Gifts for Inventors and Patent Holders, by Budget

The best gifts for an inventor celebrate their actual invention: a framed drawing from their patent, a plaque, a model of the thing they invented, or a short film that explains it. A printed and framed patent page costs little more than the frame, and most personalized gifts fall between about $50 and $250. Match the gift to how the person will use it: on a wall, on a desk, or shared with family.

This guide is general information, not legal advice; talk to your patent attorney about your situation.

A note on bias: PatentFilm publishes this guide and sells one gift type below (patent films). We have tried to judge every option on its merits, including when something else is the better choice.

First, find the right patent

You need the patent number. Search the inventor's name in USPTO Patent Public Search or Google Patents, or use our gift finder, which searches by inventor name. Confirm the title and co-inventors, since common names bring up strangers. Patents owned by an employer still list the inventor.

Then check two things before you order anything personalized:

• Kind code. B1 or B2 means a granted utility patent. A1 means a published application, which is not a patent (yet). Design patent numbers start with D and carry the kind code S.
• Which drawing. Most patents have several figures. Ask the inventor which one they would point to, or pick the one that shows the whole invention.

Under $50

• The patent itself, framed. Download the official eGrant PDF free from Patent Center, or the drawings from Google Patents. Print the front page or best figure on heavy paper and put it in a good frame.
• A book. For someone working on the next idea, Patent It Yourself by David Pressman and David E. Blau (Nolo, now in its 22nd edition) is a long-running practical reference. For reading, The Idea Factory by Jon Gertner (Bell Labs) or Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson.
• A museum day. The National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum sits inside the USPTO's Alexandria, Virginia headquarters, and admission is free. Adults need a REAL ID-compliant or other US government-issued ID.
• A free trailer. Pull up the instant trailer for their patent and send it with a card.

$50 to $150

• Custom patent art print. Shops turn any patent number into a styled print; custom prints start around $49 at vendors we checked, with framed, canvas, metal and wood options costing more.
• Patent plaque. Entry-level plaques start around $75 for printed aluminum, and hardwood plaques around $79 to $119 at vendors we checked. Approve the proof carefully: name spelling, number, title and figure.
• 3D-printed model. If the patent covers a physical object, a designer can model it from the drawings and a local or online service can print it. Costs vary widely with size and modeling time, so get a quote first.

$150 to $500

• USPTO presentation copy, framed. The Certified Copy Center sells a certified copy of the first page with a ribbon and seal. It is the most "official" object you can buy, and it looks good framed.
• A patent film. Ours start at $249 for a 60-second film of the patent plus a vertical cut for phones, and $499 adds a 10-minute explainer of the claims and figures (see pricing). A film suits inventors whose family lives far apart, or whose invention is hard to explain at dinner. It is digital, so for someone who wants something to hold, pair it with a print.
• A commissioned illustration. An artist can redraw the invention in their own style, working from the patent figures.
• A premium or multi-patent plaque. Useful for engineers with a long list of patents.

$500 and up

• The long-form film. Our $999 package adds a 30-minute deep dive and a cinematic trailer.
• A professional model or prototype. Industrial designers and model makers can build display-quality versions of physical inventions.
• A trip. The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Michigan, or the Hall of Fame museum, paired with a visit to wherever the invention is made or used.
• Pass it on. Camp Invention, run by the National Inventors Hall of Fame for children entering kindergarten through sixth grade, starts at $290. It makes a good gift to a grandchild in the inventor's honor.

Match the gift to the person

Buying tips

• Order early. Custom items need proof approval and production time.
• Keep the number exact. A wrong digit is a permanent mistake on an engraved piece.
• Know what is official. Plaques and prints are commercial products. Letters offering them arrive after grant because grant data is public; they are optional, not USPTO requirements.

Sources

• USPTO, eGrants and eCofCs: https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center/egrants
• USPTO, Order certified copies (presentation copies): https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/checking-application-status/order-certified-copies
• USPTO, Kind codes included on USPTO patent documents: https://www.uspto.gov/learning-and-resources/support-centers/electronic-business-center/kind-codes-included-uspto-patent
• USPTO, Patent Public Search: https://www.uspto.gov/patents/search/patent-public-search
• National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum, Plan your visit: https://www.invent.org/museum/plan-your-visit
• National Inventors Hall of Fame, Camp Invention: https://www.invent.org/programs/camp-invention
• PlaqueMaker, Custom patent plaques (price checked September 2026): https://www.plaquemaker.com/patent-plaques
• Patent Heirloom, Plaques and awards (price checked September 2026): https://patentheirloom.com/collections/plaques-awards
• Retro Patents, Custom patent print (price checked September 2026): https://retropatents.com/products/custom-patent-print
• The Henry Ford, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation: https://www.thehenryford.org/visit/henry-ford-museum/