Commission Arcadia Customs to convert the file for you
If you're not comfortable creating the optimal file for engraving, we highly recommend commissioning Arcadia Customs to assist you with this. His rates are very fair and he has converted many images for our clients. If you do not have a Twitter account, you can also contact him here. Please make sure to confirm the file placement on the panel before submitting it to us.
Converting Images for Engraving
Please take a moment to carefully read and follow the instructions as followed. Engraving is for 2 separate areas ONLY with a 5 x 5" MAX size limit. If it exceeds this, it will lead to your order being delayed and we'll have to ask you to revise it as to meet our submission guidelines so please keep this in mind when preparing to submit your artwork for engraving.
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When searching for images, It is advised that you use one that is high in contrast with a bold clear cut in detail. Images such as line art, black and white graphics, logos and any form or geometric patterns will work best. Along with this, the outline for the image MUST be colored in solid white as it'll be the main aspect of the image that will be engraved on to the panel. Lastly, the image size at maximum is limited at 5x5 inches so please make sure to keep this in mind.
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Once you have found the image that you wish to use, you must convert the colors to gray scale using an Image editing program of your choice (Photoshop, GIMP, Etc.). Along with this, please make sure that the image you choose is high in resolution as this will help determine the overall quality of the engraving. When editing, adjust the image contrast by increasing it to make it stronger. In most cases, it is recommended to use black and white images or designs that are high in contrast as to ensure optimal conversion results.
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As to maintain the Image's original look on the panel, it'll be necessary to further edit it by inverting the blacks and whites for it. This is due to the engraving process resulting in a lighter color on the panel itself and to avoid any unnecessary mistakes. In most cases, images that have not been inverted will have a negative look to them.
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Once you have finished making the edits to the image you will be using, save it to your PC as a .JPG or .PNG file. From here, You will have to convert it to a .SVG image format as it is what will be needed during the engraving process. The easiest way to go about doing this is using https://convertio.co/ Once you've entered the site, click the “Choose Files” tab and select the image that you Edited and saved to your PC. Click “Convert” and once it's finished, download and save the converted .SVG image to your PC.
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Applying your engraving image
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Using our engraving templates provided by us, open it using your Image Editing program to configure the location in where your image will be placed onto the panel. Within each template are dots that you can use as a guideline to properly apply the image to the template itself. Images used must not exceed 127mm squared (5 square inches) within the panel.
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Within the Image Editing program, gather the .JPG or .PNG file of the image that you edited. Place and size it accordingly to the template guidelines. Once finalized, it'll need to be saved in a .PSD file format. When doing so, it is advised not to delete or merge any of the layers as this will not be the final image. We will only be using this to properly size and place the .SVG File onto the panel. We will also need an extra copy of the finalized template saved as either .JPG or .PNG to show it's positioning.
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Prepping Engraving files for Submission (READ Below)
It is important that we inform you that we will need a total of 4 files in order for the engraving process to go as smoothly as possible, we will need:
- The .JPG or .PNG of the edited engraving image
- The converted .SVG image
- The .PSD of the template with the engraving image applied
- The .JPG or .PNG copy of the template with the engraving image Applied
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Gather all of what's listed above from your PC and place them inside of a folder. Once done, you will need to archive it into a .ZIP file.
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Once you’ve gathered all the files you’re all set. Upload it with the purchase of your order and we'll take care of the rest from there.