Custom Photo Engraving Houston | Crystal & Glass Photo Etching

1. Send your photo. Email or upload it. We'll evaluate whether the image is suitable for engraving (resolution, contrast, subject framing).
2. We prepare the artwork. Photo engraving requires significant pre-processing — adjusting contrast, removing busy backgrounds, sometimes recreating details by hand. This artwork prep is quoted separately based on the work involved.
3. Sample engrave on the chosen material. We test on a sample piece of the same material before touching your final substrate. This catches any surprises before we commit.
4. Review the sample together. If you're local, you're welcome to see the test piece in person. Otherwise we send detailed photos.
5. Final engraving. Once you've approved the sample, we engrave the final piece.

• High resolution — at least 1500 pixels on the long side, ideally 3000+. Phone photos taken in good light usually work well.
• Strong contrast — the subject should be clearly distinct from the background. Engraving works best with strong tonal differences.
• Clean subject — busy backgrounds make the engraved result feel cluttered. Portraits and clean subjects work best.
• Good lighting on faces — heavily shadowed faces can lose detail in engraving.
• What does NOT work well: low-resolution social media downloads, screenshots from videos, photos with heavy filters, group photos where individual faces are small.

• Crystal and optic glass — frosted etched look, dimensional. Best for portraits and clean subjects. Premium presentation.
• Wood (alder, maple, walnut) — warm, organic feel. Good contrast. Works well for landscape photos and memorials.
• Anodized aluminum and brass — sharp metallic detail. Great for plaques and modern presentations.
• Leatherette plaques — clean two-tone result, very affordable for keepsake size pieces.

• Memorial pieces — engraved photo on crystal or wood with name, dates, and inscription. A meaningful keepsake.
• Family portraits — turn a wedding photo or family photo into a permanent piece.
• Retirement gifts — engraved portrait of the retiree on a crystal piece, with their career milestones.
• Pet memorials — engraved photo of a beloved pet with name and dates.
• Sports memorabilia — championship moments engraved as a keepsake.
• Custom corporate gifts — engraved portraits of founders, retirees, or honorees.

Photo engraving is a custom service — we don't publish flat rates because every project is different. The total quote includes:

• The substrate (crystal piece, wood plaque, metal plate, etc.)
• Artwork preparation (image processing, retouching, vectorization)
• Sample engraving (a test on the same material before the final cut)
• Final engraving on your chosen piece

Most photo engraving projects complete in 1-3 weeks depending on artwork complexity and how busy our shop is. Rush is sometimes possible (additional cost). For sensitive timelines like memorial services, please call us — we will prioritize where we can.