Custom MDF Name Badge

Making a custom MDF name badge may be thought of as a cost effective solution but as you’ll see in this video, it’s a material that’s best to be avoided for this specific application.

That being said, MDF does make for a very good backing material for lamacoids or other materials, as the surface isn’t exposed to the elements.

CNCROi.com makes lots of custom name badges and name tags for a wide variety of applications, security to corporate, conference to scholastic, but the question of a custom MDF name badge does come-up and I try to steer the customer to something else.

Testing things out is a great way to learn, ever thought of a 2×4 biscuit name badge? CNCROi.com did and here are the results.

You might think MDF is a cheap material, and it is, but for most designs, when it comes to making custom MDF name badges, it isn’t really the material you are paying for as much as the CNC laser or CNC router or CNC waterjet time and finishing.

MDF is a wonderful material for a whole bunch of applications, but custom MDF name badges, it is not, it’s hard to clean, breaks down easily and just doesn’t have that “wow” factor that either real wood or even a lamacoid will present at networking events.

Interested in a plywood name badge, we can make those too!

The resolution of the engraving and cutting making a custom MDF name badge is the same as CNCROi.com achieves onto any other material for this application, lamacoids through stainless steel or anodized aluminium.

The one advantage to MDF is that it’s a material that is plentiful, incredibly consistent and is very easy on machinery when it comes to secondary processes including amazing when painted.

You don’t see too many anodized aluminium name badges, again, a wonderful material for the right client and use.

If you want custom name badges, you really can’t go wrong with lamacoids, acrylics or metals but to go purely with MDF I don’t see the value proposition due to it’s lack of durability and esthetics even if it does get painted or finished with a clear coat which I also tried.

Whether the custom MDF name badge is clear coated, masked or unmasked to give it a cleaner look, it’s pretty much all the same and it really brings no real value doing anything secondary for this specific use.

For CNCROi.com, that’s why it took me about 5 years to make a custom MDF name badge, it was always in the back of my mind but I never really saw the value, so this blog post and video just re-enforced my prior thinking with proof as to what I always suspected.

You don’t have to just have your typical rectangular name badge with CNCROi.com, go nuts! It’s way more fun to have something neat!

The design and resolution between the lamacoid and MDF badges are all the same, so it really is a straight comparison between what’s available and possible using CNCROi.com.

You can see in the image below that the results are nice and sharp, there is some smoke produced and that settled back onto the MDF surface but it’s minor and it’s basically the same color and consistency as the MDF itself.

When it comes to wood species available, REAL WOOD, not MDF, CNCROi.com has lots to choose from.

Below are both custom MDF name badges, to the left with no mask (hence non-white surface) and to the right, with masking yet to be removed.

Once the masking is removed, there is a cleaner look but it really isn’t worth the labor or the extra steps involved to produce a nice clean finish on MDF when it comes specifically to name badges, it just makes it more expensive with little value add, hence why lamacoids which is a one-step process is a far better solution when it comes to custom name badges.

I then tried to seal with a clear polyurethane the MDF name badge on the right, leaving the one on the left as-is for comparison, it just makes it darker, but really doesn’t increase the overall contrast but it does give it a slight shine.

Let’s take a look at a high contrasting lamacoid, again, CNCROi.com can get lamacoids in endless color combinations so you aren’t stuck with just blue and white lamacoid name badges!

A close-up of both custom MDF name badges shows the texture after being laser engraved, sealed on the left, masked on the right.

And the custom CNCROi.com MDF name badges again, from a different angle.

Now let’s compare the boring MDF name badges with their lamacoid and acrylic cousins… it’s night and day!

I also have a solid oak name badge hanging-out somewhere which I couldn’t find for this video but even real wood is better looking that MDF and although it costs a little more, the results are dramatically worth it.

Looking for custom name badges any size, material, design or shape?

Contact CNCROi.com right now!