These mirrors are etched on the reverse side using an exacto knife to make a cut through the backing of the mirror, one stroke at a time. It's kind of like scratch board, but everything must be done in reverse, especially text. When completed, the mirror is mounted in a light box frame. The image is not seen until the light is turned on. Depending on the size and complexity of the image, it can take months or even a year or more to do the engrraving.