Looking for a way to build a strong rapport with your customers and boost your team members’ confidence? Adding new custom name badges to their uniforms is one of the best moves you can make.

Business badges are handy tools for streamlining operations and building relationships. They can also play a major part in a business’s security structure.

The question is, what name badge material is the best choice for custom name badges? Here’s a rundown on the various material options for name badges and which one might be best for your company.

Let’s dig in!

Metal Custom Name Badges and Name Plates

One of the most popular materials for custom name badges for employees is metal. Metal custom badges are a smart choice if durability is the most important badge feature to you.

What’s great about metal as a name badge material is that it’s made of white, silver, or gold aluminum, which is lightweight and therefore convenient to wear all day. You can choose one of several fastener, shape, and size options for your company’s name tags.

Another metal option is our smooth name plate desk holders, which work with metal name plates and acrylic name plates (more on acrylic later). These long-lasting desk plates come in several hues, like yellow gold, rose gold, silver, and matte black.

Metal Badge Artwork

Let’s say your name badge idea involves placing a color company logo beside each employee’s name. With metal badges, you can easily take advantage of color printing. This means you can add a full-color business logo as well as personalized text to your workers’ badges.

When it comes to your badges’ artwork, you may choose for your design to be either ultraviolet printed or dye sublimated. With both of these styles, you’ll have the option of displaying your design in multiple colors of your choosing.

Metal Badge and Name Plate Quality

All in all, when you work with a reputable provider of custom name plates and badges, you can expect the products you order to both look and feel professional. They are smooth thanks to their glossy front sides.

The badges also feature rigorous metal frames or acrylic backers that give them their sturdiness. The strong epoxy that covers these badges further contributes to their longevity.

With the right company, you can often expect a rapid turnaround of 1-2 business days. That means your workers can get their personalized badges or name plates right away. You also shouldn’t have to worry about meeting order quantity minimum amounts or paying setup fees.

Note that metal badges and name plates can work in a variety of settings, but they are especially popular to use for bank workers and executives.

Plastic Name Badge Material

If you’re planning to order custom badges, consider choosing plastic customized badges as well.

These types of badges are fabricated from durable polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic that is 45 mil thick. This thickness mirrors that of the material used to create credit cards.

Plastic badges are among the most versatile nametag options. You can find these badges in various sizes and shapes to suit your taste and business’s image.

Business owners love the fact that plastic nametags aren’t too thick. You’ll also love the fact that you can choose from a wide range of colors.

Plastic badges are excellent for both outdoor and indoor uses as well. And for budget-conscious business owners, these badges are economically priced — yet another plus.

One-Color Badge Option

Perhaps you would like your workers’ nametags to feature nothing more than text or a text and a logo. A single-color plastic name badge may be an adequate choice for your company.

A leading name tag manufacturer can digitally print your personalized badges in your desired color.

For instance, you can choose to make your employees’ badges red or blue. Other options for your one-color badge include white and black.

Full-Color Badge Option

Perhaps one hue isn’t enough to properly convey your business’s logo and image. In this situation, you can choose a full-color nametag option, where you can include several colors on each badge.

A full-color option is perfect for giving your workers outstanding, creative, and vibrant name badges. You can use them for employees at all levels of your company, ranging from professionals to executives.

Note that there isn’t a limit to the number of colors you can apply to each badge’s front side and even the back side. However, for the background color, your main hue options generally include silver, gold, and white

In addition, you can utilize Pantone color matching to ensure that your nametags match your business’s brand perfectly.

Acrylic Desk Name Plate and Nametag Options

If you are searching for a winning name badge idea, consider giving your workers acrylic desk name plates. Background colors and images will go on the plate’s reverse side, whereas personal data will go on its front surface. This is a great option for classrooms and offices.

You can also choose acrylic badges for your workers. These types of name badges can take several forms: ultraviolet printed, reverse ultraviolet printed, and engraved badges.

Ultraviolet Printed

Ultraviolet printed name badges are popular due to their versatility, as you can customize them in multiple ways.

With this option, you can add detailed, stunning, and long-lasting colors to a white acrylic background. You may also want to incorporate raised print that is slightly textured into the design.

On ultraviolet printed badges, feel free to add any artwork, background images, and background graphics to your nametags. You can even add employee photos to your badges.

Although you’ll often find nametags at a standard size, a qualified company can create custom shapes and custom sizes. So, if you do not see the nametag shape or size you’re seeking, the name badge company should have no problem creating the right one to suit your needs.

Reverse Ultraviolet Printed

These types of name badges are stylish, durable, and unique. They may be the best choice for your company if you’re looking for sleek-looking tags for your workers.

You can also use reverse ultraviolet printed nametags made of acrylic as photo identification badges for staff and faculty. This acrylic nametag option can also be used for event badges given to VIPs and attendees.

You can spot this type of badge by its glossy, clear acrylic appearance. With this option, all of the printing is performed on the badge’s back side using a detailed printing process that gives the badge an eye-catching dimensional effect.

One of the main benefits of a reverse ultraviolet printed name badge is that it is long lasting. After all, clear acrylic protects the badge. A reputable name badge manufacturer may also add acrylic backer plates to these tags to sandwich the printed designs.

With reverse ultraviolet printed tags, you can choose a standard size for your business or go with a custom shape and size. Note that there is enough space to add your employees’ photos to these nametags if you wish.

Engraved Option

You can alternatively choose an engraved acrylic name badge or name plate if you’re looking for a low-cost yet durable choice. Engraved name plates and badges are in high demand in the following types of work environments:

  • Hotels
  • Convenience stores
  • Restaurants
  • Hospitals
  • Fitness centers
  • Universities
  • Schools

With the badges, you can choose between a textured or smooth surface. Badges are also available in several color combinations and sizes, such as oval.

You can have your business logo and your workers’ names laser-engraved into their badges’ or name plates’ surface colors to expose their underlying core colors. Other text that may be included on the nametags include your employees’ departments or titles.

To add strength and a finished appearance to the badges, consider ordering them with attractive silver or gold metal frames. 

FRP Name Badge

Finally, you may choose customized badges made of fiberglass reinforced plastic, or FRP. These are excellent nametag options for businesses seeking heavy-duty yet professional-looking nametag options.

You can choose between a matte finish or a glossy finish with this of badge. The badge also comes in multiple size options.

Note that the badge comes with rounded corners. You can choose the badge’s background color and include your color logo on this type of badge.

The badge is large enough to also include your employee’s name. Or, if you work at a school, you can include a student’s information on the badge. The precise and crisp printing done on an FRP badge will make the badge stand out against any school uniform or store attire. 

How We Can Help with Our Name Badges

The top materials for custom name badges include metal and plastic. Additional name badge material options include acrylic and FRP. Fortunately, at LoneStar Badge and Sign, Inc., we take pride in offering custom name badges in all of these materials.

We are well equipped to mass-produce our custom badges for companies that have anywhere from 10 to 100 locations and make repeat orders. For this reason, we have successfully met the needs of nationally renowned companies during the past 40 years.

Contact us to learn more about our products, and request a free quote today!