Mechanical engraving fundamentals.
Vee tool typical
60° or 90° vee engraving tools standard. Diameter at depth determined by depth × tan(half angle).
0.1-0.5 mm typical
Standard engraving depth 0.1-0.5 mm. Deeper visible at distance, shallow for precision.
Width = 2 × depth × tan(angle)
60° vee tool 0.3 mm depth produces ~0.35 mm wide line. 90° tool 0.3 mm depth produces ~0.6 mm wide.
Stroke fonts
Use stroke (outline) fonts not solid fonts. Engraving traces lines; cannot fill solid shapes efficiently.
Text design rules.
Single-line stroke fonts: traced as path, fastest engraving. Standard for serial numbers, identification. Fonts: Engraver, Stroke, OEM technical fonts.
Outline fonts: letter outlines traced only. Faster than solid fill but lacks legibility at small sizes.
Solid fill fonts: letter interior pocketed out. Most legible at small sizes but slowest to engrave (5-10× longer than stroke).
Minimum readable size: 1.5-2 mm character height for most viewing. 1 mm minimum technically achievable but hard to read.
Font choice: stick to engineering fonts (Arial, OCR, technical). Avoid serif and decorative — strokes too thin for clean engraving.
Custom logos and graphics.
Adobe Illustrator
Logos must be vector format (SVG, AI, DXF). Bitmap raster images cannot be cleanly engraved.
Adjusted for tool
Logo line weight may need adjustment for chosen tool diameter. We can review and adjust.
Tool tip = min feature
Smallest detail = tool tip diameter. 0.1 mm tip = 0.1 mm minimum line. Larger tools faster.
Paint after engraving
Engraving color: paint or epoxy filled into engraved depth, wiped flush. Black common, color per brand.
Different depths
Complex logos may need multiple tool passes for varying line weights. Adds setup but enables fidelity.
±0.05 mm typical
Logo placement on part: ±0.05 mm typical CNC accuracy. Specify position datum on drawing.
Choose right marking method.
CNC engraving wins when
Laser marking wins when
FAQ
Standard 0.2-0.3 mm for visible markings. 0.1 mm minimum for shallow ID. 0.5+ mm for high-visibility deep engraving. Specify depth on drawing.
After engraving, surface painted with chosen color. Paint settles into engraved depth. Excess wiped from surface. Engraved area retains color, surface wipes clean.
Yes — once engraving program created, repeats for production volumes. Setup amortized over volume. Per-part cost low at volume.
CNC engraves any machinable material — metals, plastics, wood. Hardness affects tooling and speed. Hardened steels need carbide tools, slower speeds.
Yes with proper CAM and 5-axis machine. Engraved on cylindrical surfaces for serial number, decorative work. More complex than flat engraving.
Cast or rough surface produces uneven engrave depth. Pre-machine flat surface for engraving zone, then engrave. Or use lower depth tolerance specification.
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