Nameplate
Encyclopedia
Rectangle
In Euclidean plane geometry, a rectangle is any quadrilateral with four right angles. The term "oblong" is occasionally used to refer to a non-square rectangle...
s but are also seen in other shapes, sometimes taking on the shape of someone’s name. The primary use of name plates is for informative (as in an office environment, where name plates are mounted on doors or walls in order to identify employees) and commercial purposes (as in a retail environment, where name plates are mounted on products to identify the brand). Whereas name tags tend to be worn on uniforms or clothing, name plates tend to be mounted onto an object (e.g. cars, amplification devices) or physical space (e.g. doors, walls, or desktops). Nameplates are also distinct from name plaques. Plaques are items of larger dimensions that are designed to communicate more information than a name and title.
Office nameplates
Office nameplates generally are made out of plastic or wood and usually contain one or two lines of text. The standard format for an office nameplate is to display a person’s name on the first line and a person’s job titleTitle
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
on the second line. It is common for organizations to request nameplates that exclude the job title. The primary reasons for excluding job titles are to extend the longevity of a name plate and to promote a culture of meritocracy
Meritocracy
Meritocracy, in the first, most administrative sense, is a system of government or other administration wherein appointments and responsibilities are objectively assigned to individuals based upon their "merits", namely intelligence, credentials, and education, determined through evaluations or...
, where the strength of one’s thoughts are not connected to one’s job title. Name plates without job titles have longer lives because someone can reuse the same name plate after changing job titles. It is rare for an office name plate to contain three or more lines of text. Although office name plates range in size, the most popular name plate size is 2 inches x 8 inches (5.08 cm x 20.32 cm). Office name plates typically are made out of plastic. This is because plastic is an inexpensive material relative to wood and metal. More expensive name plates can be manufactured out of bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
. To promote consistency, organizations tend to use the same style name plate for all employees. This helps to achieve a standard look. Office name plates are not restricted to for-profit
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
enterprises. Many non-profit and governmental agencies
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
have a need for name plates. For plastic and wooden name plates, the names are etched into the material through a number of processes, including mechanical engraving, laser engraving
Laser engraving
Laser engraving, or laser marking, is the practice of using lasers to engrave or mark an object. The technique does not involve the use of inks, nor does it involve tool bits which contact the engraving surface and wear out...
, or whittling
Whittling
Whittling is the art of carving shapes typically out of raw wood or bone with a knife.Whittling is typically performed with a light, small-bladed knife, usually a pocket knife. Specialised whittling knives are available as well...
.
Personal name plates
Name plates are also popular for personal reasons. Parents often like to adorn the doors of their children’s rooms with name plates. These name plates are conventionally crafted out of wood, not plastic or metal. Because the name plates are meant for children, these personal name plates tend to come in fun shapes. Examples of fun shapes include teddy bearTeddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
s, bluebird
Bluebird
The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Sialia of the thrush family . Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. They have blue, or blue and red, plumage...
s, dogs, and the child’s name. These name plates also tend to be more colorful than office name plates. Mounting options are either by nail or by adhesive. Wooden name plates are not normally glued onto doors, as the glue may leave a messy residue and make it harder to remove the name plate. Larger personal name plates also include graphics
Graphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
or artwork
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
, such as a horse or a baseball bat
Baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
, that match the interests of the identified person. The graphics or artwork reinforce the individuality
Individualism
Individualism is the moral stance, political philosophy, ideology, or social outlook that stresses "the moral worth of the individual". Individualists promote the exercise of one's goals and desires and so value independence and self-reliance while opposing most external interference upon one's own...
and personalization
Personalization
Personalization involves using technology to accommodate the differences between individuals. Once confined mainly to the Web, it is increasingly becoming a factor in education, health care Personalization involves using technology to accommodate the differences between individuals. Once confined...
established by the name plate.
There is a growing trend to use name plates for vanity
Vanity
In conventional parlance, vanity is the excessive belief in one's own abilities or attractiveness to others. Prior to the 14th century it did not have such narcissistic undertones, and merely meant futility. The related term vainglory is now often seen as an archaic synonym for vanity, but...
purposes. In these cases, the name plates are fashioned out of gold, silver, or other metals and worn as a form of jewellery
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
. These name plates are similar to vanity plates found on automobiles. They are available in a multitude of styles and colors, ranging from bronze to pink. Most commonly, these vanity name plates are worn as necklace
Necklace
A necklace is an article of jewellery which is worn around the neck. Necklaces are frequently formed from a metal jewellery chain. Others are woven or manufactured from cloth using string or twine....
s or bracelet
Bracelet
A bracelet is an article of jewelry which is worn around the wrist. Bracelets can be manufactured from metal, leather, cloth, plastic or other materials and sometimes contain jewels, rocks, wood, and/or shells...
s.
Name plate holders
Name plates are usually sold as two separate components: the manufactured name plate insert and the name plate holder. This setup allows the name plate insert to be used in a variety of settings depending on the specific holder—the same plastic, wood, or metal name plate insert can usually be removed and reinserted into another holder style with minimal effort; thereby creating a new name plate application. Various name plate holders range from wall and door mounts, desk holders, to cubicle hangers.Name plates on products
Name plates are used on many products to designate the producer, the brand, and/or the product name, as well as properties of the product such as powerPower (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
and mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
. Additionally, they may be placed on a product for decorative value, for placement of product information (e.g. serial code), or for approval/recognition (e.g. an endorsement by a governing body). When strategically placed on a product, nameplates often extend the impact of a logo or brand and heighten the connection to the value of the product. Many nameplates must meet certain requirements for print life, and environmental tolerances base on location or environment the product might be used in.
Nameplate differ from labels in that they are usually designed for long term product marking. They are usually under printed on some sort of transparent material with a industrial grade adhesive or mechanical attachment.
Modern manufacturing processes allow for diverse styles of nameplate design. Nameplates can be two- or three-dimensional; made of various metals (aluminum, zinc), stainless steel or brass, man-made materials (e.g. Mylar or Vinyls) or injection-molded plastic; and thickness, color, and size can all be customized. Additional design features and production techniques common to nameplate manufacturing include etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
, branding
Brand management
Brand management is the application of marketing techniques to a specific product, product line, or brand.The discipline of brand management was started at Procter & Gamble as a result of a famous memo by Neil H...
, and engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
.
Nameplates can be mounted or bound to the object that they are labeling by rivets, screws, or adhesive
Adhesive
An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials...
.
Graphic Overlay Nameplates
Graphic Overlay Nameplates are constructed from hard-coated polycarbonatePolycarbonate
PolycarbonatePhysical PropertiesDensity 1.20–1.22 g/cm3Abbe number 34.0Refractive index 1.584–1.586FlammabilityV0-V2Limiting oxygen index25–27%Water absorption – Equilibrium0.16–0.35%Water absorption – over 24 hours0.1%...
, hard-coated polyester or UV resistant polyester
Polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...
. Graphic Overlay Nameplates differ from generic Nameplates in that they feature transparent windows, selective texturing, embossing, abrasion protection and chemical resistance. A Graphic Overlay is usually over some sort of LEDs, Windows, switch, or control panel.
A graphic overlay is a screen or digitally printed product incorporating processes such as embossing, selective texturing and transparent display windows. Not only does a graphic overlay provide aesthetic appeal to a device, but it can also provide environmental protection. A graphic overlay can be used in an assembly using discrete switches or laminated to a membrane switch
Membrane switch
A membrane switch is an electrical switch for turning a circuit on and off. It differs from a mechanical switch, which is usually made of copper and plastic parts: a membrane switch is a circuit printed on PET or ITO...
.
Name plates used in industry
Industrial strength name plates are required to withstand harsher operating environments compared to those used in the home and office. All industries that require long term product identification or marking used nameplates for branding, identification, instructions, and other marketings. Industrial name plate manufacturers can offer a variety of different nameplates for a wide range of applications. The properties of the name plates that vary from application to application include: Material (including aluminum, stainless steel or titanium), thickness, Custom GraphicsGraphics
Graphics are visual presentations on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, computer screen, paper, or stone to brand, inform, illustrate, or entertain. Examples are photographs, drawings, Line Art, graphs, diagrams, typography, numbers, symbols, geometric designs, maps, engineering drawings,or...
, Screen printing, Etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
, and Anodizing, Adhesive
Adhesive
An adhesive, or glue, is a mixture in a liquid or semi-liquid state that adheres or bonds items together. Adhesives may come from either natural or synthetic sources. The types of materials that can be bonded are vast but they are especially useful for bonding thin materials...
backing, UL and CSA approval, Serialization, Military Standards and Embossing. Japanese term for in industrial use is meiban.
Rail transport usage
In rail transportRail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
, a nameplate is a plate attached to a locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
or other item of rolling stock that carries a name. Nameplates are often collected as memorabilia
Railroadiana
Railroadiana or railwayana refers to artifacts of currently or formerly operating railways around the world. Railroadiana can include items such as:* public or employee timetables...
.
Welsh Highland Railway locomotive "Russell" is unusual in having carried two different designs of nameplate during its operational life.