Blue Fire Engraving and BlueFireEngraving.com © 2008
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is laser engraving?
Can you help me pick an image?
What file types can you work with?
What are the specifications for a digital image?
Does the image have to be digital?
How do I clean stone items?
What is Laser Engraving? return to top
Laser engraving is a state of the art technology that combines the extremely high temperatures and precision light of lasers to permanently engrave photographic quality images into stone or other material.
Can you help me pick an image? return to top
Of course! Bring in the images you are thinking about using and we can help you pick the best one for the application you want. If you have two or three that you just can't decide between they may be able to be combined into one engraving depending on the size of the images and material.
What file types can you work with? return to top
Blue Fire Engraving is capable of working with many different file types. Some types of images retain their design better when saved under different file types due to compression. Please contact us about the best file type to save your file as. If you don't see your particular file type below, please contact us to make sure it has not been simply overlooked on this list.
file types listed alphabetically, most common and preferred types are bold
.ai .dwg .jpeg .pdp .srf
.ai3 .dxf .jpf .pef .svg
.ai4 .emf .jpg .pfm .svgz
.ai5 .eps .jpx .pgn .tga
.ai6 .epsf .kdc .pict .tif
.ai7 .epsp .ma .png .tiff
.ai8 .erf .mb .pnm .txt
.ait .exr .mef .ppm .vda
.arw .fh? .mfw .ps .vst
.bmp .fido .mos .psb .wbm
.cdr .flm .mrw .psd .wbmp
.cgm .gif .nef .pxr .wmf
.cin .hdr .orf .raf .x3f
.cr2 .icb .pam .raw .xyze
.crw .ico .pbm .rgbe
.dcr .iff .pcd .rle
.dib .j2c .pct .rtf
.dng .j2k .pcx .sct
.doc .jp2 .pdd .sdpx
.dpx .jpc .pdf .sr2
What are the specifications for a digital image? return to top
This depends greatly on the size of the material you are having engraved. Resolutions below are the minimum recommended to achieve a desired result. If you have questions about your specific file, feel free to contact us and we'll help you determine if your image meets the recommended specifications for your application.
Size of stone or other material Min. Resolution
4x4 800x800
5x7 1400x1000
6x6 1200x1200
8.5x11 1700x2200
12x12 2400x2400
18x24 3600x4800
Does the image have to be digital? return to top
No. We can easily scan printed pictures among other materials such as magazines and books as long as they are not copyright protected. If they are copyrighted, then a waiver must be secure prior to use.
How do I clean stone items? return to top
We recommend using a dry soft cloth. Do not use soap or other cleaning detergents. Sweep or dust all natural stone surfaces regularly to remove loose soil and dust. Keeping your stone free of dust and dry sandy soil will minimize the scratches and wear-patterns that can develop from the everyday use of stone. To help remove soils that normal dusting and damp mops leave behind, we recommend using specifically formulated neutral cleaners for natural stone.
What is laser engraving?
Can you help me pick an image?
What file types can you work with?
What are the specifications for a digital image?
Does the image have to be digital?
How do I clean stone items?
What is Laser Engraving? return to top
Laser engraving is a state of the art technology that combines the extremely high temperatures and precision light of lasers to permanently engrave photographic quality images into stone or other material.
Can you help me pick an image? return to top
Of course! Bring in the images you are thinking about using and we can help you pick the best one for the application you want. If you have two or three that you just can't decide between they may be able to be combined into one engraving depending on the size of the images and material.
What file types can you work with? return to top
Blue Fire Engraving is capable of working with many different file types. Some types of images retain their design better when saved under different file types due to compression. Please contact us about the best file type to save your file as. If you don't see your particular file type below, please contact us to make sure it has not been simply overlooked on this list.
file types listed alphabetically, most common and preferred types are bold
.ai .dwg .jpeg .pdp .srf
.ai3 .dxf .jpf .pef .svg
.ai4 .emf .jpg .pfm .svgz
.ai5 .eps .jpx .pgn .tga
.ai6 .epsf .kdc .pict .tif
.ai7 .epsp .ma .png .tiff
.ai8 .erf .mb .pnm .txt
.ait .exr .mef .ppm .vda
.arw .fh? .mfw .ps .vst
.bmp .fido .mos .psb .wbm
.cdr .flm .mrw .psd .wbmp
.cgm .gif .nef .pxr .wmf
.cin .hdr .orf .raf .x3f
.cr2 .icb .pam .raw .xyze
.crw .ico .pbm .rgbe
.dcr .iff .pcd .rle
.dib .j2c .pct .rtf
.dng .j2k .pcx .sct
.doc .jp2 .pdd .sdpx
.dpx .jpc .pdf .sr2
What are the specifications for a digital image? return to top
This depends greatly on the size of the material you are having engraved. Resolutions below are the minimum recommended to achieve a desired result. If you have questions about your specific file, feel free to contact us and we'll help you determine if your image meets the recommended specifications for your application.
Size of stone or other material Min. Resolution
4x4 800x800
5x7 1400x1000
6x6 1200x1200
8.5x11 1700x2200
12x12 2400x2400
18x24 3600x4800
Does the image have to be digital? return to top
No. We can easily scan printed pictures among other materials such as magazines and books as long as they are not copyright protected. If they are copyrighted, then a waiver must be secure prior to use.
How do I clean stone items? return to top
We recommend using a dry soft cloth. Do not use soap or other cleaning detergents. Sweep or dust all natural stone surfaces regularly to remove loose soil and dust. Keeping your stone free of dust and dry sandy soil will minimize the scratches and wear-patterns that can develop from the everyday use of stone. To help remove soils that normal dusting and damp mops leave behind, we recommend using specifically formulated neutral cleaners for natural stone.
