Indelible, Legible Legend Plates
Scott Machine helps you simplify your operations, with a wide array of standard legend plates to I.D. your facility’s equipment. We’ve also outfitted our economical engraving machines with unique software that enables you to permanently label your legend plates swiftly and effortlessly. For long-term cost savings, order our legend plate blanks in all colors and sizes, and remember – if your message matters, don’t settle for a sticker. Engrave it!
Standard Plates with High Standards
Whether there’s going to be a lot on your plate or merely a word or serial number, our quality, industrial-strength plastic tags fit the task and the equipment. We manufacture a number of standard legend plates in all colors and sizes, as well as custom shapes, right here in our American factory. Unlike tapes and decals that can peel, these durable plastic plates fit securely around switches and buttons, standing up to gloves and tough environments.
Make One in a Minute
Engrave your first legend plate…and each one after that…with ease. A GripNGraver™ nanotac mat comes with every machine, and the engraving cutter is already installed.
These legend plates consist of 1/16" thick two-layer plastic with a tough surface. The engraving machine removes the top layer, to expose the contrasting core. We provide the blank plates, you simply press them onto the nanotac engraver bed…no vises or clamps. Quickly, the indelible lettering is engraved firmly into the surface. When done, brush away the last bits of engraving dust, and your plate is ready to install.
Even the Prices Leave a Great Impression
Our business is all about helping your business. That includes pricing that enables you to engrave what you need without putting a big scratch in your budget.
Our 1/16" thick, 22mm and 30mm hole plates fit standard selectors, push buttons and indicator lamps. Perfect for Allen Bradley, Square D and Schneider, ensuring a precise fit and professional look.
And at about a dollar apiece for legend plate blanks, how’s that for keeping costs in line?
Click to download our
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See advanced concepts and options below: engraving custom shapes, burnishing metal plates, adhesive backing, etc.
Color Code Your Messaging
When engraving legend plates for electric control panels, consider incorporating the OSHA colors used for safety communication.
- Red is used for emergency stops or fire-related equipment.
- Yellow indicates caution, signaling potential hazards.
- Green is used for safety or first aid equipment.
- Blue signifies general information.
- Orange marks dangerous parts of machinery.
These well-known colors ensure clear, consistent communication of hazards and safety protocols, protecting regular operators and occasional visitors in industrial settings.
Check out all of our colors in our
Here's Our Input for Better Output
Doing high volume? We can assure you of high performance. Our engraving software imports Excel and csv files, then merges the data with your software templates. No need to lay out each legend plate individually. If you have high volumes of names and titles, simply import a spreadsheet.
In this example, we've placed several tags adjacently, secured without vises or cumbersome clamps by our new nanotech mat. Set up the software for automatic serialization, start the job...and walk away. When you return, just lift each tag from the mat, reload, and resume.
Watch the Demo.
We're Stick-lers for Labeling That Lasts
Your legend plates should be able to withstand all kinds of adverse conditions. It’s why we make them so tough and durable. We even offer quick-peel, adhesive backing, if you need it, for a secure, invisible hold that’s moisture-proof and temperature-resistant. From an array of blanks, to special accessories like this and engraving machines that even a novice will love, Scott Machine has your workplace covered.
Custom Shapes That Really Cut It
Custom profiles may be required when you need to fit an ID plate into a narrow space, or surround a large switch with a ring-shaped plate with lettering around the outer edge. Here we’re creating a custom profile name tag, though the process for legend plates is the same. The lettering in this video is on the inside “hole” portion, but could also be on the outside “donut” area.
Profile cutting such as this is usually done in three passes through the material, to ensure a perfectly smooth edge on both the top and bottom surfaces. So it’s your choice…letter the legend plates that we provide, or letter and cut out your own plates from sheets of our plastics.
Our Software Expands Your Options
Use our uniquely created engraving software to lay out your text, graphics and symbols. Text can be wrapped around a circle, to coordinate with controls that rotate. There's a library of templates for all our legend plates. Dozens of fonts, as well as custom icons, are included in our software, too.
We provide easy-to-follow tutorials for creating custom profiles, and one-step methods to import drawings from your CAD software in our
Metal Legend Plate Engraving That Deserves a Medal
The second choice behind plastic as the most popular material for legend plates is black-coated aluminum. For this, the plastic cutter is replaced by a burnishing tool or a scribe. These tools remove the black coating to expose the underlying aluminum, thereby creating a silver letter on a black background. Both tools require a spring-loaded holder. You can find the tools and adapters in our Cutters & Tools Store.
Some aluminum legend plates may not stick securely to our GripNGraver hold-down mat. But the Scott MetalGraver™ engraving machine has a t-slot bed designed to securely hold flat pieces of metal for lettering.
For features like that and others that ensure efficient lettering on metals, consider our
Click for samples
You’re never just a number to us, but whatever the volume of tags you need to create, you can count on us. And that’s true whether you need a faster, larger engraving machine or merely a lot more blanks and profiles. Need custom logos? E-mail a file and we’ll convert it to an engraving format…usually overnight. In every way, Scott Machine is your most resourceful source. Send for your samples today!
Sample details: engraved LEGD010; 2 1/4 square with 1 7/32" hole; X01 Black/White; X06 Yellow/Black; X70 Green/White. (CAR1 0.015" cutter)
One-click sample ordering at our
STEP UP TO THE PLATE FOR SAFETY
Keep your facility safe and strategically labeled, with legend plates of any size, type or color.
Consider this Wall Street Journal article published October 3, 2024:
Factory Workers Are Dying Because Machines Aren’t Being Turned Off
To reduce the chance of accidents and vague labeling, Scott Machine has equipment tags for every site and situation. Our scratch- and wear-resistant, durable plastic plates are perfect for virtually any type of industry, both inside and out. Even better, we’ve designed specialized software into our quality engraving machines, so that you can clarify, classify and identify equipment and machines with minimal energy and effort.
Legend Plate Glossary
Though "legend plate" is the most common term, these words are often used when describing the labeling of switches and lamps on equipment control panels:
- Faceplates: Another term, especially in broader electrical applications, referring to the plates mounted around controls.
- Escutcheon: Traditionally refers to a decorative plate around a keyhole, but in industrial settings it can describe a protective or ornamental plate around switches, making it appropriate in certain contexts.
- Bezel: Refers to the outer ring or edge of a switch or button. While not the same as a legend plate, it’s related to the area around the control, so this term is sometimes used interchangeably, though less precisely.