How to Display Acrylic Awards So They Actually Get Noticed

An acrylic award earns its keep by being seen. The clear material catches light from every angle, which is exactly why it's a shame when one ends up on a desk corner where nobody looks. Put it where light hits it and where people walk by, and a piece of cast acrylic does a lot of quiet work.

One thing to know before you pick a spot: acrylic is a plastic, not glass. It's lighter and it won't shatter if it tips over, but it scratches more easily than glass, and years of direct sun can yellow the clear edges. So the tips below aren't only about looks. They keep the award reading "new" for a long time.

Where to put it at the office

Reception or lobby

This is the best spot in most buildings. Visitors size you up in the first few seconds, and a small grouping of awards behind the front desk tells them you've been doing good work for a while. Use a floating shelf or a low cabinet at eye level. Skip the very top shelf where people have to crane their necks.

Add a short label under each piece with the award and the year. A clear acrylic trophy with no context is just a nice shape. With a label, it's proof.

Conference room

A shelf along the wall behind the head of the table works well. Group the awards loosely instead of lining them up like soldiers. A few different heights help. Even spacing reads as a museum case; a little variation reads as real.

The team's own space

An award that lives near the people who earned it does more than one in a glass case down the hall. A small "wins" shelf in the team area keeps the recognition in front of them every day. Swap pieces in and out as new ones arrive so it never goes stale.

Where to put it at home

Living room or built-in shelf

If you have built-in shelving, give an award room to breathe. Set it forward of the books, not buried behind them, and leave a few inches of empty space around it. Crowding kills the effect. One acrylic piece with space around it beats five jammed together.

Home office

Keep it in your eye line while you work, not on the wall behind you. A bookshelf at desk height or a small stand on the desk itself works. Personal awards deserve a personal spot, and catching sight of one mid-afternoon is a decent pick-me-up.

Hallway or stairwell

A hallway sits empty most of the time, which makes it perfect for a small gallery. Mount a narrow ledge and line up a few awards with framed photos or certificates. It turns a pass-through into something worth slowing down for.

Put it on the wall

Awards don't have to sit on a shelf. A wall display frees up desk space and turns a blank stretch of office into a record of good work. A few ways to do it:

• Floating ledges. A narrow picture ledge holds a row of acrylic pieces and lets you rearrange them without drilling new holes. Hang them at standing eye level, roughly 60 inches to the center.
• Shadow boxes or a wall case. A shallow wall-mounted case keeps dust and bumps off the awards while leaving them on show. Good for a busy hallway where a shelf piece might get knocked.
• A wall of fame. Group awards with framed photos, press clippings, or certificates into one arranged block. Keep an even gap between pieces and vary the heights a little so it reads as curated, not crowded.

One catch that's specific to acrylic: a clear award can disappear against a busy wall. Give it a simple, solid backdrop, like a painted panel, a dark mat inside a shadow box, or a plain stretch of wall, so the edges and engraving stand out instead of blending into whatever's behind them.

Make the light work for you

Acrylic and good lighting were made for each other. A clear or edge-lit piece glows when light hits it from the side or below. A few ways to get it:

• An LED strip along the back or underside of a shelf. The light travels through the acrylic and lights up the engraving.
• A small spotlight or puck light aimed at the piece from above for that gallery look.
• A spot with some natural daylight nearby, but not in a window where the sun beats on it all afternoon.

That last point matters. Strong direct sun over months and years can yellow clear acrylic and fade printed color. A bright room is great. A south-facing windowsill is not.

Keep it looking new

Acrylic shows its plastic side here. It scratches more easily than glass and can cloud if you reach for the wrong cleaner. Dust it with a microfiber cloth, skip ammonia glass cleaners, and keep it out of harsh sun. For the full routine, including how to buff out light scratches, see our guide to cleaning acrylic awards.

Buying acrylic awards from Awards.com

We've been making recognition awards for 40 years, since 1985, at our manufacturing locations nationwide. Every acrylic award comes with free engraving, plus free logo and setup, so your name and artwork are part of the piece, not an upsell. We decorate with UV printing and laser engraving, which gives you crisp color and clean text on the clear surface.

Pricing is backed by our lowest price guarantee, and every order carries a 100% satisfaction guarantee. New to acrylic? Our buyer's guide covers sizes and cost. Pick the piece, tell us what to put on it, and we'll handle the rest. Then go find it a spot with good light.

Displaying Acrylic Awards FAQ

Where's the best place to display an acrylic award at the office?

A reception or lobby shelf at eye level is the strongest spot, since visitors form a first impression in seconds. A conference room shelf behind the head of the table works well too. And don't forget the team's own space. An award near the people who earned it does more than one in a glass case down the hall. Add a small label with the award name and year so the piece reads as proof, not just a nice clear shape.

Should I put an acrylic award on a shelf or mount it on the wall?

Both work. A shelf or a floating picture ledge keeps things flexible, so you can rearrange pieces without drilling new holes. The wall is the move when you want to free up desk space or build a wall of fame with framed photos and certificates. Hang ledges at standing eye level, roughly 60 inches to the center. A shallow shadow box or wall case is worth it in a busy hallway where a shelf piece might get knocked.

How do I light a clear acrylic award?

Light from the side or below makes acrylic glow. An LED strip along the back or underside of a shelf travels through the material and lights up the engraving. A small spotlight or puck light from above gives a gallery look. Natural daylight nearby is fine, but keep the piece out of a window where the sun beats on it all afternoon. Months of strong direct sun can yellow clear acrylic and fade printed color.

How do I keep a clear award from getting lost against a busy wall?

Give it a simple, solid backdrop. A painted panel, a dark mat inside a shadow box, or a plain stretch of wall lets the edges and engraving stand out instead of blending into whatever's behind them. Leave a few inches of empty space around the piece too. Crowding kills the effect, and one acrylic award with room to breathe beats five jammed together.

Do acrylic awards need special care while they're on display?

A little, yes. Acrylic is a plastic, so it scratches more easily than glass and can cloud if you use the wrong cleaner. Dust it with a microfiber cloth, skip ammonia glass cleaners, and keep it out of harsh sun. For the full routine, including how to buff out light scratches, see our guide to cleaning acrylic awards.