inlaying a pickguard

[James Gates]

Gibson on their J-200 has an elaborate inlayed pickguard.
I am interested in inlaying on a pickguard for electric guitars, I have noted that some custom pickguard places say std pickguard material is not good to inlay.
So what material is good to inlay in a pickguard? then what material should the pickguard be? and how do you shape and fabricate the pickguard?
Any part of an answer is appreciated

[Greg Robinson]

James, aren't those pick guards painted in reverse on clear material and then laminated to tortoiseshell? I don't think they're inlayed.

[Barry Daniels]

You could make a wooden pickguard and inlay it with shell. But I wouldn't even try to inlay into a plastic pickguard. Routing plastic makes it melt.

[Bill Hicklin]

You could inlay by hand- in a lot of ways plastic is much easier to engrave/recess than wood, since it's soft and there's no grain.