Add Etchings or Photos to Your Monument

Designing a headstone is a fine art. Not only can you add words to a monument, but photos can also be added. From a portrait photo to a photo that stretches across the headstone, the design options truly are limitless.

For years people put ceramic photos on their headstones. Now many photos are actually made of stainless steel instead of ceramic. Stainless steel photos are stronger and last longer. You get the same quality photo, it’s just printed on a new medium.

We also have people frequently ask for etchings. Etchings can show incredible detail. The first rule of thumb when requesting an etching is: Make sure the person in the photo is not blurry and the photo itself is crisp and detailed. We need high quality photos. If you give us a poor quality photo, the proof will reflect that quality.

The color of granite makes a difference too. Etchings look best on darker granite with smaller grain. We use black granite for our etchings.

The quality of the photo also helps us determine what type of etching it will be: laser etching or hand etching.

Laser etching involves a machine, laser and mirrors. The image is loaded into the machine. The laser then burns a series of dots into the granite surface, creating the image. Once the etching is complete, paint will be added to the image to brighten its appearance.

Hand etching is definitely an art form. Artists are given the etchings. They then take their time to get the perfect result. They use a hand-held rotary tool with a diamond tipped bit. They then use the tool to essentially scratch the image onto the granite surface. Hand etchers tend to cut deeper into the granite. Paint can then be added.

When you decide what your vision is, let us help use these tools to turn it into reality.