Frequently Asked Questions:
What is a 3D Crystal
3-dimensional photo crystals and crystal awards are truly amazing and "wows" everyone that sees them. "WOW! how is that done?" is always the first thing you will hear when you give a 3D crystal. It is as if the subject is actually inside the crystal.
Conversion of your 2D photos into 180-degree, 3D imagery as illustrated above is optionally available on all of the 3D crystal products
Full 360-degree crystals from your photos of the subject(s) or object(s) taken from different angles are available at additional cost. Call for pricing as it varies depending on the level of effort required for the artwork.
We engrave your 360 degree 3D artwork in .stl, .obj and most other 3d file formats at no additional cost.
This amazing technology is limited only by your imagination. Select from our 3D crystal shapes and upload your 2D or 3D image and text files or just call us for your custom 3D art requests. We want to make your 3D gifts, awards and memorials wow their recipients.
How do they get a 3d model inside of a solid glass block without breaking it?
A special sub-surface laser engraver focuses a laser beam to a specified depth inside a glass block or other glass object. The type of glass is called optical crystal glass or K-9 quality glass. It has no bubbles or wavy imperfections so it will not distort or bend the laser light beam. The spot that is hit with the focused laser light beam gets ionized and a tiny pit or imperfection is formed. The laser beam is moved to the next position and pulsed on again creating another tiny pit. A series of these pits is repeated thousands of times every second until the bottom layer of the object is created. The laser lens then moves up and the next layer is created. This layer by layer process is repeated until the 3d model is complete.
Can you combine people and pets from multiple photos and add more than two lines of text?
Yes, we can create a collage of several people and/or pets with as much text as will fit on the crystal piece you select.. Depending on the size of the crystal piece, we will combine multiple people or animals from multiple photos and any text to fit into one crystal piece. You can mail or email the images and text to us with your layout instructions. We will create a draft layout for your approval before we engrave the crystal. The cost to you will be the cost of the crystal piece plus $25.00 per additional photo.
Do I need a light base?
Yes, unless you have a lighted place to display your sub-surface engraved crystal you should purchase a light base. The ability to make the engraving glow is the main reason photo crystals are so popular. The engraving is very visible when placed on a dark surface near a window during the day but at night the engraving will be difficult to see without a light to illuminate it.
How long will take to receive my finished crystal?
We usually produce the crystal within 2 to 3 business days following receipt of your order. Since each crystal is different and, often, each order contains special instructions, production time varies. We use UPS and USPS for all of our shipments. The shipping service you select will determine the time the shipment takes to get to you.
What if I don’t like the crystal piece you make?
We make every effort to create the finest custom crystal possible; but if you are not happy with our work we will remake it for you. You will need to let us know and return your crystal within 30 days of receipt.
Can I get a proof before engraving?
We offer a proof service for only $10.00 per crystal design. Just select "Optional proof for approval" in the product options dialog box and we will send an image of the layout of your edited photo on a template of the crystal you want. We will change the layout as many times as needed until we receive your approval.
Is my photo good enough quality for the crystal I want?
The general rule is the better quality of the photo the better quality engraving it will provide for. Our photo editors are expert Photoshop professionals and they will employ every Photoshop trick in the book to enhance your photo. If the photograph is slightly out of focus, too bright, too dark or too small it is usually possible to create an acceptable photo crystal. It all depends on the extent of the problems with your photo. If we think your photo is not acceptable we will call or email you to discuss possible options.
Can I send the file from my digital camera storage card?
Yes, we can work with most image file formats including .jpg, .bmp, .pdf, .psd, .doc, .ai, .eps, .cdr, .png and other 2d file formats. We can accept most .stl and .obj 3d files.
What do I do if I don’t have a digital photo?
You can mail us your original hard-copy photo. We will scan your original photo to create a digital image file. We will return your photo with your finished photo crystal.
What resolution should I scan the photo?
Usually 300 dpi (dots per inch) is acceptable. If we are enlarging the photo, to fill a large sized crystal from a small photo, we use AI enlargement algorithms that enlarge without losing quality. But it is always better to send a 300 dpi full resolution image.