SwissMaterials
Which material for a Swiss plaque?
Five materials, five behaviours in frost, alpine UV and winter road salt. What follows is what each one actually does after a few Swiss winters — not a colour chart.
Stainless steel
The material that changes least. Brushed stainless holds the same grey for decades, shrugs off salt spray, and gives engraving its cleanest edge. If a plaque has to be forgotten about, this is the one.
Anodised aluminium
A third of the weight of brass at a fraction of the price. Aluminium is what makes a 40 × 30 cm building sign practical — and what keeps an adhesive mount from sagging off a letterbox in July.
Black acrylic
A laser cuts through the black surface to a white core, so the lettering is not filled — it is the material underneath. Nothing else we make is this legible from across a corridor.
Two-tone plastic
Two coloured layers bonded together: engrave the top one away and the second colour appears. It is how most workshop, locker and machine labels in Switzerland are made, and there is no cheaper way to get a legible plate.