Bronze Plaques with Photo

A photograph turns a bronze plaque from a record into a remembrance. The name tells people who is remembered; the face tells them who that person was. We offer three ways to put a photo on a cast bronze memorial plaque, each with its own look, durability and price, and this page explains how they differ so you can choose the right one for a grave, a garden, a columbarium niche, a headstone or a wall at home.

Three ways to put a photo on a bronze plaque

The ceramic insert is the most popular because the photo stays a photo, in color, and it is the most affordable. The integrated image is the choice when a cemetery does not allow attachments or when the plaque will be handled. The relief portrait is a piece of sculpture and is quoted individually by our team.

Ceramic photo inserts

A ceramic photo insert is a color photograph fired onto a ceramic or vitreous enamel tile at high temperature, so the image is in the glaze rather than printed on top of it. The tile is set into a recess cast in the plaque and sealed at the edge. Ovals and rectangles are the usual shapes, in sizes from about 2 by 3 inches for a small plaque up to 5 by 7 inches on a large memorial, and other shapes can be made on request. Because the tile is fired, sun, rain and frost do not fade it, which is why ceramic portraits have been used on headstones for more than a century. In the designer, upload the photo in the Images menu and position it; the plaque price with the image is itemized at Check Price before you save. We can also supply the ceramic photo tile on its own for an existing plaque or headstone; see our ceramic photo tiles page.

Integrated bronze image plaques

An integrated image plaque bonds the photograph into the surface of the bronze, so the finished plaque is a single piece with the picture, the lettering and the border all in one casting. There is no tile to attach, no edge to catch weather and nothing that can be pried off, which some cemeteries and columbaria require for plaques in public areas. The photograph keeps its tone and detail, and the surrounding bronze is finished with the same leatherette, pebble or dark background as any other plaque. This is our most advanced photo option, described in full on the integrated bronze image plaques page, and it suits a niche front, an outdoor memorial or a plaque that will be touched.

Relief portraits sculpted in bronze

A relief portrait is made by our artists from your photograph: the face is modelled as bas relief, cast as part of the plaque, and light and shadow across the raised metal recreate the likeness. It has no color and it is not a photograph, but it is as permanent as the letters beside it and reads beautifully at 6 by 8 inches and larger. Relief portraits are chosen for founders, pastors, coaches and community figures, and for families who want a memorial that will look the same in a hundred years. Each one is quoted individually because the sculpting time depends on the photo. Send the photograph through the contact page and we will advise before you order; our photo plaques page shows the style.

Choosing and preparing the photograph

• Resolution: a photo from a modern phone is fine; a scan of a print should be at least 300 dots per inch at the size it will appear. We check every image before production and tell you if it will not reproduce well.
• Framing: head and shoulders, facing the camera, with even light and no deep shadow across the face. Group photos can be cropped to one person.
• Old or damaged photos: send the original scan and we restore scratches, tears and fading before firing or fusing. Black and white photographs reproduce very well.
• Pets: a clear photo with the whole head in frame; the ceramic insert and the integrated image both take animal portraits.

Whichever method you choose, a proof shows the photo in place beside the wording at true size, and nothing is made until you approve it.

Sizes and prices for photo plaques

Allow room for the photograph as well as the words. A 6 by 4 inch plaque takes a small oval portrait beside two short lines; an 8 by 6 fits a 2 by 3 inch portrait with a name, dates and a line of verse; a 12 by 8 grave plaque carries a 3 by 4 inch portrait and five or six lines; a 10 by 10 niche front suits a centered portrait above the name. The base plaque prices from our designer, for a standard rectangle with a classic border and leatherette background, shipping included:

The cost of the photo itself depends on the method and size and is itemized in the designer before you save the design. Check with the cemetery before ordering: many allow ceramic inserts, some ask for the integrated image, and a few do not permit photographs at all. Our cemetery plaques page and bronze plaque sizes guide will help with the rules and the measurements.

How to order

1. Open the free design tool, pick the shape and set the size in inches. The price updates as you go.
2. Add the wording, choose a border and background, and add an emblem, motif or photo if you want one.
3. Pick the fastening: flat back, concealed lugs with studs, or screws visible from the front.
4. Save the design and order it from My Account. We send a written proof, and nothing is cast until you approve it.

Frequently asked questions

Can a bronze memorial plaque have a photo?

Yes. We offer three methods: a fired ceramic photo insert set into the bronze, a photograph fused into the bronze surface as a single piece, and a portrait sculpted in raised bronze relief. All three are designed with your wording in our online tool and proofed before casting.

Will the photo fade outdoors?

A ceramic photo is fired into the glaze at high temperature, so sun and weather do not fade it, and the integrated bronze image is bonded into the metal and finished as part of the plaque. A relief portrait is solid bronze and cannot fade at all.

Do cemeteries allow photos on bronze plaques?

Most do, and many headstones already carry ceramic portraits. Some cemeteries require the photo to be integrated with no separate insert, and a few do not allow photographs. Ask the cemetery office for its rule and we will design to it.

How much does a bronze plaque with a photo cost?

The base plaque is priced by size in our designer, from $382.98 for a 6 by 4 inch plaque to $796.86 for a 12 by 8, shipping included. The photo is itemized on top at Check Price depending on the method and size you choose. Relief portraits are quoted individually.

How long does it take?

Allow about 3 to 4 weeks for casting after you approve the free proof, plus 5 to 10 days for delivery anywhere in the USA and worldwide.