July 25, 2025
Choosing a headstone is one of the most meaningful decisions families make after losing a loved one. It’s more than selecting a shape or type of stone. It’s about creating a lasting tribute that honours someone’s memory, values, and personality.
Among the many design elements involved, engraving style is often overlooked. Yet it is one of the most important. The lettering on a headstone does more than display a name and dates. It reflects the tone of the memorial. It also impacts readability, aesthetics, and how future generations will view and remember your loved one.
The engraving style sets the emotional tone for the entire monument. Some families prefer a formal and traditional look, while others want a modern and personalized touch.
In Canada, families today have access to a wide range of headstone engraving options. Traditional styles like deep-cut Roman serif fonts remain timeless. At the same time, modern laser etching techniques offer highly detailed and customized lettering that speaks to individual legacies.
This guide compares the most popular engraving styles for headstones. It outlines the key differences between traditional and modern lettering, explores font options, and explains how engraving choices interact with materials like granite.
Roman Serif is the most enduring of all engraving styles for monuments. These serif-based characters (with small lines at the ends of each stroke) are deeply carved and often highlighted for contrast.
Best for: Upright granite monuments, family plots, and formal tributes.
This clean, bold font remains a staple across Canadian cemetery monuments, particularly in older memorials and war markers.
Best for: Flat markers and pillow markers where contrast is limited.
Used sparingly in traditional memorials, script fonts add an elegant and personal touch.
Best for: Couples’ memorials or custom headstones with a sentimental message.
Modern technology has enabled laser-engraved lettering, especially on premium black granite monuments. This process burns the image into the polished stone, achieving ultra-fine detail.
Best for: Custom upright headstones, modern designs, and families looking to add photos or intricate motifs.
Sans-serif fonts like Helvetica or Arial give memorials a minimalist, contemporary look. These are clean lines without decorative ends, creating a smooth, modern aesthetic.
Best for: Flat markers, cremation memorials, and newer cemetery sections with design flexibility.
| Feature | Traditional Lettering | Modern Lettering |
| Font Types | Roman, Gothic, Script | Sans-serif, Custom fonts |
| Techniques | Hand carving, sandblasting | Laser etching, digital layout |
| Materials | Granite, Bronze | Black granite, polished stone |
| Design Tone | Classic, Formal | Sleek, Personalized |
| Longevity | Long-lasting (deep carvings) | Long-lasting (etch-resistant) |
For a traditional, respectful tribute:
Choose Roman serif or block lettering for elegance and dignity.
For a modern, creative expression:
Choose laser etching or custom sans-serif fonts to reflect unique passions or personality.
Lettering on flat markers should prioritize clarity, especially if viewed from above. Upright monuments allow for more artistic freedom due to higher visibility and more surface area.
Each cemetery in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia has its own rules for monument size, shape, and engraving. Some may require flash panels (light-etched boxes around text) for lighter granite. Others may prohibit reflective etchings or impose size limits.
Before finalizing any design, ensure:
At Summit Memorials, we don’t just make headstones, we craft enduring legacies. With decades of experience in monument engraving, on-site lettering, and restoration, we help families throughout Western Canada create headstones that reflect dignity, personality, and tradition.
We offer:
Our team is here to guide you through every detail, from the font choice to the final installation, with care and precision.
Contact us today to schedule a design consultation or learn more about our engraving services.
