Personalization is where a good keepsake becomes yours. It's also where most mistakes happen. Here's everything we've learned from thousands of engravings — read it before you commit to a specific string of characters.
1 · The two fields you can fill in
Every product page has two required inputs:
- Names — up to 30 characters (letters, numbers, &, spaces)
- Date — up to 20 characters (any format you like)
Anything you type in these fields is what goes on the wood. We don't autocorrect, don't reformat, don't second-guess. If you write "michael and sarah" in lowercase, that's what gets engraved. If you write "MICHAEL & SARAH", same. Type it exactly the way you want to see it.
2 · Character-count sweet spots
All engravings automatically scale to fit the sculpture's design, but the smaller the text has to become, the less it feels like a name and the more it feels like a legal disclaimer. To keep the piece feeling intentional:
- Names field: under 18 characters is the sweet spot ("Michael & Sarah" = 16). Above 22, the text starts to shrink noticeably.
- Date field: under 15 characters is ideal ("June 14, 2024" = 13). "6/14/24" also works if you want it minimal.
3 · Format conventions we recommend
These aren't rules — pick whatever feels right — but they're what tends to look best on walnut:
- Names in Title Case or ALL CAPS both work. Lowercase can feel too casual on a formal piece.
- Ampersand (&) reads better than "and" — it's shorter and looks more considered.
- For dates: "Est. 06.18.2022" (with the leading Est.) is classic; "June 18, 2024" is warmer; "6.18.24" is minimalist.
- Roman numerals work well for anniversaries (Xᵗʰ, XXVᵗʰ). They read especially well on the smaller pieces.
4 · The proof — always read it
Within 24 hours of your order, we email you a proof PDF showing exactly how your engraving will appear on the sculpture — the correct font, the correct spacing, the correct position. Nothing goes on the bench until you approve the proof.
Read it out loud before you approve. Read it right-to-left (it's the easiest way to catch typos). Then approve.
5 · Common mistakes we catch
These are the mistakes we've caught by reading proofs carefully before customers approved them:
- Wrong year (2023 instead of 2024 — usually caught in December)
- Spelling of unfamiliar names (Kaitlyn vs Caitlin vs Katelyn)
- Names in wrong order (bride's name second — we always ask which order is correct)
- Extra space at the beginning of a name (invisible on your screen, visible on the sculpture)
- Autocorrect changing an intentional lowercase to caps
6 · If you want something the fields can't do
Sometimes the standard two-field setup isn't quite what you want:
- A quote or phrase instead of a date
- Three names (two parents + a child)
- Non-Latin characters (Chinese, Cyrillic, etc.)
- A monogram or single initial
All of these are possible. Put your standard entry in the fields at checkout, then email us at hello@kindredwooden.com within an hour of ordering with what you actually want. We'll update the file before it goes on the CNC.
The engraving is the difference between an object and a keepsake. It's worth reading twice.
7 · Once it's engraved
Charcoal-burned walnut engraving is permanent. It won't fade, wash off, or wear down — and it can't be re-cut to remove or change a name later. This is what makes it a keepsake. But it does mean the proof-review step is the last chance to catch anything. We are meticulous about it, and we ask you to be too.