Frequently Asked Questions
How are the Photographic Carvings made?
- The photo is scanned into the computer and, using a photo
retouching program, it is "cleaned up". shiny or bright areas
(eyes,
teeth, and jewelry) are toned down. Photographic blemishes are
removed. A shirt or collar may be darkened to de-emphasize it.
- To enhance and highlight a portrait, the background is blacked out.
- For framing purposes, a 1/2" black border is also added to the portrait.
- The image is then run through an analyzer, calculates the cutting
depths, and generates the CNC program. A shallow cut for light
colors ... a deeper cut for dark
colors.
- A block of wood is locked into position on the machine, and the image is cut.
- The carving is trimmed and some manual cleanup is done.
What type of picture makes a good carving?
A "head" shot. - A photograph of a person standing in the woods
will likely have too much clutter to create a good carving. Small
details get lost in carvings. It is best to isolate the subject
and make it as large as possible.
An image with good definition. - If the image is uniform in
color, and has very little definition, sections of the carving may blend together. For example, if you have a subject with
black hair, positioned against a black background, it is difficult
hard for the computer to differentiate between the hair and the
background, and both will be cut about the same depth. By the same token, a person with
"fly-away" blond hair on a white background will be difficult to carve
because it will be virtually impossible to cleanup the background. Although random spots on the image will create a "pit" or "bump" in the carving, typically, most can be retouched.
Though definitely not required, a professional photograph taken against
a solid background, will generally produce the best carving. This
is because a professional photographer tends to isolate his subjects,
use uniform backgrounds, has his subject well lit, and takes a sharp,
high resolution image.
The original image can be either color or black & white. The computer will
convert a color image to black & white, then assign a cutting depth to
how dark that portion of the picture is. The darker the color ...
the deeper the cut.
The program does not require a high resolution image, however, a
digital image with a resolution of at least 200 dpi. will produce the
best results.
How are the Mirror Etchings made?
- Using existing line-art and true-type lettering, a drawing is created
in a CAD program. A great source of vector based graphics are
true-type dingbat fonts.
-
A mirror etching can also be created from a photograph. In the
case of a photograph, software is used to scan the image for "edges",
then convert it into line art.
- It is also possible for us to scan in a drawing and convert it
to line art - however, the drawing should have a "hand drawn" or line art
appearance. For example a sketch or a charactature works best.
- Keep in mind that true-type fonts are "outline" fonts ... so only the
outside edges of the fonts are used. This will be true of most line art
that is scanned and converted.
- The drawing is scaled to size and imported into a Computer Aided Machining (CAM) program.
- The CAM program generates the CNC program
- A plastic mirror is locked into position on the machine, and the image is cut.
- The etching is trimmed and some manual cleanup is done.
