Personalised name cufflinks put the most personal word there is right where he'll see it every time he checks his watch. Because you design the lettering yourself and upload it as an image, you get complete freedom over which name appears, how it's written and what, if anything, goes alongside it.
Full name, first name or the one his mates use
Start with the name, because it sets the tone for everything else.
- The formal full name – "Thomas Alexander", set in a classic serif, suits a wedding, a christening he's godfather at, or a milestone birthday.
- The first name alone – short, confident and easy to read at a glance.
- The surname – a quietly traditional choice, and a neat one to pass between generations. A father and son wearing matching "Pengelly" cufflinks at a family wedding is hard to beat.
- The nickname – "Big Dave", "Skip", "Tiny", "The Gaffer". Nicknames are where name cufflinks become genuinely funny and deeply affectionate at the same time.
If he's known by different names in different circles, think about where he'll wear them. The nickname pair is perfect for the rugby club dinner; the formal pair is for the office.
Picking lettering that reads at cufflink size
A cufflink face is small, so the typeface does a lot of work. Short names give you more freedom: "Sam" or "Ali" can be set large in almost anything. Longer names like "Maximilian" need a condensed typeface, a smaller size, or splitting across two lines.
Good rules of thumb:
- Bold or medium weights read better than thin ones.
- Uppercase letters are more even in height and often fill a square more comfortably.
- Script typefaces look lovely but check that the joins don't turn into a blur when you zoom out.
- Stack a first name over a surname if a single line looks squashed.
Try printing your design at roughly its real size on paper and holding it at arm's length. If you can read it easily, it will work.
Names that aren't his own
Name cufflinks don't have to carry his name at all. Some of the most touching pairs we see carry:
- His children's names, one above the other, for Father's Day or a birthday.
- His wife's or partner's name, as a private nod on their wedding day.
- A late parent's name, so a son can carry his dad with him to his own wedding.
- The dog's name, for the man whose best friend has four legs.
You can also write a name in another script or language, such as Welsh, Gaelic, Greek or Arabic, if that connects him to his family or heritage. Because you're uploading an image, any alphabet is possible.
Adding a small detail beside the name
A name on its own is clean and classic, but a small addition can lift it. A tiny heart, a year, a shirt number or a simple line underneath all add character without crowding the lettering. Keep the extra element small so the name remains the hero.
Ordering name cufflinks for a whole group
Name cufflinks make excellent gifts for groomsmen, a team or a group of brothers. Set every name in the same typeface and layout so the pairs look like a set, then export a separate image for each person. Several different designs can go in one basket, at £15 a pair for 5 or more pairs and £5 shipping per order, so five pairs come to £80. A single pair on its own is £40 with shipping included.
How it works
Create the name design in any app you like and save it as an image. Upload it, and the live preview shows the lettering on both cufflinks. Drag to reposition and zoom to adjust the size until the name sits exactly right. Then add it to your basket and check out securely. We print from your full-resolution file in our Cornwall workshop, where we've been making personalised gifts for 17 years, and each pair arrives gift boxed.