Southern Miss Plaque

Buying Southern Miss apparel can be a bit pricey. Things like t-shirts, hoodies, and plaque can be between $20 - $100 depending on factors such as quality, location of purchase, and the overall uniqueness of the item. The phrase "That's my Southern Miss" is surprisingly not used in many promotional items, and as a person who uses the phrase a lot, I wanted to have something to show my love for my university. I wanted to create this "That's My Southern Miss" plaque because it was a cheaper alternative when it came to finding a customized plaque that had my favorite saying.

This plaque is being creating by using a program called CorelDraw. This Program is used to Laser Cut and Engrave Items. The link below can be used to download CorelDraw and use the 15 day free-trial

https://www.coreldraw.com/en/pages/free-download/

Once the program is downloaded, it is now time to create a design. When you open the program, create a document, and since we are creating a plaque with only text, the settings can remain the same. The only thing that needs to be done is the naming of the document.

After the document is created, it is now time to design the plague. You will be given a "sheet of paper" as a template. Click the "A" on the left hand side of the screen to add text. You can now click the paper template and add text, and if desired, things like the font and size can be changed, which is highly recommended to make this plaque your own. Before you finish this step, make sure that the design is adjusted to fit the sheet of paper.

Once I was done with my design, I had the chance to send my design to a laser cutter by emailing my professor to get the design engraved, but your method of sending your design may vary depending on if you have a laser cutter on hand or at a local maker hub near you.

Once you send your design, decide if you want your design to be engraved on Plexiglas or wood. Next, place the material in the laser cutter and have someone help you adjust the machine if you are new to the laser cutter experience.laser cutting can now work its magic. After that, the laser cutter can now work its magic.

After your design is created, it needs to be wiped down with a towel, and the plaque is now finished