Etching is a process done by using a tool that vibrates. It’s held similar to the way you would hold a pencil. The artist is basically scratching the polish when doing the design. This process allows for far greater detail than the standard sandblast flat carving. The black granites are the best granite for etchings. Belfast Jet Black being the best. Any designs can be done with this process. Farm scenes, household scenes, nature scenes and portraits are among the most popular designs. We exclusively use artists. Laser etchings are available, but they don’t seem to have the depth or “personal touch” that the artist can capture or provide.
When a family is interested in having an etching on their memorial, we begin with doing a rough sketch. For example, if the family wants their farm, we have them bring actual pictures of the farm. We do the rough sketch and size it to the size of the memorial. From there, we start to concentrate on adding more detail. During this process, we encourage the family to be a part of this by letting us know specifics of what they want and don’t want included, or giving an everyday account of something the photographs might not include. Once the sketch has been refined and approved by the family, it along with the actual pictures of the farm, are sent to the artist. The artist then proceeds to etch the scene using the full size sketch and the photographs we sent. The outcome is truly amazing.