There is a new product out on the market today and customers are asking about the technology, this is adding color to traditional black and white etched designs on headstones. The process involves traditional etching which is a very shallow cut in stone and filling in the etched design with color. This is almost always done by an artist by hand. This an expensive process and color is not guaranteed to last in an outside environment. Some of the sites already make this disclaimer. UV and hard water are a killer to paints and harsh weather conditions play an even more destructive role on these designs. At American Headstones, our experience on etched designs is that after a short period of time in open cemetery conditions they tend to degrade on the headstone or monument.
So “Buyer beware” when choosing these new technologies, ask your supplier if he will be willing to travel to your cemetery to repair or re-paint your headstone or monument once it has faded or peeled off?
Traditional engraving is your best test of time, sometimes moving away from a tested product is not the best decision. We have found that any color other than Lithchrome inks will not stand up to mother nature.
