upcoming changes

The site is going to continue to function as normal, but I will be making some changes to it.

I have received a very positive response specifically for portraiture. I flood of questions have come in. As many of you know, you adapt as you learn. I am going to change the website to curtail primarily to making custom graphics for portraits, etc.

I am redesigning the website from scratch. The new site will include and address the following:


Member login: I want members to be able to login to their own profile, where they can submit orders of work that needs to be done.

Monthly Invoice: my current site is built of "add to cart" architecture. I am going to redesign the site so that clients are billed on a monthly bases, with the option to pay that invoice online securly.

File Support: I am going to do extensive research into Monucad, signlab, gerber Omega, and the other programs that clients use to plot their stencils. I am learning that there are a lot of technical snags when it comes to software programs and what files will import and export successfully. So far I have come across these files:

Adobe Illustrator (ai)
CorelDraw(cdr)
.dwg
.dxf
.plt
.pdf
.eps
.emf
.wmf
.mcd(MonuCad)

For this to succeed I must know the ins and outs of all of these programs and related extensions so that I can guarantee the fidelity of line plots when they are imported.


Promotional packages: Many people have responded positively to my graphic test of "Kadie" Clients want these graphics available along with original photos. I am going to build a promotional package built specifically around portraiture that will have a variety of styles and individuals to choose from. This package will have files necessary for clients to add these graphics to catalogs, webpages, and showroom models.

Thanks!

Successful Etching

Now whether to call it engraving, blasting, etching, or whatever...You're just gonna have to roll with the punches. I did printmaking in college and from my experience I am more inclined to call sandblasting etching. Engraving was when I would gouge a copper plate with a steel-tip tool. Well it is what it is, and I will try to get use to the change in terminology.

For now Good News! We etched the stone today, the stone that had a series of different styled portraits(see below post):

 Here is the original photo:

Update on Custom Portraits

Dear Clients,

We have had some setbacks in providing you with photographs of sandblasted portraits on granite. The company I work with has been very busy this time of year.

I made a vector graphic specifically designed to show you qhgraphic's capabilities. I am happy to learn that my friends at Bott Monument will be cutting the stencils soon with the computer, and I may be able to engrave as early as Monday.

In addition to the more precise line test (posted below) Here is the graphic I am going to engrave:

Click on image to see detail. Each unique graphic is 10" in height, with no lines falling under 1/16" in width.

This graphic will be 48" wide by 12" tall, and will exhibit three different portrait styles; outline, two-tone shaded, and cross-contour.

We have had a lot of interest expressed in our portraits, and many of you have expressed wanting to see these graphics on a final product. Thank you for your patience, and I will try to have the final product available to see as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Michael L. Crook
Quality Headstone Graphics