What is Laser Etching?
How do you get the color into the Stone?
What does laser etching cost?
Who provides the materials?
Does your cost include materials?
What sizes are available?
Can this work be done on site?
What is the durability of laser etched pieces?
How do you clean etchings?
What is the average production time?
How do you deliver finished pieces?
What type of file format should I send?
How do you suggest lighting the stone etchings?

 

What is Laser Etching? (top)
Combining specialized laser technology and the newest graphic software our artists etch images with near photographic quality directly into granite, marble, glass and other substrates. We can laser etch any image and any design, at any size, directly into the surface, by actually burning into the substrate. The finished product is stunning in both classic black & white or full color.

 

How do you get the color into the Stone? (top)
Color enhancement of your etching is created by hand painting; our artists are actually staining the pores of the natural stone with the highest quality of specialty paints. Pricing for the color application is based on the size of the piece. We charge a flat 50% additional for painting the image up to 24"x18". Larger images will be custom quoted. Other engravers charge as much as $75/hour or more for the artists time. We feel that the fairest way to give our customers the best deal is to charge by size, not time.

 

What does laser etching cost? (top)
General pricing for etched products are based on three factors:
1) The square footage of the etched piece.
2) The type of substrate: Granite, Marble, Glass/Mirror, Metal, etc.
3) Classic Black & White or Colorized finish of the Stone.
Black and White etchings on Absolute Black Granite or Pure Black Marble begin at as little as $25 for a 4"x4" tile. Again, other engravers charge extra because Marble can take longer to engrave. We feel that there is no reason to charge more, each substrate has its own benefits and we treat them as equals with pricing.

 

Who provides the materials? (top)
In most cases Eastern Grafix provides the material, as we can guarantee the quality of our etching on our tested stone. However, we are certainly willing to use your material. A sample piece of the material should be sent to us for testing to determine if and how well the material will etch for your project.

In the event we use your product to etch on a discount will be provided, generally speaking it is about $5.00 - $6.00 less per sq. foot for granite and marble tile. All other material discounts would have to be determined based on type and quantities.

 

Does your cost include materials? (top)
Yes.

 

What sizes are available? (top)
When using tiles Eastern Grafix can produce any size that you may want. Our square tiles are 4", 6" and 12". We can set up any image to tile correctly. We can also do solid pieces up to 24"x36".

Our standard sizes in granite or marble are

Square: 4" x 4", 6" x 6", 12" x 12"
Rectangle: 5" x 7", 8.5" x 11", 18" x 24", 24" x 36"
Oval: 5" x 7", 8.5" x 11"
Heart: 5" x 5", 8" x 8", 10" x 10"
Round (marble only): 6" and 12"

 

Can this work be done on site? (top)
Generally, all work is done at our facility and then shipped to your requested location. However, there will be a few times throughout the year when we will have our engraver on site with us. As soon as our dates get verified, we will have our schedule posted.

 

What is the durability of laser etched pieces? (top)
Black Granite is considered the 3rd hardest natural material known to man, behind Diamonds and Rubies. Selected both for beauty and strength, sculptors and architects have used granite and marble for centuries. "The polished surface of Granite has an erosion factor of less than 0.125 of an inch per 1000 years outdoors. The estimated life of laser etchings is 500+ years outdoors and for interior surfaces virtually forever," Vytek Industrial Systems, Inc., the manufacture of stone laser etching equipment.

Depending on where and how your etching will be displayed will determine our recommendation of substrate selection. For smaller works requiring great detail marble proves phenomenal in its etching abilities; however the stone will scratch if handled roughly or exposed to harsh elements. Granite on the other hand, is extremely durable and provides an excellent etching surface for most applications. We highly suggest granite for all larger etchings and pieces exposed to the outdoors as well as for flooring applications. We also highly recommend that all color pieces not have expsure to the sun or other UV light sources, as UV light has been proven to degrade the quality of paints and other materials over time.

 

General Cleaning Tips (top)
Proper stone cleaning is simple. Clean your stone on a regular basis with warm water and a clean, non-abrasive cloth, sponge or mop. Sweep or dust all natural stone surfaces regularly to remove loose soil and dust. Keeping your stone free of dust and dry sandy soil will minimize the scratches and wear-patterns that can develop from the everyday use of stone. To help remove soils that normal dusting and damp mops leave behind, we recommend using specifically formulated neutral cleaners for natural stone.

Do not make the mistake of using general household cleaners, protectants, or polishes! Products that are not formulated specifically for use on natural stone will do more harm than good. Bleach, abrasives, ammonia, acid and alkaline based products will damage natural stone.


What is the average production time? (top)
Turn around time is dependent on the amount of orders in house at any particular time. Generally speaking, we will be able to have each project turned around within a week of receiving the order. This of course might vary a little, but in general our turnaround is very fast. We also offer a RUSH service, in which pieces up to 18"x24" will be shipped within 24 hours of receipt of the order.

 

How do you deliver finished pieces? (top)
Shipping can be arranged door-to-door for all items. Smaller pieces will be sent via Fed-Ex, with a maximum shipment weight of approximately 150lbs. Larger pieces are shipped by common carrier. Standard ground freight can accept any weight at any size and reach any destination within the Continental United States in 3-10 days, dependant upon your location and time delivery needs.

 

Accepted File Formats (top)
For clients providing artwork to Eastern Grafix, there are multiple formats that we can accept. But, please remember, the higher the quality of the original file the better the etching we will be able to produce.
All artwork must be copyright free, or cleared for reproduction by the copyright holders. For questions regarding copyright laws please refer to the Library of Congress Copywrite website at www.copyright.gov.
If you have any questions regarding the below formats or any other format not listed please contact us and we will be happy to clarify.

Hard Print:
Slides
Photographs
Transparencies
Original Artwork
High Quality Art Reproductions

Digital Format:
Bitmap-Based Files at 300 DPI nearest actual size is most preferred.
In the following order:
a. Bitmap (.bmp)
b. Tiff (.tif, .tiff)
c. Photoshop (.psd)
d. Portable Document Format (.pdf)
e. JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg, .jpg)
Vector-Based Files
a. .EPS, or .AI

 

How do you suggest lighting the stone etchings? (top)
Typically a broad-based light source is best for lighting our etchings. We suggest either incandescent or halogen lighting. The halogen lighting cast the purest white light; however halogens do generate a lot of heat. To test the heat from your lights, put your hand between the art and the light source. If you can feel heat from the light, it could potentially damage coloring overtime. Fluorescent lighting is not recommend, they distort the colors and gives off high levels of ultraviolet rays that can eventually damage the colors.
Track lighting is the most flexible and usually the least expensive way to light our stone etchings. Recessed lighting is also commonly found in newer homes and is also a nice way to feature the etchings. Because reflection and glare can be a challenge with the natural sheen of our stone etchings we suggest placing the light at roughly a 30-degree angle to the work.
The general rule for accenting a piece of art is to light it three times brighter than the rest of the room.