Full Color Dash Plaques (Custom Sized between 0 and 3 sq. in.)

A full color dash plaque is a small custom-cut aluminum plate printed by dye sublimation and mounted on a vehicle dashboard with adhesive tape backing. Car shows, cruise-ins and auto club events hand them out as participation or placement awards that drivers display on the dash during judging. The same plate also works as a nameplate or badge on trophies, display boards and equipment panels.

Full color dash plaques print photographs, gradients and unlimited colors in one pass, while single-color methods reproduce one flat spot color per screen. The trade-off is color control: dye sublimation only approximates a PMS match, and because the ink is semi-transparent, any white in the art drops out to the bare gold, silver or enamel white base. Single-color imprinting holds an exact spot color but cannot carry a photographic image.

Each plate is custom cut to any footprint between 0 and 3 square inches, so the buyer sets the height and width. Plaques ship bulk with no individual bagging, and 1,000 pieces weigh about 7 pounds in a carton measuring 12 by 9 by 4 inches. Actual carton weight and dimensions vary with the size ordered.

Yes. Hole punching is available from 3/32 to 1/4 inch diameter at $0.16 per hole per piece, with a 100-hole minimum billed, and slot punching at 1/2 by 1/8 inch runs the same rate. Corner rounding costs $0.08 per corner and special cutting $0.26 per cut per piece. A $20.00 special fabrication setup applies once to any order with holes, slots, rounded corners or custom cuts.

Standard production runs 10 business days after art approval. Transit time is additional and ships from Minnesota, so plan roughly two to five extra days for ground delivery depending on destination. Confirm any show date at the time of quote, since custom cutting and punching are scheduled with the print run.

Car shows and cruise-ins are the largest users, where every registered entrant receives one as a participation award. Other frequent buyers include motorcycle rallies, charity poker runs, truck and tractor pulls, auto club anniversary meets, swap meets and race-day driver gifts. Event organizers typically date the artwork by year so entrants collect a new plate each season.

Per-unit pricing runs from $6.65 at 50 pieces down to $2.24 at 500 pieces, with breaks at 50, 100, 250 and 500. A one-time $60.00 setup charge applies to the order, and added fabrication such as hole punching, corner rounding or special cutting bills separately per piece. Quantity is the largest cost driver, followed by the fabrication options and any drop shipment.

Wipe the plate with a soft damp cloth and mild soap, then dry it. Dye sublimation infuses the image into the coated aluminum surface rather than sitting on top of it, so normal wiping will not lift the graphic, but abrasive pads and solvent cleaners can dull the finish. Before mounting, wipe the dashboard clean and let it dry fully so the pressure-sensitive tape bonds.

The plaques are made and assembled in the U.S.A. from components mostly sourced domestically, and orders ship FOB Minnesota, which supports domestic-sourcing documentation on a purchase order. Buyers supply their own artwork; the plate is printed exactly as furnished, so send high-resolution or vector files. List the finished height and width on the purchase order, since every plate is cut to order.