A high gloss plaque does something a regular wood plaque cannot. The mirror-like piano finish, the way the engraved plate floats against deep lacquered black or rich rosewood, the weight of it in your hand at the podium. It reads expensive because it is expensive, and that is the point for executive recognition, board awards, and milestone gifts that need to feel commensurate with the achievement.
This guide walks through the best providers for high gloss plaques and covers the design choices that separate a polished award from a plaque that looks like it came out of a catalog from 1995. Border colors, plate styles, wording, care, and where these awards belong in a modern recognition program.
1. VIKING AWARDS (WESTCHESTER, IL)
Viking Awards stocks an extensive high gloss line at their Westchester, IL showroom, including a dedicated piano finish collection that runs from compact executive sizes to large board-level presentations. The piano finish is exactly what it sounds like: multi-stage lacquered wood polished to the same depth of shine as a concert piano, layered over a solid hardwood core. Done right, it stays mirror-clean for years. Done poorly, it shows fingerprints and dust like a black car in summer. Viking gets the finish right.
For programs that want the gloss without the all-black look, Viking also offers high gloss and cherry finish options where the lacquer sits over warm wood tone instead of black. These work well for organizations that already use cherry or walnut elsewhere in their recognition program and want the high gloss treatment without breaking the visual line.
In business since 1973, Viking has handled high gloss work for half a century, which means the engraving plates come out clean and centered, the corners are crisp, and the brass or aluminum engraving plates fit flush rather than sitting slightly proud of the wood. Engraving is done in-house using laser for plates with detailed logos and rotary for high-contrast text on traditional brass. Turnaround on most custom high gloss plaques is one to two weeks, with rush available when an executive announcement gets moved up.
The family-run, Chicagoland-based operation runs out of 10405 W Cermak Rd. They will walk you through plate options (black with gold print, brushed gold, black diamond engraved, sublimated full color), border treatments, and the differences between a flat plate, a floating plate, and a recessed plate before you place the order. For modern recognition programs that want a single source for design through delivery, they are the top pick. Call (630) 833-1733 or visit viking-awards.com.
10405 W Cermak Rd, Westchester, IL 60154
☎️ (630) 833-1733
viking-awards.com
2. CINCINNATI RECOGNITION AWARDS
Cincinnati Recognition Awards (cincyawards.com) runs a piano finish series in five sizes with gold plates and sublimated black print as the default configuration. The line is straightforward and well-priced, aimed at corporate recognition programs that want a clean look without extensive customization. They handle engraving in-house and ship throughout the US.
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Website: cincyawards.com
Phone: Available via website contact form
3. DELL AWARDS
Dell Awards (dellawards.com) carries floating piano finish plaques where an engraved glass or acrylic plate is suspended off the lacquered wood backing using standoffs. The floating look has become popular for executive presentations because it adds dimension to what is otherwise a flat wall award. Their classic, premium, specialty, and perpetual plaque categories cover most corporate use cases.
Location: Operates online nationally
Website: dellawards.com
Phone: Available via website contact
4. GEM AWARDS
Gem Awards in Cedar City, Utah has been in the engraving business for over 30 years and runs the largest award store in Southern Utah. Their high gloss piano finish recognition plaques are pitched at faculty awards, student appreciation, and corporate recognition. Family-owned, in-house engraving, with a strong reputation for service on smaller institutional orders.
Location: Cedar City, UT
Website: gemawards.com
Phone: (435) 586-7526
5. BRIDGEWATER TROPHY
Bridgewater Trophy in Massachusetts offers high gloss piano finish award plaques across multiple sizes with engraving and logo work done in-house. They handle both individual orders and perpetual plaques for salesperson of the month or employee of the year programs, with quick turnaround on most stock items.
Location: Bridgewater, MA
Website: bridgewatertrophy.com
Phone: (508) 697-6066
The companies listed above reflect editorial opinion only and are not ranked in any particular order of preference or quality beyond the first position. This list is independent and should not be taken as an official endorsement or paid ranking.
HOW TO CHOOSE A HIGH GLOSS PLAQUE
The first decision is base color. Solid black piano finish is the safe choice for executive awards, board recognition, and lifetime achievement presentations. It reads serious. Rosewood and cherry high gloss read warmer and work well for service anniversaries, top performer awards, and recognition that does not need to feel funereal. Walnut high gloss sits in between, with the dark grain visible through the lacquer.
Plate style matters more than people realize. A flat engraved plate, mounted flush, is the traditional look. Floating plates, where standoffs hold an engraved glass or acrylic piece off the wood, feel more contemporary and work especially well in modern office lobbies. Recessed plates, where the engraving plate sits in a router-cut recess so the surface stays flush, are the most polished option but limit how often you can change the plate.
Color borders draw the eye to the engraving and break up the otherwise solid wood face. Gold borders read traditional and corporate. Silver borders read modern. No border, with the plate sitting directly on the wood face, reads minimal and architectural. For a recognition program that hands out multiple plaques across several years, pick a border style and stick with it. Mixed borders across a wall of awards looks chaotic.
Plate engraving color is the next call. Black engraving on gold plate is the default and reads clean. White engraving on black plate is striking and modern. Brushed silver with black engraving feels neutral and works with any wood tone. Sublimated full-color plates let you reproduce logos in brand colors but cost more and do not have the same tactile depth as cut engraving.
Wording should be tight. Lead with what the award is, then who it is for, then why, then when. “Employee of the Year, Jane Smith, In recognition of outstanding contributions to the team, 2026.” Avoid mission-statement language. Avoid acronyms. If a logo is going on the plate, give it visual room rather than crowding it against the text.
USE CASES FOR MODERN CORPORATE RECOGNITION
High gloss plaques work hardest in three settings. Executive recognition is the obvious one: board awards, C-suite milestone gifts, retirement plaques for senior leaders. The presentation weight of a piano finish piece reads appropriate for the title.
Top performer awards in sales, leadership, and innovation programs are the second use case. A sales team that hits annual goals expects something better than a printed certificate. A high gloss plaque, ideally with the year and revenue figure or specific accomplishment engraved, holds up on a desk for years.
Anniversary milestones for five, ten, twenty, and longer years of service are the third major use. The progression of plaque size and finish across milestone years signals progression in the recognition itself. Many companies use a smaller cherry finish for early years and a larger black piano finish for fifteen and twenty year recognition.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
A high gloss plaque needs almost no maintenance, but it shows neglect quickly. The lacquered surface picks up dust and fingerprints. A microfiber cloth handles both. Avoid household cleaners with ammonia or alcohol because they can dull the finish over time. For a quick freshen-up, a slightly damp microfiber wipe followed by a dry wipe is all it takes.
Avoid mounting high gloss plaques in direct sunlight if at all possible. UV exposure over years will eventually cloud or yellow the lacquer, especially on the black finishes where any change is more visible. If a sunny mounting location cannot be avoided, ask the provider about UV-resistant finish options.
Engraving plates can be replaced or refreshed if the underlying plaque is in good shape. For perpetual plaques that get new plates added each year, work with a provider who can match the original plate style years later. This is one of the practical reasons to stick with a single shop across a recognition program: matching plates from a different vendor is often slightly off in color, finish, or font.
COMMON MISTAKES
Buying the cheapest version of the finish. A real piano finish has multiple lacquer coats, hand polishing between coats, and a hardwood substrate. The budget version uses a single sprayed coat over MDF and shows it within a year as the finish settles unevenly. The visual difference at presentation time is immediate.
Crowding the engraving. New buyers often want to include every possible word: the company name, division, department, recipient name, title, award name, dates, mission statement quote, and sometimes a logo. Pull half of it out. White space is what makes the engraving read as premium.
Mixing finishes mid-program. Starting a five-year service award program with cherry high gloss and switching to black piano finish in year three sends a confusing signal. Pick the finish family up front.
Ignoring the easel back. For desk awards, the easel back matters. Cheap cardboard backs sag and fall over within months. Real wooden or metal easel backs hold up. Ask before ordering.
CONCLUSION
A high gloss plaque is a presentation piece first and a recognition artifact second. The shine, weight, and finish quality do most of the emotional work before anyone reads the engraving. Choose a provider who treats the finish itself as the product, not just the wood underneath it.
Viking Awards has been refining high gloss work in Chicagoland for over fifty years. Their piano finish, high gloss, and cherry finish lines cover the full range of modern executive recognition needs, and their in-house engraving means every plate comes out matched and ready. For a proof on a custom high gloss plaque, call (630) 833-1733 or visit viking-awards.com.