How To Choose A Headstone Photo?

If you have visited a cemetery, you must have noticed different kinds of headstones or monuments. While most have the deceased name, date of birth and death, some family members choose to have their departed  beloved’s smiling image on the headstones as a reminder of how lively the person was.

While there are several decisions that need to be taken after a loved one passes away, one of the important decisions is whether you want to place a photograph on the gravestone.

The reason why family members often choose to place RIP photo of their beloved ones is that humans are born with an affinity for visuals. Several studies have shown that humans retain 80% of what they see as opposed to what they read. No wonder 65% of the world’s total population are visual learners!

Photos were first used during the late 1800s on ceramic headstones. While during the last couple of decades of the 1900s, using photos on gravestones became rare, it is again making a comeback. Today, there are many families who are using their beloved one’s photos on RIP stones to build a connection with the younger generations who might not have seen the person lying peacefully in the grave in their youth.

What to Consider While Choosing a Headstone Photo?

“A picture is worth a thousand words''- this adage holds true, particularly when choosing a photograph to be placed on a gravestone. Since the photograph will be the last visual reminder of a loved one’s physical attributes, it is important to choose an image that does justice to the person’s very essence.

When choosing a RIP photo for someone who was an ever-smiling person, choose a photograph from the person’s youthful days. Full of life and smiling ear to ear, the photo will tell every beholder how the person was.

If you want an old photo to be added to the tombstone, it may need to be fixed. While old images fade or get discolored, you can get them back to their new state with professional old photo restoration services.

Keep the following in mind while choosing a photo for the headstone:

• First, try to know the dimensions of the gravestone. This way you will be able to know what size of photo would look the best.

• Try to use a single portrait image of the person. Cropping the image makes it look less natural.

• Ensure that the photo is in focus and the face is properly visible.

• Choose a photo that has a neutral background.

• In case you are unable to find such images, you can get your photo scanned by a professional photo scanning service and receive it edited and recreated in high resolution.

How to Prevent Headstone Photos From Getting Damaged?

Since photos are very delicate, anything from the sun to the rains can damage it. When you add a photo on the gravestone, it gets affected in no time due to the outdoor weather conditions that are too harsh for it.

One way in which you can put a picture on the headstone without having to worry about rapid damage is by using a ceramic photo tile. The ceramic photos are made on Italian porcelain tile using a special toner and fired at 1600 degrees Fahrenheit on a kiln. This process in which they are made makes them waterproof and the photo on it doesn't fade in sunlight.

The ceramic photo tile can be added to the stone with the help of double sided tape and caulk bead. This will help to keep the ceramic tile secure.

Usually a ceramic RIP photo lasts for years. However, if it comes off or if you want to replace the tile, you can easily do it without damaging the gravestone.

What Do You Need To Attach The Image To The Gravestone?

After getting the ceramic photo tile ready, you need to get everything ready for attaching the tile to the stone.

As the first step, get things ready. You will need double-sided tape to attach the tile to the headstone, clean cloth and rubbing alcohol to clean the area before adding the tile, and clear or white caulk to put around the ceramic tile to create a stronger bond and keep off water from the tapes.

What are the Ways You can Add Photos On Gravestones?

There are two types of RIP photos that can be added to gravestones. You can either go for the economic option where porcelain or ceramic photos or get the photos engraved on the gravestones by hand or laser. The latter is a more expensive option with hand etching costs going as high as $995.

Often families have no option but to go for engraved photos on graves because they don’t have high-quality old images. Old images often get damaged due to moisture, sunlight and other factors. If you want to add a ceramic or porcelain photo but are wondering how to get an old photo fixed, you can take the help of photo restoration experts.

At Forever Studios, we understand the family’s emotions and the importance attached to a RIP photo. We restore images to their new-like state and convert them into high-resolution to be etched into your beloved gravestone.