Traditional and laser engraving are both available when you are preparing a new memorial, monument, or headstone. You must weigh your options when planning on engraving a monument, and it would be wise to read more about these things. There are a number of people who would like to have a hand engraved headstone, but others want to see the clean lines of a laser engraving job. You get to decide what to do, and you can learn more about these things as you plan this very important purchase.
1. Traditional Engraving
Traditional engraving is a big part of the headstone industry, and you might prefer the rustic styling of a hand-engraved headstone. Traditional engraving can be polished, or it can be left rough-edged depending on what you prefer. There are many people who want to focus on the traditional engraving style because it is their preference for the person they love.
Traditional engraving might be smoothed over to a point that is looks as though the artist spend thousands of hours polishing the stone. If the traditional engraving is polished, the stone will look cleaner. However, the traditional engraving that you have done might include different fonts, or you might as for artwork that matches with the chisel and hammer that are used by the artist.
You can see when a headstone has been engraved by an artist, and you might choose a local artist when engraving a monument because that person has handled other headstones in your family. If you want to match the headstones in a cemetery, you might ask the artist to match the styles in the graveyard where the monument will sit.
2. Laser Engraving
Laser engraving is a different style that is quite obvious when you have the monument completed. You might ask for laser engraving because you may choose from a number of fonts. Plus, you can add artwork to the monument that might be outside the area of expertise of a local artist. The laser engraving is very clean, and it looks as though it was done by a modern machine. Some people prefer this look to the rustic look of a traditional headstone. Plus, this style can give you smaller lettering that allows you to fit more words on the monument itself.
Laser engraving tends to last longer because no extra damage is done to the stone in the process of cutting the design. During the laser engraving process, a high-powered laser is used to etch the stone’s surface, creating a permanent mark. Someone who wants to get laser engraving done should ask for a list of fonts that are available. You could order laser engraving in a font that you saw in a catalog, or you could ask the artist to show you a computer model of what the monument will look like.
Laser engraving makes it easier for you to get the monument cut in a short period of time. The laser engraving that is done takes a short period of time as compared to a traditional headstone. You may make your own choice, and you might need to make a certain choice based on time constraints. In some cases a desktop laser engraver can do a sufficient job.
3. Who Should Use Traditional Engraving?
Traditional engraving is a good choice when you have time to get the job done. You might ask the engraver to do the job well in advance of a death, an the engraver can fill in the dates when the time comes. This is something that people do when they would prefer to be prepared. However, it would be smart for you to ask for laser engraving if you are surprised by a death. You want the headstone to be erected as soon as possible, and you need to be sure that you have talked to an artist ahead of time if you can.
People who have a preference for a certain type of engraving should start searching as a part of their retirement plan. You might not want to think about dying, but it would be smart to get a headstone ready so that your family does not need to deal with that in the future. When this is the case, you can set up an order with your artist, ask them to show you their options, and allow them to give you a payment plan that makes it easier to pay these services.
4. Who Needs Laser Engraving?
Laser engraving can be done very fast, and it is smart to ask the artist what their options are when they start making your headstone. The laser engraving moves very fast, and it can create any headstone on a schedule. You are not rushing an artist, and you can pick something that is customized just for you or your family.
Laser engraving tends to be cheaper because you are paying for a machine to do the job quickly. This is a very good thing for you if you are wondering how you will pay for the headstone, and you could ask for laser engraving when you need to make more than one monument for someone who has died.
5. How Effective Is Engraving?
Engraving is very effective because it etches the letters and numbers permanently where everyone can read them. An engraved headstone is easy to read, and it is much easier to clean these headstones. The engraving does not wear away like it would for a monument that has a metal plaque, and engraving works on monuments of all sizes whether they are very large or very small.
Engraving can be done on the piece of the headstone that will be engraved, and you could ask the artist to put the rest of the monument together on the gravesite. You also need to be sure to ask the company if they have different engraving options for different types of monuments. You could have some very creative engraving done on a massive monument that will be pieced together at the cemetery.
6. Ask For Upfront Pricing
Engraving can be priced ahead of time because the artist knows how long it takes to make an engraving, how long it takes the machine to do the job, or how long it will take them to put the monument together. Because of this, you get fair pricing that is easy to understand. You can take an estimate home that explains how much the engraving costs, and you can work out a payment plan with the engraver so that you are not paying for the service all at once.
You must ask for a sketch or printout of what the engraving will look like. The estimate should show exactly what you asked for, and you can use that estimate to shop around if you like. You need to find a way to get the best headstone at the best price, and you cannot do that unless you know what the initial estimate was.
Conclusion
The headstone that you have engraved for yourself or a loved one will be priced fairly, will be easy to read, and will include all the information for the headstone. Ask the artist what they can do for you, and they will explain how the a headstone can be carved. The artist can create anything that you like, and they will honor a loved one’s memory with fine work.
