(Disclosure) I own a company that makes dash plaques as a primary product.....We've been making them for almost 50 years now....I am a second generation owner and have co-owned and run this company for 10 years since my folks retired....having invested over 27 years in the business myself.
To get the best results, screen printed dash plaques would make the most sense. You can reproduce almost any logo or graphic, in multiple colors in an economical way for as few as 50 pieces.
Laminated plaques look great for a while, but once the moisture starts to de-laminate the paper....they're shot. It's why we don't make them that way. Even our magnets avoid paper as part of the finish for the same reasons.
Screen printing is much like printing early automotive paint (enamel) onto an ink receptive metal. It lasts about as long as early automotive enamel did, and can be polished and preserved in the same ways as a traditional paint job....There is a risk of buffing it off eventually with too much abrasion, because it is a thin layer of material, so I would recommend using a wax with no abrasives....like they use for modern finishes.
I stumbled in here as I was researching keywords for our company (Rallye Productions Inc.), and found this thread. While I have a vested interest in selling these products....I figured I may as well chime in for some basic information. We do work for Red Rock 4 Wheelers and several other 4 wheeler clubs around the country.
Cost doesn't have to be extreme to have a good quality product. Single or 2 color screen printed plaques can cost slightly more than 1.00 ea. in quantities as few as 100 pieces.
Add a free sponsorship program and the price drops, and you get some cool free stuff to give out at your events.
Here are pricing examples...
I did read the rules....So I hope this post is acceptable. If not, delete it, and forgive me for any misunderstanding I might have had. I'm primarily here for informational purposes, and am happy to answer any questions as well as I can, regardless of if anyone purchases products from us or not.
Thanks,
Brian Genrich
Rallye Productions Inc.
President
bgenrich@rallyeproductions.com
RallyeProductions.com
Rallye Productions Industrial Printing