cases. The name of the organization or event comes next, often with a logo. If space is tight, remove the extras rather than shrinking the letters: text that is too small becomes unreadable from a distance. Think about length too. A small trophy plate generally holds two to four short lines, while a wall plaque allows a longer message, such as a thank-you note. On a medal, keep it to the bare minimum: the event title, the category and the year. A few examples for inspiration: Sports: "Regional Cosom Hockey Tournament — M13 Category — Champions — 2025". Business: "Customer Service Excellence Award — Marie Tremblay — 2025". Retirement: "Thank you for 30 years of dedication and passion". Next comes spelling, the most important point. An engraved mistake cannot be erased. Send us your text by email or in a spreadsheet we can copy and paste, rather than by photo or voice message. Check the accents and capital letters in proper names (Hélène, François, Gagné), then have a second person proofread the list before sending it to us. As for style, favor simple, legible fonts and limit yourself to one or two per piece. Writing everything in capitals is tempting, but it slows reading as soon as the sentence gets longer. Keep capitals for titles or names. Depending on your audience, you can also choose French-only or bilingual text. If you are ordering several pieces, standardize the format: same order of information, same way of writing names (First name Last name) and same date style. The result will look more professional, especially on an awards table. Need a hand wording your message? At Mr Trophée in Léry, we help you adapt the text to the chosen piece before starting the laser engraving. You can then pick up your order at the shop or have it delivered.