Vision Engraving & Routing Blog

There are two types of engraving fonts you can use while engraving, Single Line and Multiple Line fonts. The names, pretty much describe what each is; a single line font is made up of one line, while a multiple line font is made up of a minimum of 2 lines and usually no more than 5. Many engraving programs, including our Vision software packages, allow you to use and engrave True Type fonts as well. This allows you to engrave most fonts that are already installed on your computer.

Single Line fonts are made up of one line that makes up the entire stroke weight of each character. These are simple engraving fonts, and provide extremely fast engraving time. These fonts are great for name badges or industrial applications. The character thickness is determined by the cutter you decide to use. In general, the cutter should be about 12% of the character height. For example, a 0.25” tall character should use a .030” cutter. If you want to have a bolder, or lighter, character you can slightly adjust the cutter size you choose.

Multiple line fonts are made of 2-5 lines to display a different look depending on the cutter used.  Using a larger cutter will typically fill in the entire letter while using a smaller cutter will leave a space between each line.  Examples of each are shown to the right. A multiple line font can be much fancier than a single line font, allowing differences in the character weight (think of the letters in Times New Roman). Multiple line fonts do take longer to engrave, but provide a higher level of detail to your engraving project. You will often see multiple line fonts on plaques, trophies, and gifts. When using a multiple line font, you should choose a cutter that will provide overlap between each stroke. For example, you want your character to have a .090” thickness choose a .035” cutter instead of a 0.30” cutter. This will typically provide a sufficient overlap to prevent any ridges in between the strokes.

In some situations, you may want to see the lines that make up a multi-line font. This can give a piece nice detail, especially on plaques. To do this, you should use a very small cutter size if working with plastic, or a diamond drag adapter if working with metal.

Many engraving programs, including all of our Vision software packages, will allow you to use True Type Fonts that are already installed on your computer. This allows you to use a client specified typeface for a logo or other trademark. The outline of the True Type font will automatically be engraved, and you can apply a fill pattern to the letters as if they were shapes. This takes much longer to engrave than the single or multiple line fonts, and is not recommended for body copy or any other project with small text. Our new Vision Software Packages can convert True Type fonts into single line fonts.

There are so many engraving fonts to choose from, with over 1,100 fonts standard in our new Vision Software packages. The font type you decide to use will be based on the project you are creating, your personal preference, and the time you have to complete your job.

What type of engraving font do you prefer to use? What kind of projects do you create?

This blog post refers to engraving INTO metals (more than a few thousandths deep) as opposed to engraving on metals (burnishing or dragging). Engraving into metal has its own unique challenges, with many variables and options.

There are a few basic concepts to be considered when engraving into metals; such as stainless steel, brass and aluminum.

• Holding the Engraving Material
• Custom Jigs
• Cutters, Cutting Fluid, and Spindles
• Z-Axis Spring Tension
• Z Dwell Time
• XY Speed
• Multiple Pass Setup
• Spindle Motor Speed

Vera Vise

Holding the Engraving Material

The biggest challenge in engraving is being able to hold the material. Engraving into metal typically will exceed the holding ability of tape or multi mat. The holding device should keep the item from moving and, if possible, be easy to use. You want to be able to set and remove material as efficiently as possible with our sacrificing your holding integrity or damaging the material.

Custom Jigs

For highly repetitive work, you may want to consider a custom jig designed specifically for a specific job. A good, efficient jig should allow for quick, easy, and accurate placement of material with minimal effort. You may find that a custom jig is well worth the investment.

Series 3 Vision Spindle

Cutters, Cutting Fluid, and Spindles

50,000 RPM Spindle

Misting System on 2550 Router

Engraving into metal is very tough on cutters. It is recommended that standard engraving cutters designed specifically for cutting metals and end mills be used. For best results, try double ended, double-fluted end mills. End mills will provide you with far superior quality, plus, they are easier to use. Whatever style cutter you end up using, you should plan on having many duplicates to allow for replacement of broken cutters and for cutter sharpening.

It is also recommended that you use cutting fluid. This will extend the life of your cutters by lubricating the cutting surface and helping to cool them. You will also find that this will help produce a smoother finish on the cut. An automatic misting system is available on many Vision Engravers & Routers, which distributed lubricating fluid onto the engraving material as it cuts.

A collet spindle is also a must for this type of engraving. Standard top load spindles do not offer enough support of the cutter towards the bottom of the spindle. This will allow the cutter to “chatter” under heavy engraving loads, which will produce poor engraving quality and reduce the life of your cutters. Vision offers a High-Frequency 50,000 RPM Spindle, which allows for faster engraving into stainless steel.

Z-Axis Spring Tension

Since stainless steel is obviously harder than plastic, it will require more pressure to penetrate the surface. For maximum pressure, you will need to tighten the Z-axis spring pressure so that the threads of the spring are completely compressed.

Z Dwell Time

A slower Z-Dwell time is important when engraving stainless. By slowing the Z Dwell time, you allow the cutter to fully penetrate the material before moving. A one second dwell is a good starting point.

XY Speed

XY Speed describes the actual engraving or cutting speed. To maintain higher quality engraving on stainless as well as add longevity to your cutters, you should use a slow XY speed. The speeds will vary dependent upon the material, depth of cut, and the sharpness/condition of your cutter. Practice engraving on a scrap piece of material before engraving onto a valuable item.

Multiple Pass Setup

For a cleaner cut and for less abuse both to your cutters and engraver, it is recommended that you use multiple passes to acquire your final depth. On stainless, you can safely engrave and acquire a clean cut by using a depth of .004-.005” per pass.

A final clean-up pass also helps clean up burrs generated by cutting deeper on the initial cuts. Clean-up passes are typically no more than .001-.002” deeper than the final pass. So, for a desired depth of .012”, set pass numbers one and two to .005” and pass number three to .002”.

Spindle Motor Speed

The Spindle Motor Speed refers to the rotational speed of the cutter. This varies depending of cutter size, engraving depth, and XY Speed. Too slow of a speed can increase your chances of breaking the tip off your cutter. Too fast of a speed can actually cause the engraving material to fuse onto the tip of the cutter. This creates a very dull cutter and produced a rough or gummy looking cut in the material.

Start Your Motor Speed at a medium to slow speed and listen to the engraver as it cuts the material.

Adjust the speed up and down in small increments to find a setting that sounds as if the engraver is not having to struggle or labor through the cut. This takes a little practice through trial and error, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t seem obvious at first.

Click Here For More Stainless Steel Engraving Tips!

Have another question about engraving into metal? Please post it in the comments.

Is your cutter not correctly penetrating your engraving material? This could be caused by a few different problems. Try these tips to correct the problem:

1. Make sure your proximity sensor is ON.
2. Make sure the cutter is screwed in securely. But, not too tight!
3. Carefully feel to see if the cutter is exposed.
4. If you are using a chip vacuum, make sure the nosecone is screwed in all the way.
5. When engraving, make sure the vacuum hose isn’t getting caught on something. This can cause the nosecone to lift and not touch the surface.
6. If you are using a metal nosecone, check that the center piece is properly sealed in the spindle. To do this, remove the cutter, loosen the nosecone ring at the bottom of the spindle and hold the micrometer so it does not move with the nosecone ring. Wiggle the center part of the nosecone while gently pushing it up. You should feel it set into place. With your finger sill on the nosecone, screw it the rest of the way up, with a snug fit.
7. If all of the above does not work… Turn off the Proximity Sensor and set the surface manually.

If none of these tips work, feel free to call Vision’s Tech Support Department. They can help you adjust your proximity sensor.