What to Engrave on Your Pet's Medallion — A Complete Guide

Not sure what text to put on your dog or cat's medallion? This practical guide covers example texts, font tips, and what to avoid so you don't regret your order.

One of the most common questions we receive at Labute Gravate is: "What text should I put on the medallion?" The answer depends on the medallion's purpose — identification, aesthetics, or both — and the available space on your chosen shape. Here's everything you need to know.

Identification text: what information is essential

If the medallion's primary purpose is identification in case of loss, prioritize:

• Phone number — indispensable. Without it, the medallion doesn't work as an ID tag.
• Pet's name — helps the person who found them calm and approach the animal.
• Optional: a second number — for situations when you're unreachable.

On small medallions (for cats or small dogs), space is limited. We recommend: First name + phone number on the front, and a second number on the back if the model supports engraving on both sides.

Decorative texts and personal messages

Beyond contact details, many owners want to add a personal touch. Here are some examples that work well:

• "I'm heading home" / "I belong to…"
• "Loved by the [Family Name] family"
• "Help me get home"
• Symbols: ❤️ 🐾 ⭐ — available in our laser engraving

If you want a purely decorative medallion (without contact info), you can engrave just the pet's name and a symbol — it looks elegant and is popular as a style accessory.

Which font to choose

Font affects both readability and style. At Labute Gravate we offer several options:

• Sans-serif (e.g., Arial, Helvetica) — most readable, recommended if identification is the priority.
• Serif (e.g., Times, Palatino) — classic, elegant, suited for decorative medallions.
• Script / cursive — romantic and personal, but harder to read at small sizes. Not recommended for phone numbers.
• Bold — recommended for small medallions where every pixel counts.

How many characters fit on a medallion

It depends on shape and size, but as a reference:

• Small round medallion (25mm): ~15–20 characters per line, 2–3 lines
• Large round medallion (35mm): ~20–25 characters per line, 3–4 lines
• Bone or paw shapes: irregular form — we'll send you a mockup before production

You don't need to calculate this yourself — after you place your order, we send you a free preview showing exactly how the text will look on the medallion.

What to avoid

• Full home address — for security reasons
• Text that's too small — if it's hard to read on screen, it'll be hard to read engraved too
• Too much information on a small medallion — a clear text is better than ten crowded lines