2D Crystal Portraits
2D Sub-Surface Laser Marking
2D Sub-Surface Laser Marking is the process of taking a 2D image and lasering it inside a crystal object. Consumers can now use their own photos, standard or digital, and have their likeness immortalized in a block of crystal. These photocrystals, or Crystal Portraits, make wonderful keepsakes or gifts for loved ones.
Step One
The customer must e-mail or bring in his/her photograph to one of our stores. For digital photos we can import practically any image file format, and we have the hardware to read from just about memory cards used in digital cameras on the market today. For standard photographs, we usually scan the image in at a resolution of 300DPI, and scale the image anywhere from 100% - 400%, depending on what size piece it is going to be lasered into. For customers wishing to e-mail their owned scanned photos, simply follow the recommendations above.
Step Two
A special software tool will convert the scanned 2D image into a “point cloud”, which is compatible with our laser-marking system. This process takes about a minute.
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Step Three
Once the desired crystal block is placed in the laser-marking system, the actual 2D laser-marking begins. This is the process of having a laser beam penetrate a crystal to create tiny cracks (points or dots) in the crystal (i.e. below the surface, hence the term Sub-Surface Laser Marking). Thousands of little cracks later, you get a unique Crystal Portrait representing the scanned 2D image.
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