Leap Day 2016: A Note on Date-Engraving Perpetual Plaques 📅

February 29 only happens every four years. Annual plaques with a date column will sit unused this row in most years. A small design discipline that pays off when the engraving outlasts the engravers.

Year-Only Lines Beat Full Dates

For annual recognition plaques (Employee of the Year, Donor of the Year), engrave the year only — not the ceremony date. The plaque outlives any specific ceremony, and a year reads as legacy where a full date reads as a single event. Save the full date for one-off achievements (championship wins, milestone anniversaries).

Reserve Vertical Space Generously

Perpetual plaques designed for 10 names often need 25 over their lifetime. Reserve at least double the rows you initially expect, or design a stacked-plate system where additional plates can be added at the bottom. Running out of space mid-decade forces an embarrassing redesign that breaks the visual continuity recipients value.