The Stenciled Stone's Process

 Everyone asks, “Hey, do you just draw on the stone?”  The answer is, “No.”  It would be nice if it were that easy!  Each Stenciled Stone is carved / etched deeply into the face of the stone, permanently creating what ever image that you have in mind to ensure that your vision will last a lifetime and then some.  With that in mind, we wanted to take some time to explain the whole process of how your custom carved stone is created.  

When you contact Stenciled Stones, we work with you via phone, email or in person, to find out what you would like to see on your own Stenciled Stone. It could be a image of something, your name, your house number or maybe even a memorial for you beloved pet. If you are not sure of exactly what you want, that is not a problem. We will work together to come up with something that would be perfect for you.  

We like to start with the stone selection. Most of the time this is done through email. We try to group the stones into small, medium and large categories.  Once we have and idea of what you would like on your stone, we will go through our stock stones to find a few that we think would work well for what you have in mind. We will then email you those pictures and measurements of the stones for you to choose from. However, some people prefer to come and look for themselves. You are always more than welcome to peruse our vast selection and pick a stone. 

Once you have chosen your stone, we then take the ideas that you came up with for your custom stone and create a digital mock up with our computer software.  We  import an image of the stone you chose onto our computer and we build your template on top of it. This enables you to see exactly what your stone will look like when it is finished, as far as placement of images and text, sizing, and fonts. We will never engrave anything without your approval first.  

When you have approved the template or mock up we then transfer your computerized artwork or “Stencil” to the Stone.  Ah, a pun you say, but that is where we got our name!  We use our specialized sandblasting equipment to meticulously carve your design into the face of your stone.  The stone carving or etching cuts “grooves” into the stone and varies in depth depending on the type of stone and the over all design.  Upon completion of the sand carving, we then clean the stone and prepare it for custom painting.  All stone engravings receive industrial grade monument paint.  After it is painted your Stenciled Stone is done and ready for pick up!!!