Putting together a meaningful memorial to commemorate the life of a loved one is a vast responsibility. Designing a headstone can be a challenging, emotional task. While finalizing funeral plans may seem simple to some, others might not know where to start. With almost a century of experience in handcrafting headstones, Legacy Headstones is an excellent resource for creating a monument to your loved one. With our Headstone Designer tool, we can help you create a headstone design that best represents your departed.
Designing a Headstone: What are Your Options?
The first decision to make with a headstone design is what material you will make it from. We recommend choosing either granite or bronze for a number of reasons. Each combines natural beauty with exceptional durability. We have information to help make your choice that discusses the benefits of granite and bronze.
Next, consider the type of headstone you’d like to design. You'll find Legacy Headstones offers a wide selection of headstones and grave markers. Choose from our flat, upright, and premium headstones to get started. With our online customization tool, you have the power to make and save changes until your headstone design is just right.
Once you’ve chosen the type and material for the headstone, you can customize its design. Headstones are primarily used to identify the name, birth, and death dates of the deceased, but they can also have a touch of individuality. Small but meaningful details can be added to honor your loved one and impart a sense of their personality, providing those who visit the grave a sense of continuity. This part of the headstone design can include special artwork or a meaningful quote that the deceased or next of kin desired.
Headstone Imagery
Symbolic images or photographs can be truly lovely on your loved one's headstone. Our Headstone Designer tool makes it easy for you to incorporate these details into the headstone design. At Legacy Headstone, our expert artisans use machine-assisted technology and their own hands to etch your designs precisely into bronze or granite. If you’d like to include a full-color or black and white photograph, we recommend adding a ceramic picture for the most beautiful results.
If a photograph might be too painful to see, we recommend engraving an image or symbol that represents the beliefs or passions of the deceased. For example, if your loved one was religious, you might consider adding a cross, the Star of David, or a pair of angel wings. Or you might select an image of wildlife, a natural scene, or even a motorcycle or sports image to best speak to the person you are honoring.
No matter what you choose, our headstone etching designs can help you celebrate the deceased in a meaningful way.
Headstone Lettering
The font used to create an inscription can have a tremendous impact on the overall look of the headstone. When designing a tombstone, the five most common typefaces used to inscribe epitaphs are:
- Classic Roman
- Optima
- Old English
- Uncial Gothic
- Zapf Chancery
These fonts represent a balance between a beautiful appearance and easy legibility. Some types of lettering require deeper cuts on the part of the stonemason and are more compatible with certain materials.
Before you finalize your headstone design, you can consult with the Legacy Headstones experts to get recommendations based on the inscription and the material of your loved one’s headstone. If you’re unsure what wording to add to the gravestone, we have some guidance for choosing an epitaph.
Headstone Color
Gravestones are available in a wide variety of colors, so choosing the right one can seem intimidating. Some cemeteries place firm restrictions on headstone color, material, size, and shape. Before designing the headstone, we recommend that you speak with the appropriate cemetery personnel to ensure compliance.
Granite is the most popular headstone material because it resists weathering and retains its shine for centuries. Our granite gravestones are available in black, blue, gray, pink, red, and more. If your loved one requested a bronze memorial, you have several oxidation options to choose from. Bronze develops a patina over time, and the results range from antiqued green to light or dark brown.
The experts at Legacy Headstones can guide you through all of this and more when you design a headstone for your loved one.
Headstone Contour
Our upright and slanted headstones can be further customized in terms of shape. The cuts and curves of your loved one’s headstone can affect other design elements. When designing a headstone, you can choose between a rectangular, square, curved, or pointed top.
We also offer dramatic departures from the conventional headstone shapes, producing monuments in the shape of a butterfly, angel, teardrop, and more. Some cemeteries ask that headstone bases feature curved edging to protect them from lawn mowing equipment. We can take care of that for you. If you can’t seem to find a shape that speaks to you, Legacy Headstones can customize the contour and molding of your loved one’s monument.
Headstone Dimensions
Keep in mind that all private and public cemeteries have headstone dimension requirements. As a result, it's important that you follow and comply with any rules or regulations. Standard sizes for single grass-level grave markers are usually 24” x 12”, 28” x 16”, and 18” by 24”. In comparison, grass-level companion headstones are generally 36” x 18” or 44” x 14”. A stonemason from Legacy Headstones will adapt your headstone design to meet the chosen cemetery's requirements.
Design a Headstone For Your Loved One with Legacy Headstones
We fully understand that headstone design can be a difficult, emotional process. That's where our experts can help. When you work with us, we guide you through the process and provide expert tips each step of the way.
After you have approved and purchased your headstone design, our team at Legacy Headstones will manufacture the piece according to your exact specifications. Please contact us today or give us a call at (800) 611-1340 with any questions, and a member of our courteous staff will be glad to assist.