If you want to engrave an inscription or place a bronze plaque on your loved one’s memorial, typically there are 3 questions that need to be answered:
1. What wording should be included on the memorial plaque or headstone?
2. What inscription style should I select?
3. How much does an inscription on a memorial plaque or headstone cost?
In this guide, we will be discussing these 3 questions, providing you explanations of each of the options that are available to you to help make it easier for you to make an informed decision.
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1. Headstone terminology
There are many unfamiliar phrases and words involved in the world of monuments and headstones. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and if certain things don’t reflect the memory of your loved one, don’t be afraid to come up with your own saying that is personalized.
There is no wright or wrong inscription rules, Its up to you and family. It can be detailed or as simple as stating the deceased name with date of birth and death.
Photo by Brett Sayles from Pexels
2. Memorial inscription wording
There are several different reasons why the wording on your loved one’s gravestone/plaque is important:
1. It can be a reminder of your deceased loved one for people who visit the grave in the future for many years to come.
2. A message can be included that the deceased person wanted to express.
3. It can reflect a pertinent thing about the deceased eg. There legacy, there passion in life, there status as a community member, there working career, their achievements academically or with family such as great great great grandparent.
4. It could be the final farewell message from you and your family.
5. There is no right or wrong inscription rules, It’s up to you and family. It can be detailed or as simple as stating the deceased name with date of birth and death.
A headstone wording frequently includes the following:
1. The full name of the deceased.
2. The dates of the birth and death of the deceased.
3. The loved ones name/s
4. An epitaph – a brief message in the deceased’s memory.
It can be difficult to choose the wording to use in an epitaph. You will most likely want to get it exactly right. Holistic Human Development specialist Natalie suggests journaling memories you have had with your loved one to help you to remember their essence. This will help you to shape the perfect tone for your memorial message. It is perfectly fine to take your time. Also, ask for suggestions from your stonemason, family, and friends. You can also get inspiration from the examples online.
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels
3. A headstone inscription’s design and style
The memorial inscription’s style is important since it plays a critical role in creating the tombstone’s look. Design professional Sam says the style of the inscription and any additional symbols can help your loved one’s headstone stand apart and be more unique and personalised to them.
The memorial plaque or headstone’s style included the following:
1. Inscription lettering or front.
2. Use of any photos.
3. Use of any symbols/motifs
4. The type of stone engraving.
5. The lettering or font.
The inscription’s lettering can usually be made using several different fonts. It is very important to figure out which fonts are suited the best to the stone you are using. That is due to the fact that a deep cut is required for some fonts which might not look clear or sharp on certain kinds of stone. Another thing that can affect the font that you select is the size of your headstone and how long your message is since some fonts are not well suited to use in smaller letter sizes.
Memorial inscriptions use several different types of engraving styles. Keep in mind that the inscription style that you select should consider your budget, any cemetery regulations, your chosen font/s, and the kind of stone you are using. Also, be sure to ask your stonemason if the type of engraving that you have selected needs more maintenance than other types.
1. Incised lettering / standard engraving
Standard engraving is a process where the lettering is cut into stone. Sandblasting is usually used. Masonry specialist Tom says this kind of engraving is appropriate for sandstone, marble, and granite monuments. You can leave the letters natural or paint them using 23-carat gold leaf or enamel paint. Gold lettering does costs more than white and silver.
2. Hand carving / v-cut lettering
To achieve v-cut lettering, the letters are cut into the stone. Then a chisel and hammer are used to provide a deep ‘V’ cut to the letters. This type of hand carving is well-suited to headstones made of slate, sandstone, granite, and marble. Like with incised lettering, you can leave this kind of inscription natural, or you can use 23-carat gold leaf or enamel paint.
This method of inscription is not used very often these days as it is quite time consuming and very expensive, sometimes up to $25 per letter depending on the size
3. Embossed lettering / raised engraving
With an embossed inscription, the letters’ background is sandblasted away so that the letters look polished and raised against the background.
This is a great maintenance free method as it uses a contrast between the raw and polished granite and the is no need for any gold or paints to highlight the script (works best on darker coloured stones)
4. Lead letter inscriptions
To achieve lead letters, the letter outlines are carved into the stone. Lead is then melted and beaten into the letter cavity, so the letters are filled in and lie flush with the stone face. This kind of engraving is expensive but is well-suited to marble.
No longer used much these days because as you will see if you wander around and older Cemetery that the letters are starting to fall out of the cavity because the stone expands and contracts forcing the lead out.
5. Raised lead letter inscriptions
This type of lettering uses lead letters that stand apart and protrude from the stone. This engraving style is quite expensive, so it is not used very often unless restoration or duplication of an existing inscription is needed.
6. Headstone photos and symbols
You should also consider whether you want to include some type of symbol (a religious symbol, for example) with the text, or insert a photo of your loved one on the memorial.
There are many options and methods of symbols and motifs that can be transferred onto a headstone or bronze plaque.
You can pretty much get any image of the Internet and presented to your stonemason to have it transferred onto Stone or a bronze plaque.
Coloured photo ceramics are usually the best method to put a picture of your loved one on a memorial.
Try to present your stonemason with a good clear image/photo of your loved one so as it can be transferred clearly to the headstone/bronze plaque.
4. Headstone inscription costs
It can be hard to estimate how much it will cost to inscribe a monument or headstone since stonemasons use different methods to calculate the charges for their inscriptions. Some stonemasons charge for the actual headstone but do not charge anything extra to do the inscription, while others might charge by the number of lines of text on the stone or by the letter. Stonemasons will often do a certain number of letters free and then charge a fee for each additional letter.
Some of the different factors that can affect how much a headstone inscription will cost, include the following:
1. Lettering material
2. Use of 22ct gold leaf or enamel paint
3. Type of engraving
4. Any additional photos or symbols
5. Amount of letters
6. Size of Letters
Remember the most important thing to remember when creating the inscription for your loved one’s memorial is that it should come from the heart.
There is no right or wrong!