Laser Etched Monuments

Laser etched memorials are popular for their ability to recreate a person place or scene with incredible detail and realism.  Personal photos can be scanned and etched directly onto the stone.  There are also hundreds of existing scenes and components to choose from. Graphic artists can even integrate scenes with personal photos to create a truly unique and personal memorial. You can always preview designs in an etching catalog or an artist can work with you to develop a truly unique piece of laser etched art for your monument.

A laser etching machine is used to transfer the computer generated artwork to the granite, creating a crisp and extremely detailed etching. The amount of detail in a laser etched monument is unparalleled; allowing families to memorialize their loved ones in stone.

Dark granites are best for laser etching. Jet Black is the most popular, however other granite colors may be chosen. If the contrast of the etching is not high enough to provide the amount of detail needed, the etching may be colored with litho to provide more contrast with the granite.

Memorial Symbolism and Components

You are more than likely going to know what the family name will be on your monument. You'll need to decide what typeface to use (but we'll go over that in a later post). And if you have a favorite scripture or poem, you're likely to add that to your memorial too. Your also thinking of all the things that mean something to you and your loved ones. You want your monument to reflect special lives and what they meant to you.

Your counselor can assist with component catalogs and other artwork sources. Many of these components are symbolic and usually have deeper meaning. For example, there are over 8000 sacred and secular symbols and at least several thousand fraternal, military, collegiate and association symbols in use today. It's important to know what the component symbolizes when deciding. For example, the praying hands, in the above monument, symbolize faith and prayer while the roses symbolize love. The roses show the love in their marriage, and most likely their love of god, when combined with the praying hands.

For a more personal touch, you may want to ask your funeral home or counselor about adding something that can be scanned and incorporated into your monument design. Other families have previously utilized artwork, family trees, personal photos and favorite pets in their memorials. Most manufacturers will provide drawings for approval before monument construction begins.

Sandblasting Your Monument Design

Monument design can be very detailed and personal. If you are designing for pre-need you will be able to see your finished memorial in the cemetery. To work with draftsman and designers ahead of time allows you to fully customize the look and feel of your granite monument. If designing a monument for a loved one, you'll want to personalize both the artwork and the complete monument shape and size to reflect their life.

Part of this design process is transferring the finished artwork onto the granite. This is accomplished by sandblasting through a stencil prepared from the original monument design. Once the design is approved, a stencil is cut to replicate the outlines of the artwork and/or lettering. Once cut, the actual design is weeded out from the stencil, which allows the design to be sandblasted into the granite's surface. Meanwhile, the remaining material helps to protect areas of the monument from damage during the sandblast process.

Once the design has been sandblasted into the granite monument, the stencil is removed and the monument is sent for further manufacturing, such as polishing, cleaning, etching or painting (litho).

Flat and Shape Carving on Monuments

Once you've designed your memorial, the monument sections are put through a series of production stations to reproduce your design in solid granite. One of the first stops is sandblasting. A flat carving is created by sandblasting the outline (v-lines) of the design into the stone. This process creates a simple, two-dimensional contrast on the granite surface. The remaining smooth areas are then polished. The term simply refers to how the design is sandblasted into the stone. Flat carving is a great economical choice for many families and is also recommended on flat grass-markers.

A shape carving is created after the v-lines have been sandblasted. Next, a worker manually hand-shapes the design to give it more of a three-dimensional look. Shape carving is generally more expensive than flat carving because of this extra step and hand application. Shape carving can add hand sculpted details to an upright monument without the higher cost of an all-sculpted monument.