Headstone photo buying guide

Where to Buy a Headstone Picture: Compare Your Options

Published 10 min read

You can buy a headstone picture in three main ways: through a cemetery, monument maker, or funeral home; directly from a maker such as PhotosForHeadstones.com; or from an online marketplace such as Amazon or Etsy. Start with your cemetery's rules, because some cemeteries require approval or their own installer. Then compare each option on the same points: how the image is made, whether you approve a proof, what the written guarantee covers and who honors it, the delivered price, the total time from order to arrival, and who installs it. Quality and terms vary within every channel, so compare the specific seller, not the channel.

PhotosForHeadstones.com publishes this page and is one of the options compared, so weigh our view with that in mind.

The three places to buy a headstone picture

1. A cemetery, monument maker, or funeral home

Some cemeteries, monument companies, and funeral homes sell or order a porcelain portrait for you, often as part of a new headstone or a memorial package. The main advantage is coordination: one business handles the order, the cemetery's requirements, and often the installation. Published price lists from these sellers often do not state the portrait's size or how its image is made, so ask.

2. PhotosForHeadstones.com, a maker selling direct

PhotosForHeadstones.com makes ceramic headstone portraits in San Antonio, Texas, and sells them directly online. You send a photo, the image is prepared for the shape you choose, and you approve a proof before production. The image is printed with ceramic toners and fired in a kiln into porcelain. Each picture comes with mounting adhesive and a written lifetime guarantee against fading and discoloration.

Oval ceramic headstone portrait from PhotosForHeadstones.com, shown as a finished product
An oval ceramic headstone portrait from PhotosForHeadstones.com. Oval is one of several shapes; see the shapes and styles guide.

3. Amazon, Etsy, and other online shops

Marketplaces list headstone pictures from many independent sellers at a wide range of prices. Some listings describe kiln-fired ceramic images and written guarantees; others describe different image processes or give few details. Quality varies from listing to listing, so the listing title and photos are not enough to judge it. Read what the specific seller states about the image process, the proof, and its written terms, and keep a copy.

Side-by-side comparison

This table compares typical buying routes, not every seller. Where the answer depends on the individual business or listing, it says so. PhotosForHeadstones.com details are from its own published pages; prices are dated snapshots.

Where to buy a headstone picture: cemeteries and monument makers, PhotosForHeadstones.com, and online marketplaces compared
What to compare Cemetery, monument maker, or funeral home PhotosForHeadstones.com (maker, direct) Amazon, Etsy, and other online shops
How you buy In person or by phone, often alongside a headstone order or memorial package. The business may order the portrait from an outside supplier. Online order on the website; questions through the contact page. Online order from an independent shop through the marketplace. You deal with that shop for the photo and proof.
How the image is made Varies by supplier and is often not stated on price lists. Ask what the image is and whether it is fired. Ceramic toner image fired in a kiln into porcelain, as described on how headstone pictures are made. Varies by listing. Some describe kiln-fired images; others describe printed, coated, or other processes. Ask the seller.
Photo editing and proof Varies. Ask whether the photo is edited for the shape and whether you approve a proof before production. Photo prepared for the chosen shape; proof normally sent within 1 to 2 business days for your approval. Varies by shop. Ask before ordering whether you will see and approve a proof.
Guarantee and who to contact Varies. Ask whether the guarantee comes from the seller or its supplier, what it covers, and who you contact later. Written lifetime guarantee against fading and discoloration; contact PhotosForHeadstones.com directly. Varies by shop. Read the shop's written terms and the marketplace's own buyer-protection rules, including time limits.
Price examples Published examples: $400 (porcelain portrait in a monument company's whole-monument example), $450 black-and-white and $550 color (a cemetery's 2026 price sheet), $750 porcelain cameo (a funeral home's November 2025 list). Sizes mostly not stated. $99.99 to $429.99 by size for oval or rectangle; $219.99 for 5.1 x 7.1 in. Listed October 5, 2026. Frames and covers extra. Very wide range, including low entry prices that often apply to the smallest size. See our dated price comparison.
Timing Varies by supplier. One monument company says its custom portraits, made by a partner in Italy, take about 3 to 8 weeks. A full headstone order has its own, separate schedule. Proof normally within 1 to 2 business days; orders normally ship within 1 to 2 weeks. Made in San Antonio. Varies with the shop's location, processing time, and shipping method. Check the delivery estimate for your size and option.
Installation Often installed by the business or the cemetery's approved installer; ask whether it is included in the price. Adhesive included for self-installation on suitable surfaces, or use a monument company. See the installation guide. Varies. Ask whether adhesive and instructions are included and what surfaces they suit.
Best fit Your cemetery requires its own vendor or installer, or you are ordering a new headstone and want one point of contact. You want to approve a proof, know how the image is made, deal with the maker, and install it yourself or through an installer you choose. You are willing to check a specific listing's process, proof, terms, and delivery time yourself.

The cemetery, monument-company, and funeral-home prices are single published examples from Gifford Monument, St. Michael's Cemetery, and Golden Gate Funeral Home. They do not describe the same product as each other or as PhotosForHeadstones.com, they may include services a direct order does not, and they do not tell you what any other business charges. For the full PhotosForHeadstones.com price list by size, see how much a headstone picture costs.

How to decide, step by step

  1. Ask the cemetery first. Find out whether pictures are allowed, whether a size or placement applies, whether an application or approval is needed, and whether only their installer may work on the memorial. If they require their own vendor, that settles where to buy. See cemetery rules for headstone pictures.
  2. If a new headstone is being made, ask the monument maker about the portrait. Ask what the portrait is, how the image is made, the size, the price, and how long the portrait itself takes. You can compare that answer with ordering the portrait yourself and having the monument maker set it.
  3. If the headstone is already in place, decide who will install. Self-installation with adhesive is possible on clean, dry, smooth surfaces at a suitable temperature; follow the seller's instructions. If the stone is rough, the cemetery requires an installer, or you want the picture recessed, ask a monument company.
  4. Choose the photo before you shop. The photo you have affects which shape and size work. See choosing the best photo for a headstone picture and the size guide.
  5. Ask every option the same questions. How is the image made, will I approve a proof, what is the delivered price for my size, how long until it arrives, what does the written guarantee cover, and who do I contact later?
  6. Compare totals, not entry prices. Add shipping, tax, frames or covers, installer labor, and any cemetery fee. Then compare the total time: proof, production, and transit.

How long each option takes

A headstone picture's total time has three parts: getting and approving the proof, making the picture, and getting it to you or your installer. Ask each seller for all three, because a quick shipping estimate does not tell you how long production takes.

  • PhotosForHeadstones.com says on its contact page that proofs are normally sent within 1 to 2 business days and orders normally ship within 1 to 2 weeks, with pictures made in San Antonio. These are normal times, not a guarantee for every order.
  • One monument company, Salisbury Monument, says its custom porcelain portraits are made by a partner in Italy and take about 3 to 8 weeks. That is one business's estimate, not an industry average. Other monument companies and cemeteries use other suppliers and schedules.
  • Marketplace shops set their own processing times and ship from many places. Check the delivery estimate for the exact size and option you select.

Portrait time is separate from headstone time. If the portrait is part of a new headstone, ask for the headstone schedule as well, since the full memorial may take longer than the portrait alone.

Ask how the image is made, wherever you buy

The most useful question for any seller is whether the image itself is fired into the ceramic or porcelain, not only whether the plaque is porcelain. A porcelain base can carry a printed, coated, or laminated image that may age differently outdoors. A low price alone does not prove that a picture will fade, and where a picture is made does not by itself decide its quality. What matters is the process the seller describes and what it guarantees in writing.

Illustration of blank white oval, round, and rectangular plaques on a tabletop beside an old dark photograph, a pencil, a brush, and flowers
Conceptual illustration of materials only, not a production photo: blank plaques beside an old photograph. It does not show the printing or firing steps. The PhotosForHeadstones.com process is described on how headstone pictures are made.

PhotosForHeadstones.com describes its portraits as designed for outdoor use and offers a lifetime guarantee against fading and discoloration, as explained on its weatherproof headstone pictures page. It does not publish a product-specific UV laboratory rating, and no outdoor picture should be described as one that never changes: the adhesive bond, the stone around it, and any frame also age. For how sun, rain, snow, and salt affect each part, see kiln-fired headstone photos outdoors.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the best place to buy a headstone picture?

It depends on your cemetery and your situation. If the cemetery requires its own vendor or installer, buy there. Otherwise, compare a cemetery or monument maker, a direct maker such as PhotosForHeadstones.com, and specific online listings on the same points: image process, proof, written guarantee, delivered price, total time, and installation.

Can I buy a headstone picture myself instead of through the cemetery?

Often, yes, but ask the cemetery first. Some require an application, approval, or their own installer for any addition to a memorial, and some charge for it. Get the answer in writing.

Will a monument company install a picture I bought elsewhere?

Some will, and some can recess the picture into the stone. Ask about their fee and any requirements before you order the picture.

Are headstone pictures from Amazon or Etsy lower quality?

Not necessarily. Quality varies from listing to listing, on marketplaces and elsewhere. Judge a specific listing by how it says the image is made, whether you approve a proof, and what its written terms cover, not by the marketplace or the price alone.

How long does a headstone picture take to arrive?

It varies by seller. PhotosForHeadstones.com normally sends a proof within 1 to 2 business days and normally ships within 1 to 2 weeks. One monument company publishes about 3 to 8 weeks for portraits from its partner in Italy. Ask any seller for proof, production, and shipping time together.

What if the picture fades or is damaged later?

Contact the business that sold it and check its written guarantee. Keep your order confirmation and the terms. For your options, see replacing a headstone picture.

Related guides

Sources

Prices and times are dated snapshots and may have changed.